Postgame Notes
September 29, 2007 | Football
Sept. 29, 2007
Recap | Final Stats | Quotes | Photo Gallery 2 
GETTING STARTED
- Texas Tech won the opening coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff. Northwestern State elected to defend the south endzone. Texas Tech is now 4-1 on the opening toss this season.
- Texas Tech debuted its fifth different uniform combination of the season as the Red Raiders have not duplicated a combo so far in 2007. Texas Tech wore red jerseys over white pants for the first time in the Mike Leach era. The red over white combination was a staple by the Red Raiders during the 1960's.
- Two Red Raiders made their first career starts on the evening: Brian Duncan at SAM linebacker and Anthony Hines at strong safety.
- Marked Ruffin McNeil's first game as the interim Texas Tech defensive coordinator
- Tonight's attendance was 52,893 and gives Tech an average of 52,648 fans in its two home games this season.
Starters - (Offense) - (LT) Rylan Reed, (LG) Louis Vasquez, (C) Stephen Hamby, (RT) Jake Johnson, (RG) Brandon Carter, (QB) Graham Harrell, (F) Shannon Woods (Y) Danny Amendola (X) Michael Crabtree, (H) Eric Morris (Z) Edward Britton (Defense) - (LE) Jake Ratliff, (NT) Colby Whitlock, (DT) Rajon Henley, (RE) Brandon Williams, (SAM) Brian Duncan, (MIKE) Paul Williams, (WILL) Marlon Williams, (LC) Jamar Wall, (SS) Anthony Hines, (FS) Darcel McBath, (RC) Chris Parker
TECH'S WIN. . .
- Gives Head Coach Mike Leach a career record of 60-34 and a 29-8 record in non-conference action.
- Extends Texas Tech's home win streak to three games dating back to the 2006 season. Tech's last home loss was a 35-31 setback to No. 5 Texas on Oct. 28, 2006.
- Gives Texas Tech a 4-0 record in non-conference action.
SOLID NIGHT FOR WOODS
Junior running back Shannon Woods turned in his best performance of the season tonight against Northwestern State. Woods finished the evening with 45 rushing yards, two receiving yards and three touchdowns.
- Scored Tech's first touchdown of the game on the Red Raiders' opening possession. Gave Tech a 6-0 lead when he caught a two-yard pass from Harrell.
- Gave Tech a 20-7 lead with 13:13 remaining in the first half by catching a two-yard pass from Harrell. The TD reception was his second of the season and gave him his seventh multiple-TD game of his career.
- Woods tied his career high with his third touchdown (previously set against Baylor in 2006) of the game. The TD came on a 25-yard rush and was his second rushing touchdown of the night.
CRABTREE ETCHES NAME INTO THE RECORD BOOKS
Redshirt freshman Michael Crabtree sealed a spot in the Texas Tech record book tonight as he became the school's single-season leader in touchdown catches when he hauled in his 14th midway through the third quarter. Crabtree surpassed former Red Raiders Jarrett Hicks and Joel Filani who caught 13 TD passes in the 2004 and 2006 seasons, respectively. His 14th TD catch also ties an NCAA freshman record for most in a single season (Jabar Gaffney, Florida - 2000; Mike Williams, USC - 2002; Devone Bess, Hawaii - 2005).
- His 30-yard touchdown pass with 12:01 remaining in the third quarter moved him into a three-way tie with Jarrett Hicks (2004) and Joel Filani (2006) for the school record - which he later broke.
- Hauled in his 12th touchdown catch of the season (34-yard pass from Harrell) with 6:57 remaining in the first quarter to give Tech a 13-0 lead.
- Has totaled 100-plus yards receiving in all five games this season and ended the night with eight catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns. Now has 920 yards receiving on the season and is three touchdowns away from tying the Big 12 record of 17 receiving touchdowns set by Rashaun Woods of Oklahoma State.
BIG THIRD QUARTER FOR TECH DEFENSE
The Texas Tech SWARM defense turned in a stellar third quarter under newly named interim defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeil. McNeil's defense held Northwestern State to minus-three yards in the quarter as the Demons went into halftime with 129 yards of total offense and ended the third quarter with 126. Redshirt freshman Brian Duncan picked up his first career start on the night and paced the unit with five tackles, including two for loss.
NOTING THE RED RAIDERS
- Texas Tech kept its opening possession scoring drive alive as the Red Raiders got a four-yard touchdown rush from Shannon Woods with 12:52 remaining in the first quarter. Tech has scored on its opening possession in all five games this season.
- Senior placekicker Alex Trlica's 51-yard field goal with 5:53 remaining in the first half gave Tech a 24-7 lead. The field goal moved him into second place on the school's career scoring list with 313 points surpassing running back James Gray who had 312 points between 1986 and 1989.
- Steven Harris' blocked punt in the final minute of the second quarter marked the first by the Tech special team's unit since the 2005 season when Brandon Douglas blocked a punt and returned it for a TD against Indiana State.
- Junior receiver Eric Morris caught his third touchdown pass of the season with 45 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Morris' TD catch was his third of the season.
- Redshirt freshman Taylor Potts recorded his first career touchdown pass to Detron Lewis that gave Tech a 58-7 lead in the third quarter. The touchdown pass went 13 yards to Lewis and also marked his first career TD catch.
- Redshirt freshman Lyle Leong picked up his first career touchdown pass with 2:18 remaining in the third quarter and it came on a nine-yard strike from Taylor Potts. Potts and Leong were high school teammates at Abilene High School.
