Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders And Wolfpack Meet For The Fifth Time
September 15, 2003 | Football
Sept. 15, 2003
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Texas Tech (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. N.C. State (1-2, 0-0 ACC) Saturday, September 20, 2003 - 11 a.m. - Raleigh, N.C.
THE GAME
Texas Tech travels to Carter-Finley Stadium (51,500) in Raleigh, N.C., for its third game of the season at North Carolina State. Kickoff is slated for 11 a.m. (CT) and the game will be televised on ESPN2. This marks the fifth game in the series and the second in the last two seasons.
TEXAS TECH-NORTH CAROLINA STATE SERIES
The Red Raiders and the Wolfpack meet for the fifth time in the series, but only the second time in Raleigh. The two teams first met in Lubbock during the 1952 season with Tech taking a 54-7 win in the series' inaugural game. The series resumed 40 years later with back-to-back games in 1992 and 1993. The 1992 game was a 48-13 N.C. State win in Raleigh, while N.C. State made it two in a row the following season in Lubbock with a 36-34 last second victory. The Red Raiders erased a 28-point fourth-quarter deficit in last year's meeting in Lubbock to force overtime, but fell short 51-48.
TELEVISION
Texas Tech will make its first appearance on national television this season at N.C. State on ESPN2. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. (CT). Pam Ward (Play-by-Play) and Chris Spielman (Color) will call the action from Raleigh.
RADIO
The All Sports Radio Network, with its flagship station KKAM 1340-AM, carries the live broadcast of every football game throughout the state of Texas on its 26-station network. Play-by-play man Brian Jensen calls the action with longtime Lubbock broadcasting fixture John Harris as the color analyst. Mark Finkner provides the sideline coverage, while Tim Chambers serves as "the stats behind the stats."
THE COACH: Mike Leach
Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach is 25-16 at Texas Tech and is in his fourth season at the helm of the Red Raider program. In his first three seasons, Leach won 23 games, was the first coach in Tech history to lead his first three teams to bowl appearances, and helped Red Raider players set 125 school records. He also produced NCAA record-setting QB Kliff Kingsbury, who set 17 NCAA marks and tied four others during his three seasons as the starter. Leach's three-year record of 23 wins ties former Red Raider head coach Steve Sloan with the most over a three-year span.
N.C. STATE PREVIEW
Following a season-opening win against Western Carolina, N.C. State has dropped its last two, including a 44-38 triple-overtime loss at defending national champion Ohio State last weekend. The Wolfpack also lost 34-24 at Wake Forest two weeks ago. Preseason Heisman Trophy candidate Phillip Rivers has completed 76.3 percent of his passes this season and has thrown for 10 touchdowns. His primary targets, Tramain Hall and Jericho Cotchery, have accounted for 38 of the team's 108 receptions, including six of N.C. State's 11 receiving touchdowns. Hall leads the team with 20 receptions for 180 yards, while Cotchery has four TD catches. T.A. McLendon saw action last weekend at Ohio State, despite an injury that kept him out of the Wake Forest game. McLendon leads N.C. State with 101 rushing yards on 22 carries. He also has three scores on the ground. The Wolfpack are averaging 40.3 points per game and is yielding 34.0 points over the first three games. NCSU also is averaging 447.0 yards of total offense, while limiting its opponents to 309.0 yards.
A LOOK BACK AT September 21, 2002 4 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 51, TEXAS TECH 48 (OT)
Texas Tech scored four touchdowns in the fourth quarter, forcing the game into overtime. The comeback tied the largest fourth-quarter comeback in Tech history. Key defensive plays and a successful offensive game plan enabled the Red Raiders to outscore the Wolfpack 28-7 in the fourth frame. Red Raider QB Kliff Kingsbury turned in another solid performance for Tech with 27 completions and 273 yards, but the play of freshman RB Taurean Henderson also merited attention. Henderson rushed for a career-high 142 yards on 21 carries and turned in the best rushing performance for a Tech player since Ricky Williams' 153 yards against Baylor in 2001. WR Anton Paige led the receiving unit with seven catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns. Tech rolled up 499 yards of total offense in the game, including a Leach-era high of 207 rushing yards.
TEXAS TECH VS. THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE
Texas Tech has faced six members of the Atlantic Coast Conference on 17 occasions. The Red Raiders hold an advantage over Duke and Wake Forest, but trail Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and N.C. State. The last three games against the league have come against N.C. State (1992, '93, '02).
