Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders Set For Season Opener
August 28, 2006 | Football
Aug. 28, 2006
NO. 25 TEXAS TECH (0-0; 0-0)
vs.
SMU (0-0; 0-0)
Saturday, Sept. 2 - 6 p.m.
Jones AT&T Stadium
TELEVISION COVERAGE
There is no television coverage for Saturday's game.
RADIO COVERAGE
All Texas Tech radio broadcasts can be heard over the Texas Tech Sports Network. Brian Jensen, John Harris and Mark Finkner call the action throughout the season on the 30 TTSN affiliates. Additionally, Sirius Satellite Radio subscribers can access this weekend's game against SMU on channel 181.
Complete Texas Tech Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
SATURDAY'S GAME
Texas Tech and SMU renew their rivalry as both teams kickoff the 2006 season at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. (CT). The meeting is the 33rd installment in a series that began with a 6-0 Tech win at home in 1932. The Red Raiders lead the series 27-15 with a majority of the games coming when Texas Tech and SMU were members of the Southwest Conference (1960-1995). The Red Raiders have won 10 straight in the series, dating back to 1986, including the 2004 win in Dallas. The string of wins is the longest for either team in the series. Tech's win in 1986 ended SMU's longest win streak at six games. Since the final season of the SWC in 1995, the teams have met three times, all during the Mike Leach era (2002-04).
Mike Leach - TEXAS TECH SEVENTH-YEAR HEAD COACH
The game also kicks off the seventh season of Leach's tenure as Red Raider head coach. 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 48-28 overall record and 27-21 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. He is two wins shy of passing former Tech head coach DeWitt Weaver (1951-60) in fourth 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.
TOUGH 2006 SCHEDULE ON THE HORIZON
Following Saturday's game with SMU, the Red Raiders face two tough road tests at UTEP and TCU. Both teams competed in bowl games last year, while TCU finished the season as Mountain West Conference champions. The last time Tech faced two non-conference opponents that played in bowl games during the previous season was in 2004 as both New Mexico and TCU were coming off of bowl appearances. The Red Raiders return home Sept. 23 against Southeastern Louisiana, before hitting the road for the Big 12 Conference opener at Texas A&M on Sept. 30. A homecoming date with Missouri brings Texas Tech back to Jones AT&T Stadium on Oct. 7 and the Red Raiders return to the road for Big 12 tilts at Iowa State and Colorado. Texas Tech doesn't play back-to-back home games until Oct. 28 and Nov. 4, when the Red Raiders host defending national champion Texas and Baylor, respectively. The regular season wraps up with a road game at Oklahoma (Nov. 11) and a home stand against Oklahoma State (Nov. 18). Of the 12 opponents on this year's schedule, seven played in bowl games and four won their respective games. In addition to Texas, other winners were TCU, Missouri and Oklahoma.
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
At this time last season, instead of the focus being on the 2005 edition of the Red Raider Football team, much of the attention was directed toward Texas Tech's schedule. With two of the three non-conference opponents coming from the Division I-AA level, many criticized the scheduling practices of the program. Once again, proof that the Big 12 Conference is one of the toughest, if not the toughest, conferences in the country is in the fact that Texas Tech wrapped the season with the 10th-strongest schedule in Division I, according to the NCAA.
TOP OF THE CLASS
Eight members of the Texas Tech football team are playing with degrees in hand this year. That total is tied third nationally with Miami (FL), behind Auburn (11) and Notre Dame (9). Among Big 12 schools, Nebraska is next with five. Joel Filani, Gabe Hall, Chris Hudler, Antonio Huffman, Glenn January, Brandon Jones, Seth Nitschmann and Keith Toogood have all walked on graduation day.
HICKS AMONG RETURNING NATIONAL LEADERS
Senior WR Jarrett Hicks ranks among the top rive returning wide receivers in the country in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. Tech's all-time touchdown receptions leader with 28, Hicks trails USC's Dwayne Jarrett by one. He also ranked third in career receptions (173) and trails Eastern Michigan's Eric Deslauriers by one and is listed second in career receiving yards with 2,525.
TEXAS TECH HAS 40 WINS OVER RANKED OPPONENTS
Over the course of Red Raider history 40 wins have come against ranked opponents, including two over SMU during the 1972 and 1973 seasons. The Mustangs were ranked No. 17 both times. Tech's last win over a ranked opponent came against then-No. 4 California in the 2004 Pacific Life Holiday Bowl (45-31). The Red Raiders closed the 2004 season with consecutive wins over ranked teams, including the regular-season finale over then-No. 23 Oklahoma State (31-15).
BULK OF OFFENSIVE OUTPUT RETURNS IN 2006
Texas Tech receivers logged 4,666 receiving yards last season, best in the country. With four seasoned veterans among this year's group, a majority of those numbers return this season - 76.7 percent to be exact. WR Joel Filani led the troops with 1,048 yards a year ago, while IR Robert Johnson and WR Jarrett Hicks hauled in 951 and 850, respectively. H Danny Amendola tallied 395 yards. Additionally, of the 34 receiving TDs scored last season, players accounting for 26 of those return, including Hicks's season-high 10 scoring receptions.
RED RAIDERS WELCOME NEW ADDITION TO COACHING STAFF
Former BYU assistant Brian Mitchell was named defensive backs coach of the Red Raider Football program earlier in the spring. Mitchell, an 11-year veteran in the collegiate ranks, replaced Dave Brown, who unexpectedly passed away January 10. A 1995 graduate of BYU, Mitchell played for former Cougar coach Lavelle Edwards during the 1987-90 seasons and was a seventh-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 1991. He spent three seasons in the NFL with Atlanta and the Dallas Cowboys. The All-WAC cornerback played in four bowls while at BYU and ran the opening leg of BYU's All-America 400M relay team. Mitchell returned to BYU in 1994 as the team's cornerbacks coach and was in the position through the 2005 season. The Waco, Texas, native earned a degree in clinical social work.
HOMEGROWN TALENT
Texas Tech has had a great tradition of building solid teams with talent from the state of Texas. From the beginning of the program in 1925 through the current Mike Leach era, Red Raiders have come from all over the Lone Star State. This year's squad is no different as 91 of the 105 players that reported for preseason camp hail from Texas.
YOUNG GUNS
For the first time since the 2000 season, Texas Tech does not have a scholarship quarterback on the roster above sophomore status. Sophomore Graham Harrell will take the reins of the offense against SMU and will be the first underclassman starter since Kliff Kingsbury's sophomore season in 2000. Backing up Harrell are redshirt freshman Chris Todd and true freshman Taylor Potts. Junior walk-on Ryan Rowland is listed third on the depth chart behind Todd.
