Texas Tech University Athletics
Tech Faces Final Road Test Of 2005 Season
November 08, 2005 | Football
Nov. 8, 2005
No. 13 Texas Tech (8-1, 5-1) at Oklahoma State (3-5, 0-5)Saturday, Nov. 12, 2005 - 1:05 p.m. (CT)
Boone Pickens Stadium - Stillwater, Okla.
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TECH PREPS FOR FINAL REGULAR SEASON ROAD TRIP
Texas Tech (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) and Oklahoma State (3-5, 0-5) meet for the 33rd installment of the series this weekend at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. CT. The game is the final regular season road tilt for Tech, which hosts Oklahoma in the season finale next weekend at Jones SBC Stadium in Lubbock.
RED RAIDERS OFF TO HOT START
Texas Tech improved to 8-1 on the season and is off to its best start since the 1976 season when that Red Raider squad started out 8-1. The 1976 team went on to finish 10-2 and is the last Tech team to win 10-plus games in a season. The Red Raiders have won 11 of their last 12 games.
RED RAIDERS IN THE POLLS
Texas Tech enters this week ranked No. 13 in the Associated Press poll and No. 13 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Tech began the 2005 season ranked 21st in both polls and have steadily climbed throughout the season. Tech's consistency in the polls this year reflects the first time in head coach Mike Leach's six seasons that the Red Raiders have been ranked every week of the season. Additionally, Tech cracked the top ten two weeks ago for the first time since 1977.
RECORD CROWD WITNESSES TECH WIN
Texas Tech set a Jones SBC Stadium attendance record in its 56-17 win over Texas A&M last Saturday night. The announced crowd of 55,755 breaks the old mark of 55,413 set last season during the Texas game. Prior to last season, the former record of 55,008 against USC in 1977 stood for 27 seasons.
BOWLING AGAIN
With its win over Baylor, the Red Raiders qualified for postseason play for the 13th-straight season. Texas Tech is the only program of the 12 member institutions to boast an overall winning record each season since 1996. Others have finished at .500, but none have posted winning marks each of the last 10 seasons. Additionally, Tech is the only program to be bowl eligible each season of the league's existence.
CRAZY EIGHTS
Tech's win over Texas A&M gave the program its fourth-straight season with at least eight victories. The streak is the longest in school history. The nine games in 2002 reflect the most single-season wins since 1995. Should the Red Raiders reach the 10-win plateau, it will be the first time since the 10-2 season in 1976.
TECH MATCHES BIG 12 WINS MARK
Texas Tech is currently 5-1 in league play and matched the Red Raiders most wins in Big 12 play with five. Tech has won five games in league play five times, but has never won more than five. With two games remaining, another Red Raider win would not only give Tech its most wins in league play, but also mark the most wins regardless of conference since the program produced seven conference wins during the 1976 season.
RED RAIDERS AGAINST THE BIG 12 CONFERENCE
Texas Tech holds a series lead over five Big 12 members, including Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and Oklahoma State. Baylor, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M all hold series advantages over the Red Raiders. In addition to its five opponents from the Big 12 South, Tech faced Kansas, Kansas State and Nebraska from the Big 12 North this season, defeating all three. Since 1996 the Red Raiders are 16-14 against teams from the North Division and 45-33 against the entire league.
ABOUT THE OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS
Oklahoma State is 3-5 on the season and 0-5 in Big 12 Conference play. The Cowboys were off last weekend. OSU's wins have come against Montana State, Florida Atlantic and Arkansas State, while the five losses were against Colorado, Missouri, Texas A&M, Iowa State and Texas. The Cowboys are yielding 30.1 points per game to its opponents, while OSU checks in with 18.8 points per game. OSU employs a balanced attack offensively, producing right at 160 yards per game on the ground and duplicating it through the air. RB Mike Hamilton is the team's leading rusher with 88.4 yards per game. TB Julius Crosslin has nine of the team's 11 rushing touchdowns. Three quarterbacks have taken a bulk of the snaps, led by Al Pena. The sophomore leads the team with 153.2 yards per game and has throw three of the team's six scoring strikes. Redshirt freshman Bobby Reid started the first four games of the season, before an injury sidelined him. He could possibly return against the Red Raiders this weekend. Reid is a dual-threat quarterback, who is averaging 97.6 passing yards and 25.4 rushing yards per game. He also has a touchdown completion. WR D'Juan Woods is the top receiver with 38 receptions for 617 yards and five touchdowns. Defensively, LB Jamar Ransom and LB Rodrick Johnson lead with 62 tackles each. The defensive unit is giving up 425.0 yards of total offense per game, including 228.8 yards on the ground.
