Texas Tech University Athletics
Harrell in Nations Elite Group of QBs
October 13, 2007 | Football
Oct. 13, 2007
By Grant Vandever, Texas Tech Media Relations
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are lighting scoreboards all over the country this season and Graham Harrell is leading them there. Harrell is coming off the third best sophomore season in NCAA history but cannot seem to shake the "system quarterback" tag. With 3,151 passing yards and 31 touchdowns on just 3 interceptions this season, it is time for the nation to take notice. That being said, the lack of recognition doesn't seem to bother Harrell.
"I do not worry to much about the national recognition," said Harrell. "It is all part of playing in this system, but I am more worried about winning ball games."
Despite all the numbers Harrell has put up this season, Harrell is seldom mentioned in the top QB conversation nationally. National affiliates tend to put that system tag on Tech passing and receiving numbers but this year's numbers are different. Yes, Harrell's numbers are on par with those in the past but it is his touchdown to interception ratio that is so impressive.
"I think the touchdown to interception ratio comes from experience," says Harrell. "You never want to throw interceptions, and today was my 20th career start and I do not need to be throwing a lot of interceptions."
This last week the Tech QB was named the AT&T All-America Player of the Week for the second time of the season. The award, which is voted on by the fans, shows that Harrell's season is not going completely unnoticed, but in the recent "Heisman Watch" on ESPN.com eight different QBs were listed as the top 13 contenders, none of which were Harrell.
There is no deputing that head coach Mike Leach's offense allows his quarterbacks to have plenty of opportunity to put up huge numbers, but the numbers Harrell is putting up should be more than enough to put his name in the top quarterback conversation. No one seems to disregard numbers put up by running backs that get up to 30 carries a game. It is easy to see that the game is becoming more wide open, even Nebraska is throwing the ball more than 15 times a game. If Tech continues to win and Harrell takes care of the ball, people need to start paying attention to the football played in Lubbock.
