Texas Tech University Athletics
A Texas-Sized Match Up
September 16, 2010 | General
Sept. 16, 2010
Written by: Megan Myers
No Red Raider fan likes for any opposing team to come into the Jones and win, especially the University of Texas Longhorns.
As the game rapidly approaches, you can feel the buzz around campus. Raiderville is back and bigger than ever. Red shirts are being printed at a high quantity and the Red Raider faithful are packed and ready to descend upon Lubbock for another highly anticipated match up against the Longhorns.
The Texas Tech-Texas series began in 1928, and later started playing annually in 1960, once Tech became a part of the Southwest Conference. As of this season, Texas leads the all-series 43-15.
Throughout the years, Tech has given Texas a run for its money. When the annual series began in the 1960's, Tech went 2-8 for the decade. In the two victories, Tech won by 9 and six points, respectively.
The 70's saw the same record, 2-8. However, the 80's showed promise for Red Raider football by going 4-6 against the Longhorns. Two of those wins came from the help of gunslinger and Tech Hall of Honor member Billy Joe Tolliver.
Continuing where Tolliver left off in the 80's, the 90's saw a record of 4-6, including back-to-back wins against the Longhorns in 1997 (Austin) and 1998 (Lubbock). Both games put Tech's Ricky Williams against Texas' future Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams. Yet, it was the Red Raiders' Williams came out on top. In 1997, Tech's Williams rushed for 138 yards with one touchdown, and in 1998 he ran for 148 yards.
The rivalry has intensified each year - especially with wins at the Jones in 2002 and 2008.
In 2002, Tech came back from a 14-point deficit in the first quarter, scoring 21 points in the second quarter, to end up beating the Longhorns 42-38. Before halftime, Kliff Kingsbury hit Nehemiah Glover on a 62-yard pass to change the momentum of the game. The duo made it known that this was Tech's game to win.
By the end of that game, Kingsbury had a stellar performance throwing for 473 yards with six touchdown passes. Another notable star of the game was wide receiver Wes Welker - now an NFL All-Pro with the New England Patriots. Making the first touchdown of the second half to take the game away from the Longhorns, Welker finished with 169 yards and two touchdowns. The 2002 Red Raiders dominated the No. 3 Longhorns, a team with standouts that included Cedric Benson, Roy Williams and Chris Simms.
The last time the Longhorns were in Lubbock, Tech won in dramatic fashion. By this point, everybody knows the story. Graham Harrell connected with Michael Crabtree on a 28-yard pass to seal the game. Red Raider fans flooded the field to celebrate Tech's first win over a No. 1 team.
With the start of a new decade, the Red Raiders hope to jumpstart a winning record against the Longhorns. With new coach Tommy Tuberville at the helm, Red Raider nation has high hopes for another victory over Texas, and even higher hopes for the upcoming season.