TECH LEADS ALL-TIME SERIES
Texas Tech enters the game with a 19-10-3 advatange in the series with Oklahoma State, including winning eight of the last 10. OSU's last two wins came during the 1999 and 2003 seasons. The series between the two teams began in 1935 with Tech claiming a 14-0 win in Lubbock. Oklahoma State picked up its first win in 1942 with a 9-6 victory in Lubbock. Tech holds the longest win streak in the series at five games (1935-1941, 1946-1956), while OSU's longest streak of wins is four (1942-1945). During the Mike Leach era, the Red Raiders dominated the series for the first three games, before OSU fought off a Tech comeback attempt in 2003 to win 51-49 in Stillwater. Tech won last season's meeting (31-15).
LAST MEETING - Texas Tech 31, Oklahoma State 15 (Nov. 27, 2004)
Texas Tech dominated No. 23 Oklahoma State's top-ranked running game to cap the season with a 31-15 victory. The Red Raider defense proved to be the difference, holding the high-powered Cowboy offense to just 15 points and allowing no offensive touchdowns. Tech outscored OSU 15-0 in the final period to solidify the lead. Receiver Jarrett Hicks led the offense with five receptions for 96 yards and two touchdowns. Taurean Henderson added 85 yards on the ground, 45 yards receiving, and a touchdown. OSU put three on the board during the first drive of the game with a Jason Ricks 21-yard field goal, but Tech answered with a Trey Haverty touchdown reception for a 7-3 lead. Ricks added another field goal early in the second quarter, and a defensive battle ensued. OSU took a 9-7 lead in the third quarter with a 24-yard field goal at 9:57, but the second half belonged to Hicks. He added his first reception of the game in the third quarter on a 38-yard Sonny Cumbie fade pass, kicking off an offensive drive that resulted in a two-yard touchdown at 8:36 to give Tech a 14-9 lead. The defense followed with a quick three-and-out, but OSU snagged an interception for a 68-yard touchdown return with 3:06 in the third. The failed two-point conversion gave the Cowboys a 15-14 lead. With a 17-15 lead, the Red Raider defense added another three-and-out, capped by an Adell Duckett sack for a loss of five yards. The solid effort from the defense set up another Hicks touchdown with 6:26 on the clock. Henderson added a six-yard touchdown run with 2:52 remaining in the game to put the score at 31-15.
LEACH IN SIXTH SEASON
Aside from Spike Dykes' 13 seasons (1987-99), the last Texas Tech coach to spend more than six seasons in Lubbock was JT King, who was at the helm of the program from 1961-69. Leach has seen continual improvement in each of his first five years, highlighted by last season's 45-31 win over California in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl. Leach has posted a 47-26 record and 26-19 record in Big 12 play, including last season's 5-3 league record and Big 12 third-place finish, the highest finish for Tech in the league standings. He is the first coach in school history to lead each of his first five teams to bowl games and also to win three-straight post-season games. His Tech teams have combined for over 151 team and individual records. Additionally, the Red Raider offense has led the nation in passing the past three years and total offense the last two.
TEXAS TECH SCORING UNDER LEACH
Texas Tech has scored 30 or more points in 44 games during the Leach era and has won 37 of those games. Additionally, the Red Raiders are 17-3 under Leach when scoring 40+ and 15-0 when scoring over 50. On the flip side, Tech is 9-19 when scoring 29 points or less. Tech's 56 points in the win over A&M was the most since the Kansas State game three weeks earlier and the fifth time this season.
BIG 12 LEADERS
Texas Tech leads the Big 12 in four statistical categories and is tied for the lead in another. Tech tops the charts in passing offense (428.8), total offense (540.7), turnover margin (+1.3) and first downs (261). The Red Raiders are tied for the lead in PAT kicking (100%). Individually, QB Cody Hodges leads the league in passing (384.6) and total offense (390.6). WR Jarrett Hicks tops the receptions per game chart (6.4), while RB Taurean Henderson leads in scoring (14.0). WR Joel Filani is the league leader with 94.1 receiving yards per game. PK Alex Trlica is the league's second-leading scorer with 9.4 points per game and leads the league's kickers with 85 points this season. Defensively, FS Dwayne Slay is the leader in forced fumbles with eight leads the Big 12 defensive backs with 8.8 tackles per game. DE Keyunta Dawson is the league's defensive ends tackles leader with 5.3 per game.
