Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders Host Texas A&M
October 09, 2007 | Football
Oct. 9, 2007
TEXAS TECH (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) vs. TEXAS A&M (5-1; 2-0 Big 12)
Saturday, October 13, 2007 - 2:30 p.m.
Jones AT&T Stadium - Lubbock, Texas
ABC Sports (Regional Non-HD Coverage)
SATURDAY'S MATCHUP
Texas Tech hosts traditional rival Texas A&M at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium. Both teams enter with 5-1 records on the season, while Tech is 1-1 in league play and A&M 2-0. Texas A&M leads the series 34-30-1, while Texas Tech has won nine of the last 12 in the series, including the last two. The Aggies last won in Lubbock in 1993.
RADIO COVERAGE
The Texas Tech Sports Network is comprised of 48 stations and the game can be heard on Sirius Satellite Radio (119) 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 on a regional basis. Ron Franklin (play-by-play), Ed Cunningham (analyst) and Jack Arute (sideline) will call the action from Jones AT&T Stadium.
ROAD TO THIS POINT
The Red Raiders are 5-1 (1-1 in Big 12 play) on the season and are coming off a 42-17 win over Iowa State 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. The Aggies are 5-1 (2-0 Big 12) and narrowly averted a loss last weekend against Oklahoma State. A&M opened the season with wins over Montana State, Fresno State and Louisiana-Monroe, before dropping its first game of the season at Miami. The Aggies' two conference wins came against Baylor and Oklahoma State in College Station.
RED RAIDERS IN THE POLLS
Texas Tech received votes this week in both polls. Red Raider opponents earning top 25 status include Texas (23/22), Oklahoma (6/5) and Missouri (11/11). (AP/USA Today)
ON THE HORIZON
The Red Raiders travel to Missouri (Oct. 20) before returning 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)..
OFFENSE LED BY UNDERCLASSMEN
Of the 11 starters on offense, only one is a senior. WR Danny Amendola is the veteran of the group and is surrounded by a wealth of talent from freshman WR Michael Crabtree to junior QB Graham Harrell. The current starting lineup is composed of a freshman, four sophomores, five juniors and a senior.
DEFENSE GETTING "RUFF"
Interim defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeil promised the Red Raider faithful that his group would be aggressive - so far he's lived up to that promise. The Red Raider defense turned in one of its best efforts in a Big 12 contest in the Mike Leach era as the unit held the Cyclones to just 287 yards of total offense. Tech's best defensive effort in a Big 12 game under Leach was against Baylor last season when the Red Raiders held the Bears to just 217 yards of total offense but surrendered 21 points in a 55-21 win. Iowa State came into the game averaging 363.1 yards-per-game of total offense and racked up 415 yards in its previous game at Nebraska against the Blackshirt defense.
TOTAL DEFENSE AGAINST ISU AMONG TOP 10
In 58 Big 12 Conference games in the Mike Leach era, the Texas Tech defense has held 14 of those opponents under 300 yards of total offense, including Iowa State last Saturday. The Cyclones managed 287 yards, and had only 159 through three quarters. The total is the 10th-best single-game performance for Tech in a league game under Leach.
FIRST HALF DEFENSE STEPS UP
Texas Tech held Iowa State to 84 yards of total offense in the first half, the lowest output of any Tech opponent this season. Additionally, the Red Raiders kept the Cyclones out of the end zone in the first frame, limiting ISU to a field goal. Iowa State managed two touchdowns late in the fourth quarter.
SCORELESS QUARTERS
The defense extended its shutout to four straight quarters after holding the Cyclones scoreless in the first quarter. The Tech defensive unit held Northwestern State scoreless over the final three periods last week. The Iowa State field goal with 26 seconds left in the first half was the result of a Graham Harrell interception in Iowa State territory. As a unit, the Red Raiders held the Cylones to just 84 yards of total offense in the first half.
TURNAROUND ON THIRD DOWN
After finishing the 2006 season in a disappointing 73rd place, Texas Tech has dramatically improved itself in third-down situations. Through sixth games, the Red Raiders rank second nationally with a 54.2 percent success rate on third downs (39-of-72).
OFFENSE AVOIDS THREE AND OUT
Anytime a team averages 52.5 points through six games, it's safe to say that the offense is operating efficiently. That statement holds true for the Texas Tech offense that has also racked up 3,541 total yards and 177 first downs through the first six games of the season. What might speak more to the offense's productivity, though, is the fact that the Red Raider attack has had only seven drives stall after three plays so far in 2007.
TECH APPROACHING LAST YEAR'S RUSH TD TOTAL
Texas Tech has put the ground game to use this season. The Red Raiders had five rushing TDs last season in their first four games, followed by a five-game drought in conference play without a rushing score. Fast forward to today and Tech sits with 11 scores from its running game in six contests this season and is two short of last year's season total of 13. The Red Raiders have scored on the ground in each game this season.
HARRELL BOASTS TOP RATIO
QB Graham Harrell has thrown 28 touchdowns this season to only three interceptions. His ratio of an interception per every 9.3 touchdown passes is the nation's best. Additionally, his one interception per every 103.3 pass attempts tops the charts.
HARRELL NOMINATED FOR AT&T HONOR AGAIN
For the second time in three weeks, AT&T has recognized QB Graham Harrell as one of four nominees for its All-America Player of the Week. Harrell recorded the eighth 400-yard game of his career with 425 yards against Iowa State. He also threw four touchdown passes and rushed for another in the win. Two weeks ago at Oklahoma State, Harrell turned in the fourth-best passing game in NCAA history with 646 yards and five touchdowns en route to winning the award, which is voted on by the fans.
RUNNING OUT OF THINGS TO SAY
WR Michael Crabtree's debut at Texas Tech has been nothing short of outstanding, impressive, sensational, etc.... The redshirt freshman is having arguably the best freshman season in NCAA history for a receiver and leads the nation in receptions, receptions per game, touchdowns and scoring. In six games, Crabtree has 70 receptions for 1,074 yards and 17 touchdowns. He has five three-TD games and one two-score outing.
Other Crabtree Notables
- Set the NCAA freshman record with 17 TD catches this season
- Set the Tech single-season record with 17 TD catches this season
- Holds Tech records in freshman season receiving yards and freshman single-game yards
- Tied the single-game receptions record with 15 against UTEP; set freshman record, too
- Named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after Rice performance
- 244 yards against Rice and 238 yards at Oklahoma State are the third- and fourth-best receiving games in the country this season
BROKEN RECORD
This sounds redundant, but WR Michael Crabtree broke another record. The freshman receiving phenom entered the Iowa State game in a four-way tie for the NCAA freshman touchdowns record with 14. With his first touchdown catch in the first quarter, he broke the tie and set a new standard, before grabbing two more. His 17 touchdowns this season ties former Oklahoma State receiver Rashaun Woods, who caught 17 during the 2002 season, for the Big 12 single-season record.
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)
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 54 receptions for 685 yards this year, which is better than his previous three seasons combined. Additionally, he has four touchdown receptions. Along with WR Michael Crabtree, Amendola ranks among the nation's top 10 in receptions per game (9.0) and receiving yards per game (114.2).
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. 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.
OUT OF COMFORT ZONE SUITS DUNCAN
Redshirt freshman LB Brian Duncan received his second-straight start in Kellen Tillman's absence and led the defense in tackles for the second time in as many games. Duncan tallied nine tackles, including seven solo stops, against Iowa State, a week after recording five 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.
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 two-game run of hassling the opposing quarterback shows he has stepped up his game. Williams recorded a sack and a half against Iowa State and also had a quarterback hurry. In the previous game against NSU, he recorded two sacks.
