Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders Drop Heartbreaker
October 28, 2006 | Football
Oct. 28, 2006
By Trey Shipman, Texas Tech Media Relations
As if losing to in-state rival and defending National Champion Texas (9-0) wasn't hard enough, the fact that Texas Tech (5-4) played what coach Mike Leach called their "best game of the year" makes the defeat even more difficult to swallow.
"We played better this game than most of the wins that we have had," Leach said. "It's disappointing to come up short."
Leach's Red Raiders fell 35-31 to No. 5 Texas Saturday night after jumping out to an early 21-0 lead and staying in command for the majority of the contest. Texas' 21-point comeback was the second largest in school history, second only to the `Horns 28-point come from behind victory against Oklahoma State in 2004.
"Texas is a really good football team," Leach said. "They are a team that, when you get into a battle like this, is going to swing away and they are going to do some damage. In our case, you have to withstand it and overcome it. We did some significantly good things on that. We just did not do well enough to win."
Though the outcome didn't turn out the way Tech expected, the Red Raiders looked like a team that might be coming together after battling through some early season adversity.
For starters, Graham Harrell put up his second consecutive impressive outing, following up on last week's contest with Iowa State. Harrell completed 42-62 passes for 519 yards and three touchdowns. It appears as the red shirt sophomore is beginning to come into his own in his first season as the starter under center for the Raiders, but that didn't erase the pain of Saturday night's defeat.
"It was a tough loss to take," Harrell said. We played well, we played hard. I felt like we could have won this game, we've got to give them a little credit. It's a tough one to take."
Leach felt that with the help of the rest of the offensive unit, Harrell passed the test of facing a defense that has forced 15 turnovers in the last four games with flying colors.
"I thought he played well both halves," Leach said. "Our line and our receivers played well. It was a good overall effort."
Harrell wasn't the only Raider to have a big night as senior wide out Jarrett Hicks looked like the dominant go-to receiver he's been in the past by hauling in nine receptions for 156 yards and a score despite sitting out most of the second half because of injury. Leach felt that the receivers absence in the second half could contributed to the Tech offensive stalemate.
"I thought it hurt a little because Jarrett was real hot in the first half," he said. "Ending up in long-yardage situations is the thing I thought we kept fighting through in the second half."
Because of losing a large early lead, the loss might sting a little more than usual for the Red Raiders. However, senior linebacker Fletcher Session, who returned an interception for a touchdown in the first quarter, said Leach told the team they have to fight the temptation to let this loss linger.
"He said we played a heck of a game," Session said. "It was a tough loss but we've got Baylor next week so we've got to put this one behind us."
