Postgame Notes
September 13, 2008 | Football
Recap | Final Stats | Quotes
GETTING STARTED
- SMU won the opening coin toss and elected to receive. Tech is now 1-2 on the year in the opening toss.
- Tonight's game was televised on a semi-national basis on FSN with Joel Meyers, Gary Reasons and Emily Jones calling the action. The game marked Tech's first television appearance of the 2008 season.
- Texas Tech started a two-back set tonight in Baron Batch and Shannon Woods with Eric Morris left out of the starting rotation for the first time this season. Louis Vasquez started at left guard tonight after missing last week's game at Nevada due to injury.
- Tonight's game marked the first-ever match up of Mike Leach and June Jones, two of the most prolific offensive coaches in the nation. Jones is in his first season as the head coach at SMU.
- Tonight's game was officially sold out with an attendance of 53,383. The game is the most attended non-conference game in school history and ranks 10th all-time. The most attended game in school history was the Texas game in 2006 (56,168).
Starters - (Offense) - (LT) Rylan Reed, (LG) Louis Vasquez, (C) Stephen Hamby, (RT) Marlon Winn, (RG) Brandon Carter, (QB) Graham Harrell, (F) Shannon Woods (Y) Detron Lewis (Z) Michael Crabtree, (H) Baron Batch (X) Edward Britton (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 3-0 record to start the 2008 season.
- Gives Mike Leach a career record of 68-37 and a 24-5 mark against non-conference opponents as the head coach of the Red Raiders.
- Gives Mike Leach a career record of 6-0 against SMU.
- Gives Texas Tech 10-straight wins against non-conference opponents (including bowl games).
- Gives Tech five-consecutive wins dating back to the 2007 season and three-straight wins at home.
DEFENSE GETS GOOD START AT HOME
Ruffin McNeil's defensive unit has gotten off to a solid start in each of the Red Raiders two home games. The Tech "D" registered an interception in the season opener on Eastern Washington's first offensive play when linebacker Brian Duncan picked off QB Matt Nichols. Tonight, it was more of the same as strong safety Daniel Charbonnet picked off SMU's Bo Levi Mitchell on the Mustang's first offensive play.
- Tech ended four of SMU's first six offensive possessions on interceptions with Daniel Charbonnet taking the first two, Jamar Wall grabbing the third and Darcel McBath the fourth.
CAREER NIGHT FOR CHARBONNET
It was a big night for senior strong safety Daniel Charbonnet as he put an end to SMU's first two offensive possessions with a pair of interceptions and then set a school record with his third pick of the night in the third quarter. His three interceptions established a new school record surpassing the old record of two set by numerous former Red Raiders. The last time a Tech player had a multiple-INT game was Brock Stratton (2) at Iowa State in 2006.
HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY CRAB MAN
Sophomore wide receiver and Heisman candidate Michael Crabtree will celebrate his 21st birthday tomorrow but he got his birthday weekend off to a good start tonight against the SMU Mustangs. Crabtree hauled in 3 touchdown passes on the night including a game-high 50-yarder with 13:30 remaining in the third quarter. He led all Tech receivers with 164 yards receiving and tallied the 13th 100-plus yard receiving game of his career.
HARRELL SETS NEW SCHOOL RECORD
Senior quarterback and Heisman trophy candidate Graham Harrell added to his collection of school records tonight as he now owns school records for career passing touchdowns and career touchdowns responsible for. Harrell is now responsible for 104 touchdowns in his career and has 97 career passing touchdowns. Harrell surpassed former Tech QB Kliff Kingsbury for both records - Kingsbury had 95 career passing touchdowns and was responsible for 100 in his career.
- Harrell's 50-yard touchdown pass (to Michael Crabtree) on Tech's opening drive of the third quarter tied him with Kliff Kingsbury for the most touchdown passes in a career (95). His two-yard pass to Edward Britton with 3:53 remaining in the third quarter established the school record for most career touchdown passes.
NOTING THE RED RAIDERS
- Freshman placekicker got the proverbial monkey off his back early in the first quarter as he connected on a 35-yard field goal that gave the Red Raiders the early 3-0 lead. The field goal marked the first of his career on what was his fourth attempt of the season.
- Sophomore running back Baron Batch picked up Tech's ninth rushing touchdown of the season when he scored on a career long 43-yard scamper. Coming into tonight, his previous longest rush was 26 yards earlier this season in the opener against Eastern Washington.
- Junior cornerback Jamar Wall picked up his first interception of the season on SMU's third possession of the game. It marked the sixth of his career and his first since the Texas game in 2007.
- Junior transfer McKinner Dixon is off to a fast start in 2008 as he totaled his third sack of the season with 11:09 remaining in the second quarter. Dixon, who started his career at Tech in 2005 and was a freshman All-American before transferring to junior college, now has five total sacks in his career (two in 2005).
- Senior LA Reed saw his first action on the defensive side of the ball in the first half as he got some playing time at the right cornerback position. Reed missed the first two games of the season due to injury and was a projected starter during fall camp. He played the first three years of his career as a receiver before making the conversion to defense during the spring of 2008.
- Sophomore receiver Detron Lewis hauled in his first touchdown of the season and the fourth of his career when he caught a 44-yard pass with 13:04 remaining in the fourth quarter.
- Texas Tech finished the night with 180 rushing yards and that was the most since 175 against Baylor back in 2006.
