Texas Tech University Athletics
Postgame Notes
October 04, 2008 | Football
Oct. 4, 2008
Recap | Final Stats | AP Gallery 
GETTING STARTED
- Texas Tech won the opening coin toss and elected to receive. Tech is now 3-2 on the year in the opening toss.
- Today's game was televised regionally by ABC Sports and marked Tech's first appearance on the network this season. The game was the second television appearance of the year for the Red Raiders and the first since FSN televised the SMU game back on Sept. 13. Texas Tech has now won its last four games on television.
- Texas Tech played a Big 12 Conference game today with its highest ever ranking at No. 7/8. The No. 7/8 ranking is the highest for any Tech team since the 1976 season when the Red Raiders climbed to No. 5.
- Texas Tech started the same 11 players on both sides of the ball as they did two weeks ago in the final non-conference tune-up against UMASS.
- Today's attendance at Bill Snyder Family Stadium was 43,614.
Starters - (Offense) - (LT) Rylan Reed, (LG) Jake Johnson, (C) Stephen Hamby, (RT) Marlon Winn, (RG) Brandon Carter, (QB) Graham Harrell, (F) Shannon Woods (Y) Detron Lewis (Z) Michael Crabtree, (H) Eric Morris (X) Lyle Leong (Defense) - (LE) Jake Ratliff, (NT) Colby Whitlock, (DT) Rajon Henley, (RE) Brandon Williams, (SAM) Bront Bird, (MIKE) Brian Duncan, (WILL) Marlon Williams, (LC) Jamar Wall, (SS) Daniel Charbonnet, (FS) Darcel McBath, (RC) Brent Nickerson
TECH'S WIN. . .
- Gives Texas Tech a 5-0 record to start the 2008 season.
- Gives Texas Tech a 9-4 record all-time in Big 12 season openers.
- Gives Mike Leach a career record of 70-37 and a 36-29 record against the Big 12 Conference.
- Gives Mike Leach a career record of 14-11 against the Big 12 North Division.
- Gives Mike Leach a career record of 4-1 against Kansas State and three four consecutive wins against the Wildcats.
- Gives Tech a seven-game win streak (Big 12 best) dating back to the 2007 season and three-straight on the road.
YOU CHOOSE 2008
It was another big day for Texas Tech's Heisman Trophy candidates Michael Crabtree and Graham Harrell. For more information on their push for the Heisman Trophy, log on to www.passorcatch2008.com.
THE RED RAIDERS ARE 5-0 FOR JUST THE FIFTH TIME
The seventh-ranked Red Raiders improved to 5-0 on the season with a 58-28 win over Kansas State in the Big 12 opener for both schools. Texas Tech has achieved a 5-0 record just five times in school history and is at 5-0 for the first time since the 2005 season when the Red Raiders started out 6-0 before falling to Texas (eventual national champion).
A Look Back At Tech's 5-0 Starts
2008 - Started out 5-0; face Nebraska at home next week.
2005 - Started out 6-0 before falling at Texas
1976 - Started out 8-0 before falling to Houston.
1941 - Started out 5-0 before falling at Miami
1938 - Started out 10-0 before falling to St. Mary's (California) in the Cotton Bowl
HARRELL BECOMES TEXAS TECH'S ALL-TIME LEADING PASSER
Senior quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Graham Harrell etched his name in the Texas Tech history books in the second quarter of today's game as he became the school's all-time leading passer. He surpassed Kliff Kingsbury who threw for 12,429 yards between 1999-2002. Harrell ranks in the top 10 on the NCAA's all-time career passing yards list and owns the second most passing yards for a FBS quarterback in the state of Texas, trailing only Houston's Kevin Kolb who threw for 12,964 yards between 2003-06.
The Play: 15-yard completion down the middle of the field to inside receiver Adam James at the 9:06 mark in the second quarter.
- Harrell finished the afternoon 38-for-51 with 454 yards passing and six passing touchdowns and one rushing TD. His six passing touchdowns tied his career high that he had set on two previous occasions.
