2023 Football Roster
Roster
Garcia, Gino
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Jersey Number 99
Gino Garcia
- Position:
- Place Kicker
- Height:
- 6-2
- Weight:
- 215
- Class:
- Redshirt Senior
- Hometown:
- Richardson, Texas
- High School:
- Pearce
Bio
CAREER HONORS & AWARDS
IN THE TEXAS TECH RECORD BOOK
2024 SEASON (SUPER SENIOR)
Concluded his Red Raider career with one of the best seasons by a kicker in school history … appeared in all 13 games as Texas Tech’s primary place kicker for a second-straight season … battled fellow senior Reese Burkhardt for kicking duties early in the season, splitting reps before taking over full-time midway through Big 12 play … ultimately set the Texas Tech single-season record for field goal percentage after connecting on 19 of his 20 attempts on the season (95.0 percent) … broke the previous record of 93.8 percent that was set by Jonathan Garibay in 2021 … had at least one made field goal in 11 of 13 games overall … was not called on for a field goal attempt against both Baylor (19/19) and at Oklahoma State (11/23) … was a perfect 15-of-15 on attempts at 39 yards or closer and 3-of-3 on attempts from 40 to 49 yards … only miss came from 50-plus yards as he was 1-of-2 from that distance … was a perfect 13-of-13 in games Texas Tech won and 7-of-7 in road games … steady once the Red Raiders began the conference schedule, finishing 14-of-15 during that span (93.3 percent) … made his first 15 attempts on the season before his only miss, which came in the closing seconds until halftime against Colorado (11/9) … set the Texas Tech record for most-consecutive field goals made with 16 dating back to the end of the 2023 season at the Independence Bowl … snapped the previous record of 13 that was set twice previously by Clayton Hatfield in 2013 and Garibay in 2021 … made two field goals that came with less than a minute remaining in either the second or fourth quarters, giving him seven total for his Red Raider career … finished a perfect 40-of-40 on PAT attempts, marking the 18th time in program history a kicker had not missed a try … marked the second-consecutive season he had not missed a PAT attempt … received a 90.7 overall grade as a kicker by Pro Football Focus, which ranked tied for 14th nationally and second in the Big 12 … IN NCAA RANKINGS: ended the season ranked fourth in the FBS for field goal percentage (95.0), trailing only Florida State’s Ryan Fitzgerald (1.000), Charlotte’s Stephen Rusnak (1.000) and Michigan’s Dominic Zvada (95.5) … of that group, only Zvada had more attempts, finishing 21-of-22 overall … Fitzgerald had only 13 attempts on the season, while Rusnak was called on 11 times … also ranked tied for 22nd in total field goals made (19) and 29th in field goals per game (1.46) … finished tied for 11th in the FBS with 11 made field goals during conference play … one of only 10 kickers in the FBS to not miss an attempt on the road … IN BIG 12 RANKINGS: led the conference in field goal percentage as one of only two kickers to finish above 90.0 percent overall … was third in the league for made field goals (19), trailing only BYU’s Will Ferrin (24-of-27) and Iowa State’s Kyle Konrardy (21-of-28) … finished fifth in made field goals per game (1.46) seventh in the league for total field goal attempts (20) … ranked second in the league for field goal percentage in Big 12 play (93.3, trailing only Ferrin (95.0) … was joined by West Virginia’s Michael Hayes II as the only two kickers in the league to not miss a field goal attempt on the road … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: perfect 2-for-2 on field goal attempts in the season opener against Abilene Christian (8/31) after finding the uprights from 39 yards out early in the second quarter and then 31 yards with 2:39 remaining in regulation … fourth quarter field goal gave the Red Raiders a 45-42 lead late … called on for only one field goal attempt at Washington State (9/7), a successful 37-yarder late in the first quarter … connected from 25-yards out midway through the first quarter in the win over North Texas (9/14) to close non-conference play … was 2-for-2 on field goal attempts in the Big 12 opener against Arizona State (9/21) with a successful 30-yard attempt with only eight seconds until halftime and then a 39-yard try with 6:54 remaining in regulation … recorded two made field goals in each of the first three Big 12 contests, going 2-for-2 against both Cincinnati (9/28) and at Arizona (10/5) as well … found the uprights from 45 yards out to close Texas Tech’s first drive against the Bearcats before doing so again from 27 yards out to push the Red Raiders’ lead to 44-34 with 7:50 remaining … final field goal was ultimately the game-winner in the 44-41 victory … needed again late in the fourth quarter at Arizona after connecting on a 41-yard attempt to give the Red Raiders a 21-19 lead with 2:21 to play … was previously successful on a made 