Post Game Notes
January 02, 2009 | Football
Jan. 2, 2009
Recap | Quotes | Photo Gallery 
2008 Texas Tech Football
Red Raiders vs. Ole Miss (2009 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic)
Texas Tech Postgame Notes
GETTING STARTED
- Ole Miss won the opening coin toss and elected to receive. Tech finished the season with a 6-7 record on the opening coin toss.
- Today's game against Ole Miss marked the final Cotton Bowl Classic played in Cotton Bowl Stadium. The game will move to the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington next season.
- Serving as captains for the final time were Graham Harrell, Louis Vasquez, Darcel McBath and Jake Ratliff.
- Today's game was televised nationally by FOX and marked Tech's 10th televised game of the season and the first on the FOX network this year. Tech's last appearance on FOX was here in Dallas at the 2006 AT&T Cotton Bowl.
- Texas Tech made its 32nd bowl appearance and its fourth in the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic. The Red Raiders have been bowl eligible for 15 straight seasons which is a Big 12 Conference record.
- Today's game marked the second consecutive New Year's appearance for the Red Raiders as Tech took home a Gator Bowl Championship last January.
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) Richard Jones, (RE) Brandon Williams, (SAM) Bront Bird, (MIKE) Brian Duncan, (WILL) Marlon Williams, (LC) LaRon Moore, (SS) Daniel Charbonnet, (FS) Darcel McBath, (RC) Jamar Wall
TECH'S LOSS. . .
- Gives Texas Tech a final record of 11-2.
- Gives Tech a 2-16 all-time record in bowl games played in the state of Texas. Tech previously won the 2003 Houston Bowl and the 1951 Sun Bowl.
- Snaps a two-game win streak over the Ole Miss Rebels and gives Ole Miss its third bowl win over the Red Raiders. The two teams met twice previously in the Independence Bowl.
- Gives Mike Leach a career record of 76-39 and a 2-2 mark against the Southeastern Conference.
- Gives Mike Leach a career record of 2-1 against Ole Miss.
- Gives Mike Leach a career record of 1-2 in the month of January.
ANOTHER CAREER DAY FOR HARRELL
Senior quarterback Graham Harrell wrapped up his Texas Tech career this afternoon in the AT&T Cotton Bowl and in the process became the NCAA's career passing touchdowns leader. He finished the day 36-for-58 with 364 yards passing and four touchdowns.
- Tied the NCAA record for most career touchdowns with a 35-yard TD strike to Edward Britton on Tech's second offensive drive of the game. The TD pass was No. 131 in his career.
- Set the NCAA record for most career touchdowns at the 7:44 mark in the second quarter when he found his favorite target Michael Crabtree in the endzone for a two-yard TD. The touchdown gave Harrell 132 career TD passes and surpassed Hawaii's Colt Brennan who threw for 130 during his career with the Warriors. The touchdown to Crabtree marked the 41st time that Crabtree and Harrell have connected in the endzone.
- His 44-yard run in the final seconds of the first half marked a career long.
- Became the first player with two 5,000-yard seasons as he finished with 364 yards passing to today to give him 5,111 on the year.
NOTING THE RED RAIDERS
- Junior defensive tackle Richard Jones logged a sack on the first play of the game for a loss of four yards. The sack was his first of the season.
- Junior Edward Britton scored the first touchdown of the game as he caught a 35-yard pass down the east sideline to give the Red Raiders a 6-0 lead with 6:31 remaining in the game. Matt Williams was successful with the extra point and the Red Raiders took a 7-0 lead.
- Senior safety Darcel McBath gave the Red Raiders a 13-0 lead with 5:22 remaining when he intercepted a pass by Ole Miss QB Jevan Snead and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown. The interception was his seventh of the season and the INT return was his second (last was a 45-yard INT return against UMASS). He is now tied for fifth on the Texas Tech single-season interceptions (7) with Teddy Roberts (1964). The interception also moved him into fifth place in the career list with 12 career picks and is tied with Boyd Cowan (1985-88) and Vincent Meeks (2002-05).
- Michael Crabtree hauled in a two-yard touchdown with 7:44 remaining in the first half to give the Red Raiders a 20-14 lead. The touchdown reception was his 19th of the year.
- Graham Harrell had an interception returned by Marshay Green for a 65-yard TD on Tech's first drive of the third quarter. The last time Harrell threw an INT for a touchdown was against Oklahoma last season (Lindy Holmes 63-yards).
- Edward Britton hauled in his second touchdown catch of the game with 12:13 remaining in the fourth quarter to give him his first multiple TD game of his career. The touchdown and extra point by Williams pulled the Red Raiders to within 10.