- Has now attempted 144 passes without an interception. His last INT was in the second half at Nevada.
CRABTREE TIES SCHOOL RECORD FOR CAREER TOUCHDOWNS
A pair of first half touchdowns tied sophomore wide receiver and Heisman Trophy candidate for the school record of career touchdowns. He now owns 30 touchdowns in his career and is tied with Jarrett Hicks who had 30 between 1999-2002.
- Heisman Trophy candidate and sophomore wide receiver Michael Crabtree gave the Red Raiders a 13-7 lead with 10-yard TD reception with 5:07 remaining in the first quarter. The touchdown was the 29th of his Texas Tech career and moved him within one of tying the school record of 30 set by Jarrett Hicks (2003-06).
- Gave Tech a 37-14 lead in the final minute of the first half when he hauled in a 29-yard touchdown pass from Graham Harrell. The 29-yard TD reception tied him for the school record in career touchdowns and was his fourth longest TD reception of the season.
RED RAIDERS COME OUT FIRING
It was a big first half for the Red Raider offense as Texas Tech put up 38 points on the scoreboard and threw a school record-tying five touchdown passes in the half (previously threw five in the second half last year against Northwestern State). Coming into today's game, Tech had only thrown five TD passes in one entire game (SMU). The 38 points was the most by the Tech offense in a half since scoring 35 in the first half last year at Oklahoma State (45-49 loss). Graham Harrell became the school's all-time leading passer while Michael Crabtree tied the school record for touchdowns with a pair of TD receptions.
First Half Numbers
Total Offense: 417 yards
Passing Yards (Harrell): 316
Touchdowns: Five (all through the air)
Rushing Yards: 101 (on 16 carries)
LEONG HAS CAREER DAY IN WILDCAT COUNTRY
Sophomore receiver Lyle Leong had a career day in the Little Apple on Saturday afternoon as he hauled in a three touchdown passes and finished the afternoon with three catches and 23 yards.
- Got the Red Raiders on the board first with a one-yard TD catch with 12:57 remaining in the first quarter. The touchdown was his first of the season and just the second of his career (last vs. Northwestern State in 2007).
- Hauled in his second touchdown (first multiple TD game of his career) pass of the game with 8:12 remaining in the second quarter. The TD gave Tech a 23-14 lead.
- Scored his third touchdown of the afternoon in the third quarter that gave the Red Raiders a 44-21 lead.
WOODS, BATCH CONTINUE TO IMPRESS
Running backs Shannon Woods and Baron Batch entered today's game averaging a combined 198.5 yards per game from scrimmage (rushing and receiving), which ranks the duo third nationally. Today, the pair totaled 185 yards, which includes leading the Red Raiders to their fifth 100-yard rushing game this season. Woods led with 70 yards on the ground and 28 receiving yards, while Batch recorded 68 and 29, respectively.
NOTING THE RED RAIDERS
- Texas Tech's 2:03 scoring drive to open the game was the quickest of the season for the Red Raiders.
- Freshman placekicker Donnie Carona gave Tech a 17-14 lead at the 9:43 mark in the second quarter with a 31-yard field goal. Carona is now 2-of-6 on the season and 2-for-2 between 30-39 yards out.
- Junior Ryan Hale scored his first career touchdown in the first half on what was also his first career touch.
- Texas Tech improved to 60-5 in the Mike Leach era when leading at halftime.
- The Texas Tech defense came up with the first sack this season of Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman. DE McKinner Dixon was credited with the sack (five-yard loss).
- Texas Tech registered its fifth consecutive 100-plus yard rushing game of the season and that marked a first under head coach Mike Leach.
- Texas Tech's 58 points in the game are the most by the Red Raiders in a Big 12 contest since defeating Baylor 55-21 back on Nov. 4, 2006.
- The Red Raiders have put up a combined 117 points against Kansas State in the last two meetings. Tech defeated KSU 59-20 in Lubbock back on Oct. 15, 2005 in the last matchup between the two teams.
