Texas Tech University Athletics
Tech, SMU Matchup Returns to Lubbock
August 27, 2003 | Football
Aug. 27, 2003
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Texas Tech (0-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. SMU (0-0, 0-0 WAC)
WHEN Saturday, August 30, 2003 - 6 p.m. (CT)
WHERE Jones SBC Stadium (53,702) - Lubbock, Texas
RADIO All Sports Radio Network (Brian Jensen - Play-by-Play; John Harris - Color;
Mark Finkner - Sideline)
TELEVISION None
SETTING THE SCENE
Texas Tech and SMU meet this weekend for the 41st time in the series, which dates back to the initial game, played during the 1932 season. The two teams met yearly from 1960 to 1995 during the old Southwest Conference days and met for the first time since 1995 last season, when the Red Raiders traveled to Dallas for the second game of the season. Tech leads the series 12-8 in Lubbock and 13-7 in Dallas.
THE COACHES
Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach is in his fourth season at Texas Tech and has a 23-16 record. During his first three seasons, Leach became the only coach in Texas Tech history to guide his first three teams to bowl berths. His 23 wins ties former Red Raider coach Steve Sloan with the most wins over an initial three-season period. Under Leach's direction, the Red Raiders have set 123 school records and several NCAA marks.
SMU's Phil Bennett and the Mustangs finished 3-9 a year ago in the head coach's first season in Dallas. Bennett took over the SMU program prior to the 2002 season after serving as defensive coordinator at Kansas State.
A LOOK BACK AT 2002 - TEXAS TECH 24, SMU 14
Texas Tech's game at SMU marked only the second sellout in the three-year history of SMU's Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Most of the 32,000 in attendance came to see the Red Raiders' aerial assault in Tech's 24-14 win over the Mustangs. Kliff Kingsbury led the Red Raiders to two long fourth-quarter drives, giving Texas Tech its eighth-straight win over SMU. Kingsbury ended the game 32-of-49 for 369 yards and three touchdowns. Both teams started slow as the Red Raiders led 10-6 at the half. Following a scoreless third quarter by both teams, Tech out-scored the Mustangs 14-8 in the final frame to seal the win. Late in the game, an interception by Tech linebacker Jason Wesley also helped secure the Red Raider victory. Texas Tech rolled up 488 yards of total offense in the win. Receiver Wes Welker finished the game with 153 receiving yards.
TEXAS TECH VS. THE WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Texas Tech is 73-55-2 all-time against current members of the Western Athletic Conference. Of the 131 games played against WAC teams, 46 have come against Rice and 40 against SMU.
EARLY SUNSET
Want to experience sunset at the same time folks do on the east coast? Come to Jones SBC Stadium. Texas Tech's new 175,000 square-foot, eight-story building, housing club seats, suites and the press, is near completion and will provide shade to the east side of the stadium 45 minutes earlier than the past. The old press box encompassed 12,500 square feet with roof reaching the bottom of the current club seat level.
STADIUM RENOVATIONS
Texas Tech will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. Saturday at the main entrance of the west side building, officially marking the opening of the new facility. Among the amenities are indoor and outdoor club seats in The Stadium Club, two levels of suites and a press level, which also includes suites. All told there are 47 suites in the facility. As a comparison, the old press box had a suite for the head coach, Texas Tech AD, university chancellor and president and the visiting AD.
HALL OF LEGACY INDUCTIONS
The upgrading of Texas Tech's athletic facilities the past few years didn't just happen. It took the leadership and efforts of a group of people who donated and raised over $160 million to make it happen. John T. Montford, James E. Sowell, Edward E. Whitacre, Jr., Alan B. White and United Supermarkets will be inducted into the Hall of Legacy this weekend and will be involved in the ribbon-cutting ceremony to rededicate Jones SBC Stadium at 4 p.m. Saturday. The group also will be recognized at halftime of Saturday's game.
The Hall of Legacy was created to honor individuals and businesses who have made a significant contribution toward the betterment of Red Raider athletic improvements. Primary improvements were made in:
- Football - A 270,000-square foot auxiliary press box (eight stories high) that includes a stadium club, 47 suites, and an impressive west side stadium facade. Also, a $1 million video screen; two lighted grass practice fields; and an $11 million state of the art football building, which includes a locker room, a strength and conditioning center, a training and rehab center, position meeting rooms, a 150-seat team auditorium and coaches offices.
- Basketball - The elaborate 15,098-seat United Spirit Arena. Amenities include 24 luxury suites, a practice gym, dressing rooms, a weight room, training rooms, a media center, and coaches' offices. Record crowds have enjoyed watching nationally recognized Lady Raider and Red Raider basketball programs.
- Other improvements include a new 12-court tennis complex; a tennis/softball team office building; new fieldhouses for baseball, track and soccer; the Marsha Sharp Academic Center; and facility improvements at Dan Law Field, R.P. Fuller Track and the Athletic Training Facility (new indoor track and field events areas).
THE NATURAL
Senior Wes Welker has played a myriad of positions since arriving on campus in 2000. Dubbed "Natural" during his sophomore season after coaches realized his potential as a utility player, Welker has played on offense, punt return, kickoff return, punt team, kickoff team and has even attempted an extra point. Maybe Welker can "hit for the cycle" this year and make a defensive appearance.
