Texas Tech University Athletics
Homecoming 2006: Red Raiders Host Missouri
October 02, 2006 | Football
Oct. 2, 2006
#24 TEXAS TECH vs. #23/25 MISSOURI
Saturday, Oct. 7, 2006 - Jones AT&T Stadium
6 p.m. kickoff - TBS (national)
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SATURDAY'S GAME
Texas Tech and Missouri square off for the sixth time in series history. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT and the game will be carried nationally on TBS. Ron Thulin (play-by-play), Charles Davis (analyst) and Craig Sager (sidelines) will call the action. The Red Raiders are 4-1 on the season and coming off of a 31-27 win at Texas A&M last weekend. The Tigers improved to a perfect 5-0 with a 28-13 win over Colorado.
Mike Leach - TEXAS TECH SEVENTH-YEAR HEAD COACH
Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach is in his seventh season at the helm of the Red Raider program. One of the game's top offensive minds, Leach has guided the Red Raiders to four-straight NCAA Passing Titles, including B.J. Symons' single-season NCAA mark of 5,833 in 2003. Leach has a 52-29 overall record and 28-21 mark in Big 12 play. He led the Red Raiders to their best Big 12 finish in 2005 with a second-place showing in the South Division and an overall 9-3 season. With the win over UTEP, Leach passed former Tech head coach DeWitt Weaver (1951-60) and is in third place on the Tech wins list. Leach also reached his win total quicker than any of Tech's previous coaches and has taken the team to an unprecedented six-straight bowl appearances. Additionally, Tech's seven shutouts under Leach are the most for a Red Raider coach since Dell Morgan's 20 shutouts (1941-50).
TIGERS ONE OF TWO NORTH TEAMS LEADING RED RAIDERS
Texas Tech holds series leads over Big 12 North Division schools, save Nebraska and Missouri. The Tigers lead the Red Raiders 3-2 overall. The Red Raiders are still reeling from a 62-31 loss to Missouri in Columbia during the 2003 season, while Tech's last win was a 52-38 victory in Lubbock in 2002. Mizzou won the first two Big 12 meetings between the two schools in 1998 and 1999, and Tech won a pre-Big 12 game in 1995, the first between the two programs. Over the course of the series, the two teams have combined for 333 points in five games, while Missouri leads with a 35.2 average per game. Tech is averaging 31.4 points per game in the series.
RED RAIDERS HAVE WON 13 OF LAST 14 HOMECOMING DATES
Texas Tech enters this weekend's homecoming tilt against Missouri riding a four-game winning streak on homecoming. The Red Raiders also have won 13 of the last 14 on homecoming. Overall, Texas Tech is 46-27-3 on homecoming, including a 2002 win over Missouri, 52-38.
2006 RECORDS
Texas Tech got its fourth win of the season and second straight with a last-minute 31-27 win at Texas A&M last weekend. The Red Raiders improved to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the Big 12 Conference. Missouri moved to 5-0 with a 28-13 win against Colorado in Columbia.
IN THE POLLS
Texas Tech remained at No. 24 in the USA Today coaches poll this week, and is the first team receiving votes outside of the AP poll. Missouri entered the coaches poll this week at No. 25 and is No. 23 in the AP.
NEXT WEEK
Texas Tech continues Big 12 Conference action at Colorado in the first of two-straight road games. The Red Raiders face Iowa State in Ames the following weekend, before returning home to meet in-state rival and defending national champion Texas (Oct. 28).
RED RAIDER HISTORY
Texas Tech has played 889 games throughout the 82-year history of the program, which began in 1925. Tech's overall record is 478-379-32 (.555). That includes a 302-149-13 mark at home and a 172-169-6 (.504) record in league games.
JOHNSON PROVIDING SPARK FOR TECH OFFENSE
Senior IR Robert Johnson had a huge game against Texas A&M, scoring touchdowns on three of four receptions on the day, including scoring catches in the final minute of each half. Johnson's first score came with 4:40 to play in the second quarter on a 21-yard strike from QB Graham Harrell. Ahead 17-14 with nine seconds to play in the first half, Harrell connected with Johnson again on a five-yard pass that sent the Red Raiders to the locker room with a 24-14 lead. The Red Raiders went scoreless in the second half until the duo got together again for the game winner with 26 seconds to play in the game. The multi-TD game is the second of Johnson's career (SMU this season). The former JUCO All-American quarterback leads the team with 38 receptions and six receiving touchdowns. He also has 351 yards and is averaging 70.2 yards per outing. At 7.6 points per game this season, Johnson ranks seventh nationally among receivers.
FILANI AMONG TOP 20 IN RECEIVING YARDAGE
Senior WR Joel Filani turned in 156 yards on 10 receptions at Texas A&M and scored a touchdown. He currently ranks among the nation's top 20 with 89.2 receiving yards per game.
