Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders Preparing For Top 25 Showdown In Columbia
October 17, 2007 | Football
Oct. 17, 2007
No. 21/22 Texas Tech (6-1; 2-1 Big 12)
at
No. 15/17 Missouri (5-1; 1-1 Big 12)
Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 2:30 p.m. (CT)
Memorial Stadium - Columbia, Missouri
ABC Sports Regional Television
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SATURDAY'S MATCHUP
Texas Tech is back on the road for the first time in four weeks, traveling to Columbia, Mo., for the only Big 12 Conference game this week matching teams ranked among the top 25. Texas Tech (21/22) and Missouri (17/15) kickoff at 2:37 p.m. at Faurot Field in Columbia on Saturday. The game is the seventh in the series, which Mizzou leads 4-2.
RADIO COVERAGE
The Texas Tech Sports Network is comprised of 48 stations and the game can be heard on Sirius Satellite Radio (157) and XM Radio (242). Brian Jensen will handle the play-by-play duties, while John Harris and former Red Raider quarterback Sonny Cumbie serve as analysts. Armen Williams will comb the sidelines for the network. Flagship station 1340 KKAM and KFMX 94.5 carry the games in Lubbock.
TELEVISION COVERAGE
ABC is televising the game live from Columbia, Mo. Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), James Hasty (analyst) and Vince Welch (sideline) will call the action from Faurot Field.
ROAD TO THIS POINT
The Red Raiders are 6-1 (2-1 in Big 12 play) on the season and are coming off a 35-7 win over Texas A&M in Lubbock last weekend. Texas Tech opened the season with wins over three-straight Conference USA opponents, before dropping its conference opener at Oklahoma State, 49-45. Tech bounced back against Northwestern State and followed with a 42-17 win over Iowa State. The Tigers are 5-1 (1-1 Big 12) after dropping a 41-31 decision at Oklahoma last Saturday. Missouri opened the season with five-straight wins over Illinois, Mississippi, Western Michigan, Illinois State and Nebraska.
RED RAIDERS IN THE POLLS
Texas Tech entered the polls for the first time since midway through last season. Tech is 21st in the USA Today Coaches poll and 22nd in the AP poll. Red Raider opponents earning top 25 status include Texas (18/19), Oklahoma (4/4) and Missouri (17/15). (USA Today/AP)
ON THE HORIZON
The Red Raiders return home to face Colorado (Oct. 27). Two road games at Baylor (Nov. 3) and Texas (Nov. 10) precede the regular-season finale against Oklahoma (Nov. 17) at Jones AT&T Stadium.
MAKE THAT THREE IN A ROW, SEVEN-STRAIGHT
Texas Tech continued its mastery over rival Texas A&M as the Red Raiders took a 35-7 win over the Aggies for its third-straight win in the 66-year history of this series. Texas Tech has won seven-straight games over the Aggies at Jones AT&T Stadium and 10 of the last 13 overall meetings. Texas A&M's last win in Lubbock was a 31-6 decision back in 1993.
GIVE AND TAKE
Texas A&M took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter for its first lead over Texas Tech at Jones AT&T Stadium since taking a 10-0 lead in the first quarter back on Oct. 2, 1999. Tech went on to win that game 21-19. The Red Raiders claimed a 21-7 halftime lead and never looked back. It also marked only the third time this season Tech has trailed - early in the win against UTEP and in the loss at Oklahoma State.
GOING BOWLING, AGAIN
For the 15th-straight season, Texas Tech fans will be spending part of their holidays at a bowl game. The win over Texas A&M makes the Red Raiders bowl eligible with a 6-1 overall record. Texas Tech is the only program of the current Big 12 member institutions to be eligible for the postseason every year of the league's existence and the only program with an overall winning record each season since 1996.
SIXTEEN DIFFERENT RECEIVERS HAVE CATCHES
Texas Tech's quarterbacks have a cornucopia of talent at which to throw and have spread the wealth this season. Sixteen different Red Raiders have caught passes in 2007. Aside from WR Michael Crabtree's national-leading 78 receptions, eight other receivers have double-digit receptions as well. WR Danny Amendola has 60 receptions followed by RB Shannon Woods and IR Eric Morris with 30 and 28, respectively. Edward Britton and Grant Walker have 19 and 17, while L.A. Reed checks in with 13. WR Lyle Leong has 11 and RB Kobey Lewis 10. Amendola and Morris have been the other go-to guys for Tech QBs with five and four touchdown receptions. Eight different players account for Texas Tech's 34 receiving touchdowns.
TEXAS TECH SCORING UNDER LEACH
Texas Tech has scored 30 or more points in 60 games during the Leach era and has won 51 of those games. The Red Raiders are 26-4 under Leach when scoring 40+ and 19-0 when scoring over 50. On the flip side, Tech is 10-24 when scoring 29 points or less.