RECORD WATCH
It wouldn't seem right, based on the last three seasons, not to have some record in the Texas Tech or Big 12 record books in jeopardy. Enter Wes Welker. The most likely victims early in the season are the Tech career punt return and career punt return yardage records and the Big 12 career punt return and punt return for touchdown marks. Welker has 116 career returns and trails former Red Raider Tyrone Thurman by 10. He also needs only 90 yards to match Thurman's school punt return yardage record. Former Sooner Jarrail Jackson holds the league return mark with 125, so Welker needs nine there, while former Kansas State Wildcat David Allen's Big 12 mark of seven returns for scores is one ahead of Welker's six.
NEW NAME IN THE BACKFIELD
One thing has remained constant during head coach Mike Leach's three seasons at Texas Tech - Kliff Kingsbury running the show in the backfield. For the first time in three years, a new signal caller will be at the helm. Senior QB B.J. Symons enters his fifth season at Tech, but first as the starting quarterback. Following a redshirt season in 1999, Symons bided his time as Kingsbury led the Red Raiders over the next three seasons. Seeing limited action in 18 games during that span, Symons put up respectable numbers and looked comfortable in the offense he will now control.
IRONMEN
Senior starting C Toby Cecil is the veteran along the offensive line. The Richardson, Texas, native has 37 starts to his credit in his first three seasons, including 11 as a redshirt freshman in 2000. His total number of starts ranks him second among the nation's returning offensive linemen. The next highest total of starts is 27 and belongs to WR Carlos Francis.
RECORD BREAKERS
The 2003 NCAA Record Book nearly rivals the Red Raider media guide in appearances by "Texas Tech." The Red Raiders have set 39 records during the course of the history of the program, including 21 records set or tied by Kliff Kingsbury. Among some of the obscure records are Most Punts (Game) - 36, Charlie Calhoun vs. Centenary, 1939; Most Kick Returns (Game) - 20, Milton Hill vs. Centenary, 1939; Passes Defended (Game) - 8, Joselio Hanson vs. Oklahoma State, 2002; and Touchdowns Scored by Fumble Return and Interception Return in Same Game - 2, Paul McClendon vs. North Texas, 2001.
PRESEASON AWARDS
A few Red Raiders have found themselves on the list of several preseason awards. PR Wes Welker was named third-team All-America by NationalChamps.net and Athlon and was selected as the second-best all-purpose back in the nation by Athlon. SS Ryan Aycock was listed as the 11th-best strong safety in the nation by The Sporting News and is a Jim Thorpe Award candidate. LB John Saldi earned a spot on the 2003 Butkus Award Watch List (linebacker); RB Taurean Henderson became the first running back since Ricky Williams to be named a Doak Walker Award candidate.
TECH HIGH IN AFCA GRAD RATES
The American Football Coaches Association recognized Texas Tech football as one of the nation's top 32 programs in graduating its student-athletes earlier this summer. For the third-straight year, Texas Tech's graduation rate was higher than 70 percent. Tech, Baylor, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State were the only schools from the Big 12 recognized as having graduated 70 percent or higher of the 1997-98 freshman class. The overall graduation rate of the 102 I-A schools that responded to the survey was 59 percent, one percent less than the previous year. Fifty-one of the members responding were above the average and 51 were below. The median graduation rate was 59 percent, compared to 61 percent last year and 58 percent the year prior.
TOUGH SCHEDULE LOOMS AGAIN
Coming off of the toughest schedule in school history, which ranked fourth by the NCAA and included eventual national champion Ohio State, the Red Raiders find themselves looking at another daunting task in 2003. Ohio State is gone, but the remainder of the schedule mirrors 2002. In the first installment of schedule rankings for the 2003 season, the NCAA lists the Red Raider slate as the ninth toughest entering the season.
CHRISTMAS VACATION
Texas Tech has been bowl eligible for each of the last 10 seasons and is one of only three Big 12 Conference schools to be eligible each year since the inception of the league in 1996 (Kansas State and Nebraska). Tech ranks 21st all-time in bowl appearances with 26.
ANOTHER FACELIFT
The Double T scoreboard, located in the south endzone, received a facelift during the summer. A gift donated by the Class of 1932, the scoreboard received a fresh coat of red paint and new bulbs.
FIRST AND TEN, DO IT AGAIN
Texas Tech shattered the Big 12 Conference first downs record last season after racking up an impressive 380. The Red Raiders broke the previous league mark of 313, set by Nebraska during the 1997 season. In addition to the Big 12 mark, Tech the set single-game first down record of 38 against Missouri.
LIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARD
Texas Tech scored 40 or more points in nine games last season and scored 537 points, shattering the school record of 428 points set during the 1953 season. The Red Raiders averaged 38.4 points per game.
RUNNING GAME SHOWED MARKED IMPROVEMENT LAST SEASON
The Red Raiders recorded their best season on the ground during Leach's three seasons in 2002. In year one, Tech averaged 66.4 yards per game on the ground and improved by nearly 15 yards in the second season. The Red Raiders passed the 1,000-yard rushing mark last year and averaged nearly 100 yards (99.4 ypg).