TRLICA NEARING SCORING MARK
Junior PK Alex Trlica needs five points to become the school's all-time scoring leader for a kicker. He moved into seventh place on the overall career scoring list with 216 points after accounting for seven points in the win at Texas A&M. He trails Lin Elliott (220 from 1988-91) by four. In just over two years as Tech's placekicker, Trlica has gathered his 216 points on 27 field goals and 135 extra point conversions. Additionally, he hasn't missed an extra point attempt in his career. Over the course of his career, Trlica is averaging 7.4 points per game and currently leads the team with 41 points. Trlica also has made his last five field goals, marking his longest streak since knocking in six straight between the Nebraska and Baylor games last season. Texas Tech Career Scoring List
1. Taurean Henderson, RB (2002-05)--414
2. James Gray, RB (1986-89)--312
3. Ricky Williams, RB (1997-01)--252
4. Byron Hanspard, RB (1994-96)--228
5. Byron Morris, RB (1991-93)--226
6. Lin Elliott, PK (1988-91)--220
7. Alex Trlica, PK (2004-)--216
LATE MINUTE HEROICS
Sophomore QB Graham Harrell in one game created a flair for the dramatic. Of the three touchdown strikes to Robert Johnson, two came in the final minute of each half, including the 37-yard game winning score with 26 seconds to play in the game. The first-year starter, and first underclassman since Kliff Kingsbury in 2001 to lead the Tech offense, showed the poise and leadership of a seasoned veteran in leading the Red Raiders on the game-winning drive in the final two minutes of the game.
LAST MINUTE WINS UNDER LEACH
Texas Tech has tested the tickers of its fans during the last couple of seasons with come-from-behind wins. The most dramatic may have been last year's victory at Nebraska with 12 seconds to play. QB Cody Hodges scrambled on fourth down for the Red Raiders and found Joel Filani streaking in the back of the end zone at Nebraska. An argument could be made for last weekend's 37-yard touchdown pass from Harrell to Johnson in the closing minute at Texas A&M.
Last Minute Wins
- at Texas A&M, 2006 - touchdown pass with 26 seconds to play
- at Nebraska, 2005 - touchdown pass with 12 seconds to play
PASS DEFENSE IS AMONG NATION'S BEST
Texas Tech has continued last year's success as the nation's No. 15 pass defense and currently ranks ninth this season. The Red Raiders are suffocating opponents to the tune of 142.2 passing yards per game and have allowed only four passing scores in five games this season. Tech held two opponents below 100 yards, while TCU and Texas A&M managed only 101 and 103 yards, respectively.
AMENDOLA MOVES PAST SAUL IN CAREER PUNT RETURN YARDAGE
Junior PR Danny Amendola moved into third place on the career punt return yardage list against Texas A&M, surpassing Tech great Tracy Saul (1989-92). Amendola moved past Saul with a 16-yard return late in the first half that helped set up a last-minute touchdown that gave Tech a 24-14 lead. Amendola has 907 punt return yards in his Texas Tech career.
DAWSON DOMINANT EARLY IN SEASON
Senior DE Keyunta Dawson is anchoring a defensive line that has two players among the top five tackles on the team. Dawson is second on the team with 31 tackles, is tied for the team lead with three tackles for loss and two sacks. He also has two fumble recoveries this season, a forced fumble and three quarterback hurries. Along with DE Jake Ratliff, the duo has six quarterback hurries between them and three sacks. Ratliff is the team's fifth-leading tackler with 23.
RED RAIDERS SET SCHOOL SCORING MARK
Texas Tech set a new consecutive games scoring mark against TCU and extended the streak against Texas A&M. 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 five games.
Longest Scoring Streaks in School History
- 109 games - Began 10/25/97 with 16-13 win over Texas A&M in Lubbock (current streak)
- 106 games - Began 10/17/87 with 59-7 win over Rice; ended 12/29/96 with a 27-0 loss to Iowa
TACK ON SEVEN INSIDE THE 20
The Red Raiders have carried over last year's success in the red zone and are enjoying an 88.5 percent success rate inside the 20. Of 26 attempts on the season, 16 have gone for touchdowns, while seven others were field goals. Tech was 2-of-3 against A&M, kicking a field goal, scoring a touchdown and fumbling once. Despite 92.3 percent rate for the opposition, the Red Raider defense has allowed only 13 trips into the red zone in five games this season, including none in against Southeastern Louisiana. Additionally, 134 of the Red Raiders' 169 points have resulted from plays that began within the opponent's red zone.
LEACH AMONG SHUTOUT LEADERS
In seven seasons as head coach, Mike Leach has delivered seven shutouts, including the 62-0 win over SLU. The total represents the most shutouts for a Texas Tech head coach since Dell Morgan's 20 blankings from 1941-50. Tech posted five shutouts during Leach's first three seasons, before reaching the sixth against Baylor last year.
DEFENSE PROVING DIFFICULT FOR OPPONENTS
UTEP's fourth-quarter touchdown with a little over a minute remaining in the game marked the last time the Red Raider defense allowed an opponent to cross its goal line until A&M scored in the second quarter last weekend, ending a string of 10 quarters in which the unit didn't allow a score. TCU managed four field goals in its win and the Red Raiders held SLU scoreless. The last time a Red Raider defense held back-to-back opponents without a touchdown came in the first two games of the 1998 season, when Tech opened with a 35-3 win over UTEP and followed with a 30-0 shutout of North Texas. It's also only the second time since 1972 that opponents have suffered a two-game TD drought.
HICKS MAKES RETURN
Senior WR Jarrett Hicks made his return to the lineup against SLU, a day after being reinstated by the NCAA. He entered the game in the second quarter and immediately picked up where he left off last season, grabbing a five-yard reception from QB Graham Harrell to knock the dust off. He finished the game with three receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown, including a 48-yard grab on his second catch. Hicks is the program's career leading in touchdown receptions with 29 and ranks fourth in Big 12 Conference history.