NCAA LEADERS
Texas Tech leads the country in passing and ranks among the top five in scoring offense (47.0) and total offense (540.7). Hodges leads the country in passing and total offense, while Slay is tied for the national lead with eight forced fumbles.
HOME WINNING STREAKS OVER CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
Tech's win Saturday over the Aggies marked the sixth-straight home win in the series for the Red Raiders. The run is the third-longest against Big 12 schools in Lubbock. The Red Raiders have won 10 straight over Oklahoma State in Lubbock, dating back to the 1940s. Tech has knocked off Baylor on the Bears' last seven trips to Jones SBC Stadium.
OFF TO A HOT START
The Red Raiders have out-scored opponents 214-78 in the first half this season, including a 97-16 advantage in the first quarter. Tech also has been hot coming out of the locker room at the half, out-scoring opponents 100-42 in the third quarter. The Red Raiders also hold a 109-48 advantage in the fourth. In the win over A&M, the Red Raiders scored 21 in each the third and fourth quarters.
SCORING IN BUNCHES
When the Red Raiders score, the trend shows they like to keep it together. Texas Tech has scored touchdowns on back-to-back scoring drives 42 times this season, including six times in the A&M win. Tech opened the game with back-to-back scores and ran off six-straight touchdowns in the second half. The longest stretch of consecutive touchdowns spanned 10 drives between the Sam Houston State and Indiana State games.
REDZONE HEATS UP AGAINST A&M
The Texas Tech offense has made 56 trips into the opponent's redzone this season and has come away with scores 51 times, including an 8-for-9 performance against Texas A&M. Four of the five misses came on interceptions, while Tech missed one field goal. Of the 51 scores, Tech has 43 touchdowns and eight field goals.
TECH'S DEFENSE BEST SINCE 2000
The Tech offense has company this year. The Red Raider defense has played a major role in the team's success this season and is ranked 27th nationally in total defense. The unit is allowing only 4.7 yards per play, 325.9 yards per game and has forced 26 turnovers. The yards per game Tech is allowing is the lowest for Red Raider opponents since the 2000 season, when the opposition managed 320.7 yards per game.
SHUTOUT REPRESENTS FIRSTS
When Texas Tech shutout Baylor (28-0) last Saturday in Waco, the win marked the first blanking of an opponent since a 49-0 win at New Mexico in 2002. It also marked the first conference shutout for Tech since knocking off Texas A&M (12-0) at Jones SBC Stadium during the 2001 season. Additionally, the shutout against Baylor is the first for Tech against a Big 12 Conference opponent on the road.
RED RAIDERS PLAYING A MEAN GAME OF KEEP AWAY
Texas Tech has done such a good job of bullying its opponents into turnovers this season that the Red Raiders lead the league in turnover margin at +1.3 per game. The Red Raiders have recovered 15 opponent fumbles this season, while forcing 19 overall. Additionally, the pass defense has stepped up and has picked 11 passes on the year. In Saturday's win against Texas A&M, the Red Raiders picked one Aggie pass and recovered two fumbles.
TECH PASS DEFENSE PLAYING SOLID
Texas Tech's pass defense ranks second in the Big 12 Conference this week and has caused trouble for opposing passing games throughout the season. The unit ranks 22nd nationally and is holding opponents to 186.4 yards per game through the air.
- Tech's secondary is currently holding opponents to a 55.7 completion percentage.
- The unit ranks 13th nationally in pass efficiency defense, up two spots from last week.
- FS Dwayne Slay holds the Big 12 record for single-season forced fumbles with eight this year. Slay also ranks first among the league's defensive backs with 8.8 tackles per game and fifth overall.
- SS Vincent Meeks has 12 interceptions in his career, including three this season.
- The secondary has accounted for 12 of the team's 26 takeaways this year, including three by Naziruddin on a pair of picks and a fumble recovery and Meeks' three picks.
- Tech has held five of its nine opponents this year below 200 yards passing and has allowed multiple-passing touchdowns only twice.