HARRELL BOASTS TOP RATIO
QB Graham Harrell has thrown 31 touchdowns this season to only three interceptions. His ratio of an interception per every 10.3 touchdown passes is the nation's best. Additionally, his one interception per every 115.7 pass attempts tops the charts.
RUSHING TOUCHDOWN TOTAL IN SIGHT
Harrell has three rushing scores on the season after seven games and is two shy of the record for a Leach-coached quarterback at Texas Tech. B.J. Symons rushed for five touchdowns in 2003. The only other player to rush for three was Cody Hodges in 2005.
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HARRELL MOVING UP QUICKLY
QB Graham Harrell is moving up the Tech career passing yardage list and claimed second place during Saturday's win over Texas A&M. He also has made his mark on the career touchdown passes list and is in second place with 72 career scoring strikes, while his 31 TD passes this season rank sixth on the single-season list.
- Leads the nation in virtually every passing and total offense category
- Is eighth on the single-season passing yardage list with 3,151 yards this season; finished fourth last year
- Second at Tech with 706 career completions
- Averaging 450.1 passing yards per game and 445.7 total offense yards per game
- Responsible for 29.1 points per game; leads nationally
- Has been responsible for 77 career touchdowns (passing and rushing) and is in second place
- Third player in school history to throw for 7,000 career yards
CRABTREE AMONG SEASON SCORING LEADERS
Throughout the history of Texas Tech football, only eight players have eclipsed 100 points in a season, including current WR Michael Crabtree, who leads the nation in scoring. With his fourth-quarter TD reception against Iowa State, Crabtree pushed his season point total to 102 (17 TDs). He is 32 points shy of the single-season record of 134, set by Byron Morris in 1993.
Texas Tech Single-Season Scoring Leaders
134 - Byron Morris (1993)
132 - Taurean Henderson (2005)
120 - James Gray (1989)
108 - Byron Hanspard (1995)
108 - Ricky Williams (2001)
108 - Taurean Henderson (2004)
102 - Donny Anderson (1965)
102 - Michael Crabtree (2007)
PRODUCTIVE TO SAY THE LEAST
While WR Michael Crabtree didn't score for the first time this season in the game against Texas A&M, he did manage a meager 170 yards on eight receptions and helped set up two Tech touchdowns. He recorded his seventh-straight 100-yard receiving game, which ties him with Lloyd Hill, who recorded a Tech record seven 100-yard games in 1992.
ANOTHER RECORD IN SIGHT
This sounds redundant, but WR Michael Crabtree could break another record Saturday. The freshman receiving phenom has 1,244 yards this season and is 21 shy of the NCAA freshman yardage record of 1,265, set by USC's Mike Williams in 2002.
CRABTREE STRETCHES THE FIELD
Long criticized for being a "dink and dunk" offense, the Texas Tech spread attack has seen several of its critics silenced in 2007, thanks in large part to the emergence of redshirt freshman wide receiver Michael Crabtree, a big-play threat that has burst onto the scene in his first participating season. Crabtree leads the nation in catches (78), receiving yards (1244, receiving touchdowns (17) and scoring (102) so far through seven games, but a look inside the numbers shows what a game-breaker he really is. 55 of Crabtree's freshman-record 78 catches have resulted in first downs or touchdowns for the Tech offense, and 30 of his receptions have gone for 15 or more yards. A look at the volume of
Crabtree's explosive plays:
Crab's Grabs by the Yard
15 or more yards: 30 catches
20 or more yards: 17 catches
30 or more yards: 15 catches
40 or more yards: 7 catches
50 or more yards: 3 catches
SWITCH PAYING OFF FOR AMENDOLA
Senior WR Danny Amendola has adjusted to his role nicely after switching from inside receiver to wide receiver during the off-season. Amendola has 60 receptions for 755 yards this year, which is better than his previous three seasons combined. Additionally, he has five touchdown receptions. Along with WR Michael Crabtree, Amendola ranks among the nation's top 10 in receptions per game (8.6) and receiving yards per game (107.9).
BRITTON STEPS UP IN BACKUP ROLE
Sophomore WR Edward Britton gave Tech its first lead of the A&M game with 8:48 remaining in the second quarter when he caught a 28-yard pass from Graham Harrell. The touchdown reception was his first of the season and second of his young career. Britton, starting in place of an injured L.A. Reed, had three receptions for 39 yards and accounted for the first touchdown of the season from a Tech split end. Britton is averaging 11.8 yards on 19 receptions this season. He is the eighth different receiver to catch a touchdown pass for Tech this season.
