Texas Tech University Athletics
Tech Looks To Rebound At Home Against SELU
September 19, 2006 | Football
Sept. 19, 2006
TEXAS TECH vs. SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
Saturday, Sept. 23 - 6 p.m.
Jones AT&T Stadium - Lubbock
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SATURDAY'S GAME
Texas Tech will meet Southeastern Louisiana for the first time Saturday when the two teams kickoff at 6 p.m. CT at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock. The Red Raiders (2-1) are coming off of their first loss of the season, a 12-3 setback at TCU last weekend, after opening the year with wins over SMU (35-3) and UTEP (38-35 - OT). The Lions won their first game of the season last weekend with a 41-13 home-opening win over Jacksonville. The win followed two season-opening losses at New Mexico State (30-15) and at Southern Mississippi (45-0).
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 50-29 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. 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.
RED RAIDERS SET SCHOOL SCORING MARK
Alex Trlica's field goal in the first quarter at TCU pushed Tech's current scoring streak to 107 games, establishing a new scoring streak. 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
107 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 85.7 percent success rate inside the 20. Of 14 attempts on the season, 11 have gone for touchdowns, while the other was a field goal. Tech opened the season 4-of-5 against SMU and went 7-of-8 at UTEP. Despite an 88.9 percent rate for the opposition, the Red Raider defense has allowed only nine trips into the red zone in three games this season.
TRANSITION A GOOD ONE FOR RATLIFF
DE Jake Ratliff has been active since assuming a starting role on the defensive line this season. Recruited as a defensive tackle, Ratliff saw little time on the defensive front during his redshirt freshman season a year ago. Starting in place of Seth Nitschmann, who continues to work his way back into playing form, Ratliff has logged 14 tackles, including two and a half for loss. He had six tackles, including two for loss and a sack, at TCU. His biggest play of the young season came in overtime at UTEP when he batted a pass on the Miners' first overtime possession, leading to a Tech interception and eventually the win. The 6-foot-8 Ratliff has three pass breakups on the season.
DEFENSE DOMINATES IN RED RAIDER LOSS
A week after allowing 35 points in an overtime win at UTEP, the Texas Tech defense turned it up a notch and held the 11th opponent in the Mike Leach era without a touchdown. The defense limited the Horned Frogs to four field goals and 13 first downs. Tech also forced six three-and-outs and held TCU to 101 passing yards.
GARCIA EMERGES IN TCU WIN
Junior safety Joe Garcia accumulated almost half of his season tackle total against TCU with a game-high 11-tackle effort. Garcia was most active around the line and in the backfield, making two tackles for loss. He leads the team with 23 tackles this season, including 14 solo stops.
PUNTING GAME FLOURISHING IN REYES' SENIOR SEASON
Ray Guy Award candidate and Red Raider senior P Alex Reyes is having a career season, averaging 47.7 yards per punt on 12 punts. Of the 12, one went for a touchback, five were fair caught and six were downed inside the 20. He punted six times in the loss at TCU and averaged 48.0 yards on six punts. He placed two of those inside the 20 and one was a touchback. The punting unit held TCU to two total yards on three returns. Reyes ranks sixth nationally and second in the Big 12 Conference in punting.
TRLICA MOVES INTO CAREER SCORING CHARTS
Junior PK Alex Trlica moved into a two-way tie (Johnson) for the scoring lead this season with a field goal at TCU and moved into the top 10 of the Texas Tech career scoring list. In just over two years as Tech's placekicker, Trlica has 195 points on 24 field goals and 123 extra point conversions. Additionally, he hasn't missed an extra point attempt in his career. He currently ranks in a ninth-place tie with for Tech kicker Bill Adams (1977-79), who totaled 43 field goals and 66 PATs during his career. Trlica is averaging 7.2 points per game in his career.
TRLICA GETS REDEMPTION, WIN AT UTEP
Trlica dreamed of a scenario like this, but the road to get there was a little bumpy. On fourth down on Tech's first possession of overtime, Trlica caromed a career long 49-yard field goal attempt off of the left upright and watched it bounce through, giving Tech a tough-fought victory. However, it was the missed 34-yarder with 4:15 to play in the fourth quarter that he sought to redeem. A make would have put the Red Raiders ahead by 10. UTEP instead took advantage and scored with a little over a minute remaining to send the game to overtime.
TOOGOOD NOT GIVING THE OPPOSITION A CHANCE
Senior K Keith Toogood has kicked off 15 times this season with 11 of those going for touchbacks. He blasted all seven kicks through the end zone in the win at UTEP.
BILETNIKOFF CANDIDATE LEADS TECH RECEIVING CORPS; JOHNSON CLOSE BEHIND
Senior WR Joel Filani leads the Red Raiders with 278 receiving yards on 22 receptions, including a 169-yard performance against UTEP. Filani caught 10 passes against the Miners, including his second touchdown catch of the season. He also averaged 92.7 yards per game. Senior IR Robert Johnson leads the team in receptions (31) and receiving touchdowns (3) and is averaging 90.0 yards per game. He also is the national leader with 10.3 receptions per game.
McBATH SETTLING INTO ROLE
The move from corner to safety last spring for Darcel McBath proved to be a good one for the sophomore and a great move for the Red Raiders. McBath grabbed his first two career interceptions against UTEP, both coming at crucial times. With 6:23 to play in the fourth quarter, McBath grabbed a pass that scraped the fingertips of a UTEP receiver, halting a potential game-tying drive. The Red Raiders couldn't capitalize and UTEP tied the game with a minute to play. On UTEP's seventh play in the first overtime period, McBath came through again, hauling in a pick off of a deflection at the line. The Red Raiders scored on their first OT trip for the win. McBath is tied third on the team with 17 tackles (Stratton).