WIN AT MEMORIAL STADIUM LEAVES TWO
With its win at Nebraska, Texas Tech has now posted victories on the home field of each Big 12 school, save two - Colorado and Missouri. The Red Raiders will get their chance next season at Colorado and Missouri the following year.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
Texas Tech is in the middle of a 101-game scoring streak, the second-longest in school history, and fourth among Big 12 schools. The run began with a 16-13 win over Texas A&M on Oct. 25, 1997, a week after dropping a 29-0 decision to second-ranked Nebraska. During its current run, the Red Raiders have scored 10+ in all but four games. Longest Scoring Streaks in School History
106 games - Began 10/17/87 with 59-7 win over Rice in Lubbock; ended 12/29/96 with a 27-0 loss to Iowa in the Alamo Bowl
101 games - Began 10/25/97 with 16-13 win over Texas A&M in Lubbock (current streak)
AN EXTRA PLAY IS THERE IF WE NEED IT
When Texas Tech does get a wild hair and go for it on fourth down, odds are in its favor to be successful. The Red Raiders are 10-of-12 on fourth-down conversions this season with the only misses coming at Texas and against A&M.
RED RAIDERS APPLYING PRESSURE IN OPPONENTS' BACKFIELDS
Nine games into the season and Texas Tech has 43 tackles for loss, 16 sacks and 22 quarterback hurries. LB John Saldi leads the team with six and a half tackles for loss, while DE Brett Bischofberger has the team high in sacks with three. NT Chris Hudler lead with five quarterback hurries.
SLAY CONTINUES DOMINANT PLAY
An internal radar for the ball and a knack for applying punishing hits are how senior FS Dwayne Slay has become the team leader in tackles and Big 12 Conference record holder in forced fumbles. It also enabled him to become the Walter Camp Football Foundation National Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 30) and SBC Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Week following his 18-tackle performance at Baylor. For an encore, Slay posted 10 tackles and grabbed his first interception of the season in the win against A&M. He also forced his eighth fumble of the season. Both turnovers led to Texas Tech touchdowns. Slay leads the team with 79 tackles. His eight forced fumbles break the previous mark of seven, set by former Texas LB Derrick Johnson last season. Slay's bone-jarring hits have been highlight reel material this season.
SENIOR LINEBACKER STEPPING FORWARD
Senior LB John Saldi closed his freshman season with Defensive MVP honors at the 2002 Tangerine Bowl and gave Red Raider fans a glimpse of what to expect from him in the future. Saldi continues to fulfill the promise shown that night and has emerged this season as one of the team top run stoppers. He leads the team with six and a half tackles for loss from his outside linebacker slot. He also has a sack to his credit and has been effective against the pass as he is second with three passes broken up. Saldi has 23 tackles, two quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
TECH RUNNING GAME PRODUCING RESULTS
RB Taurean Henderson and RB Shannon Woods both are averaging over six yards per carry on the season, with Woods leading the way with 7.2 yards per carry on 23 rushes. Henderson, who has a Big 12-leading 16 rushing touchdowns, is averaging 6.3 yards on 120 carries. Take away the sack yardage and the Red Raiders are averaging 6.4 yards per carry in the rushing department.
SCORING RECORD UP NEXT FOR HENDERSON?
To say RB Taurean Henderson is a vital part of Texas Tech scoring offense would be a major understatement. Henderson has scored in 15 of his last 16 games, dating back to the Oklahoma game last season. As the nation's active leader in career touchdowns, Henderson is on pace to break the Tech single-season mark in touchdowns and points. He currently has 21 touchdowns on the season and 126 points. If he continues his current pace, Henderson will finish the regular season with 154 points and 26 touchdowns. The record for single-season points and touchdowns is 134 and 22, respectively, set by Byron Morris in 1993. More on Henderson
- Turned in seventh 100-yard rushing game of career with 109 yards on a career-high 20 carries against Texas A&M. He currently has 3,126 yards in his career and is only the fifth player in school history to do so. Additionally, Henderson has rushed for 100 yards in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.
- Rushed for a career-high four touchdowns in win over Texas A&M. The four scores on the ground were the most for a Tech player since Ricky Williams crossed the goal line four times in Tech's win over Baylor in 2001.
- His 408 career points ties him third on the NCAA career scoring list for non-kickers with Boise State's Brock Forsey (1999-02). He trails the leader by 60 points.
- Eclipsed the 5,000-yard plateau in all-purpose yards and is on the fifth player in school history to do so. He currently has 5,129.
- Moved into a fourth-place tie on the Tech single-season rushing TD list as he now totals 16 this year - ties with his total from 2004.
- His 49 career rushing scores are three short of the Tech record of 52, set by James Gray (1996-89).