DEFENSE ON THE SCOREBOARD
Junior safety Darcel McBath registered the first defensive touchdown of the season for the Red Raiders when he returned a fumble 16-yards for a touchdown that gave Tech a 27-0 lead with 5:09 remaining in the first half against Iowa State. Victor Hunter was credited with the forced fumble. The last time a Tech player returned a fumble for a touchdown was Chris Hudler at Oklahoma State (recovered the ball in the endzone) in 2005. He has also had two TD returns called back.
OUT OF COMFORT ZONE SUITS DUNCAN
Redshirt freshman LB Brian Duncan received his third-straight start in Kellen Tillman's absence and has led the defense in tackles twice. Duncan recorded seven stops against Texas A&M and tallied nine tackles, including seven solo stops, against Iowa State. In his first start, Duncan had five tackles in the win over Northwestern State. Duncan had been backing up Paul Williams at middle backer, before getting the nod in the last two games at strongside. He still says the middle is his natural position.
 Brandon Williams | |
SOMEONE LIT A FIRE UNDER THIS GUY
Sophomore DE Brandon Williams has been a productive defensive linemen for the Red Raiders, dating back to last season. However, his current three-game run of hassling the opposing quarterback shows he has stepped up his game. Williams pestered A&M QB Stephen McGree, logging four tackles and a tackle for loss. He also had two quarterback hurries and leads the team with six on the year. Williams paces the defensive unit with eight tackles for loss this season.
TECH HARASSING OPPOSITION BEHIND THE LINE
Texas Tech has already this season registered over half of last season's tackles for loss total (69). The Red Raiders have 44 tackles for loss in 2007, including a season-high 12 in the win at Rice. DE Brandon Williams leads the group with eight.
WALL GETTING IN GOOD POSITION
Sophomore CB Jamar Wall leads the team with three interceptions this season, collecting his third in the win over Texas A&M. On the season, Wall is the team's fifth-leading tackler with 31 stops.
TECH GETTING HANDS ON THE BALL
Red Raider defenders have already forced nine fumbles this year after knocking 17 balls away a year ago. Nine different players have forced fumbles this season, including LB Paul Williams, who probably forced the biggest to this point. With UTEP at the Tech 2, trailing by two touchdowns and threatening to score with five minutes to play, the Tech defense held UTEP RB Marcus Thomas long enough for Williams to get a hand in and halt the drive. The Red Raiders recovered.
MAKING THE MOST OF IT
Senior LB Paul Williams has wasted little time adjusting to the starting lineup and accepting his role as a team leader. Williams is third on the tackles list with 41 stops and has three and a half tackles for loss. He also has a pass breakup, a sack and a forced fumble, the latter of which halted UTEP's final scoring threat at the Tech 2 in the fourth quarter. Williams' career at Texas Tech has been a patient one. After appearing in 11 games on special teams during his freshman season in 2003, Williams sat out as a redshirt in 2004 to save a year and concentrate on learning the middle linebacker position. The next two years were spent as a backup to four-year starter Brock Stratton. He did earn his way into a starting slot at SAM for the final six games of 2006, but left little question as to his status entering the 2007 season.
GARCIA, McBATH PROVIDE SAFETY NET
The safety duo SS Joe Garcia and FS Darcel McBath are once again among the defensive leaders as they rank first and fourth, respectively, with 43 and 35 tackles. McBath has six pass breakups and an interception and Garcia has two breakups. Additionally, Tech's two interceptions against SMU were initially tipped by McBath.
KEEP'EM BETWEEN THE GOAL LINES
Though highlighted by a 49-point offensive onslaught, Tech's season-opening victory over SMU was equally impressive on the defensive side of the ball. The Red Raider defense successfully held the Mustangs out of the endzone, surrendering just three field goals over the course of the game.
DUST OFF THE COBWEBS
Due to the efficiency of the offense, freshman P Jonathan LaCour has been a lonely man. When the Texas Tech offense was held scoreless by Texas A&M in the first quarter and forced to punt on back-to-back possessions for the first time this season, and LaCour was ready. While he is averaging a mere two punts per game, LaCour looked like a veteran against the Aggies. He punted three times and averaged 46.0 yards per, and also dropped two inside the 20, pinning the Aggies deep in their own territory.
MORRIS PUTS TECH IN GOOD POSITION
Junior IR/PR Eric Morris had his best day returning punts against Iowa State, averaging 21.5 yards per return. On the season, Morris is averaging 10.2 yards per return and ranks sixth in the Big 12 Conference.
AUTOMATIC ALEX HOLDS NCAA RECORD
Senior PK Alex Trlica has successfully converted all 209 extra point attempts in his career. That number ranks as the best in NCAA history, surpassing former Tennessee Volunteer John Becksvoort for the most consecutive extra points made in a career. He has connected on 43 attempts this season.
More on Trlica
- Is the nation's second-leading active career scorer
- Ranks seventh among active career scorers with 7.8 points per game
- Booted 51-yard field goal against Northwestern State, the second-longest of his career
Players Mentioned