- Henderson broke the NCAA record for career receptions by a running back with his first catch against Kansas State. He bested the previous mark of 262, set by Long Beach State's Mark Templeton during the 1984-87 seasons. Henderson needed four receptions against Nebraska to break Wes Welker's school record for receptions (259 from 2000-03) and wasted little time setting the new mark. He had his fourth reception before the end of the first quarter to set the new standard. He has 286 receptions in his career.
- Henderson wasn't finished with the record books when he set the NCAA receptions record for a running back against Kansas State. The senior running back also tied a school record with five touchdowns (three rushing and two receiving) in Tech's 59-20 win over Kansas State. The multi-touchdown game was the fourth of the season for Henderson and the third in which he has scored at least three. His five touchdowns tie him with Billy Taylor (vs. TCU, 1977), James Gray (vs. Rice, 1989) and Byron Hanspard (vs. SMU, 1995).
TOTAL TEAM EFFORT IN SCORING DEPARTMENT
Fifteen Red Raiders have contributed to Tech's hold as the nation's top scoring team. Seven have scored multiple touchdowns. RB Taurean Henderson leads the Big 12 in scoring at 14.0 points per game on 21 touchdowns, while PK Alex Trlica is second with 9.4 points. Trlica has connected on 10-of-13 field goals this year and 55-of-55 extra points. WR Joel Filani is second with eight touchdowns, while WR Jarrett Hicks has seven. IR Robert Johnson and RB Shannon Woods have four scores each, while QB Cody Hodges and H Danny Amendola have three. WR Marquis Johnson, H Eric Morris, LB John Saldi and IR Slade Hodges each scored their first touchdowns this season, while WR Brandon Douglas scored his first-career touchdown on a blocked punt. RB Taurance Rawls also has a score.
TRLICA ADDS SCORING PUNCH
During the first three games of the season, sophomore PK Alex Trlica ran through his usual routine of kicking extra points - several times. The Red Raiders scored 28 touchdowns in the non-conference season and Trlica effortlessly booted extra point after extra point. In the last five games, Trlica was given eight opportunities to kick field goals and he accepted the challenge. The Lou Groza Star of the Week from Oct. 4 provided the Tech scoring for the first three quarters against Baylor on a pair of first-half field goals, including a career-long of 47 yards. Trlica's three field goals against Kansas earlier this season were the most in a game since the 2001 season. The sophomore walk-on is second on the team and in the Big 12 in scoring at 9.4 points per game.
TRLICA ECLIPSES CONVERSION RECORD
Trlica has made all 110 of his career extra point attempts, setting a new Tech standard for career extra points (as a sophomore!) and breaking the old record of 102, set by Jon Davis (1991-94). Two weeks ago, he broke the old mark of 97-consecutive extra points without a miss, set by Robert Treece from 2000-01.
FOUR RED RAIDERS HAVE 50 CATCHES
Four Red Raider receivers already have 50 or more receptions on the season, led by junior IR Robert Johnson's 55 catches. WR Joel Filani and RB Taurean Henderson have 53 each, while WR Jarrett Hicks checks in with 51. Filani leads the group with eight touchdown receptions and 847 yards, while Hicks has seven touchdowns. Henderson and Johnson have five and four scoring receptions, respectively.
RUNNING GAME PRODUCES MOST SCORES SINCE 1996
Tech has had more production on the ground in terms of scoring this year, translating into the most rushing scores since 1996. RB Taurean Henderson has 16 rushing scores this season, leading a ground game that has produced 24 touchdowns, eclipsing last season's total of 23. The last time Tech rushed for as many scores was during the 1996 season when the team accounted for 27 rushing touchdowns. The school record for rushing touchdowns in a season is 30 in 1993.
HE'S BAAAACK!
Not that he went anywhere, but junior WR Jarrett Hicks has elevated his game over the last few weeks, increasing his yards-per-game average from the first four games. Hicks, who did not play in the first game of the season, averaged 72.0 yards per game and scored four touchdowns in his first four games. Hicks has been productive moving the ball down the field for the Red Raiders in the last four games. He has improved his yardage average to 107.5 yards per game over the last four, including 147 yards against Texas A&M. He also has three touchdowns in the last four games, including two against A&M.
More on Hicks' play this season
- Hicks turned in one of the best single seasons in Tech history for a receiver a year ago when he hauled in a school record 13 touchdown receptions and 1,177 yards. Against Kansas State this year, Hicks added another record to his belt when he caught his 23rd career scoring reception. With his lone touchdown catch of the game, he broke the two-year old mark of 22, set by Mickey Peters (2000-03). He currently has 25 career scoring receptions.