30-yard attempt as time expired in the second quarter to cap a quick four-play, 68-yard drive … came back after no field goal attempts versus Baylor (10/19) to connect on both of his attempts at TCU (10/26) with successful tries from 38 and 24 yards … utilized only once in the road win at Iowa State (11/2) with a successful 44-yard attempt late in the first quarter in cold, rainy conditions … followed by making his first two attempts against Colorado (11/9) with a 53-yarder and then a 39-yard attempt in the first quarter … his 53-yarder marked his longest made attempt of the season and the eighth of his career of 50 yards or longer (fourth at Texas Tech) … recorded his only missed field goal of the season as time expired before halftime as his 53-yard attempt into the wind was wide right … rounded out the regular season by going 3-for-3 on field goal attempts in the rout of West Virginia (11/30) … found the uprights from 32 yards and 23 yards in the first quarter versus the Mountaineers and then again from 22 yards early in the fourth quarter … performance earned him Big 12 Co-Special Teams Player of the Week honors … wrapped his Red Raider career with a successful 37-yard field goal midway through the first half of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl versus Arkansas (12/27) … AWARDS AND HONORS: named to the All-Big 12 second team by both the conference coaches and Associated Press … a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, which recognizes the nation’s top place kicker … also a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy presented to the nation’s top walk-on player … tabbed the Big 12 Co-Special Teams Player of the Week on Dec. 2 following Texas Tech’s victory over West Virginia.
2023 SEASON (SENIOR)
Developed into a reliable option in first full season as the Red Raiders’ primary field goal specialist … appeared in all 13 games, finishing 16-of-22 on field goal attempts and a perfect 40-of-40 on PATs … overcame a slow start to only miss one field goal during Big 12 play … called on to successfully make a field goal in nine games overall, including in five Big 12 contests … led the team with 88 total points with 48 coming via field goals and the other 40 on PATs … accurate from inside 40 yards, going 4-of-4 from 20-29 yards and 7-of-8 from 30-39 yards … proved to have a powerful leg with five successful field goals of 40 yards or longer … finished 2-of-5 from 40-49 yards and 3-of-5 from 50-plus yards … four of those five misses from more than 40 yards came over the first two games of the season … connected on five field goals overall that came with under a minute remaining in either the second or fourth quarters … made one game-winning kick, which came in the final seconds of the Kansas victory … received an 85.9 grade on field goals from Pro Football Focus, which ranked fourth in the Big 12 … utilized on kickoffs in only one game, which was the Radiant Technologies Independence Bowl versus Cal … previously was the backup for kickoff duty throughout the regular season … IN TEXAS TECH RECORD BOOK: became the first Red Raider in program history to connect on at least three field goals in a season of 50 yards or longer … his 55-yarder versus TCU matched the third-longest successful field goal (by distance) in school history … was the fifth player in school history to connect from exactly 55 yards out and the seventh player to do so from at least that distance … joined Jaret Greaser (1996 vs. Texas) and Jonathan Garibay (2021 vs. Iowa State) as the only Red Raiders in the Big 12 era to connect from 55 yards or longer in a game … his 54-yarder against Wyoming matched the eighth-longest field goal in program history … closed the season tied for ninth all-time for the most single-season field goals in program history … was tied with the totals of Bill Adams (1978) and Chris Birkholz (1998) … compiled a perfect season on PATs for only the 17th time in program history and the first time since Clayton Hatfield in 2018 … IN NCAA RANKINGS: one of only seven kickers in the FBS with multiple successful field goals of 54 yards or longer, joining the likes of Griffin Kell (TCU), Cam Little (Arkansas), John Hoyland (Wyoming), Dragan Kesich (Minnesota), Trey Smack (Florida) and Spencer Shrader (Notre Dame) … IN BIG 12 RANKINGS: ended the year ranked sixth in the league for total field goals made (16), seventh in field goals per game (1.23), eighth in both scoring per game among kickers (6.77) and total PATs made (40) as well as ninth in field goal percentage (.727) … led the league in field goal percentage in conference games only, finishing 9-of-10 overall (.900) … was also ninth in scoring among kickers with 52 points during conference play and boasted the second-longest field goal in a Big 12 game with his 55-yarder versus TCU … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: connected from deep on his very first field goal as a Red Raider in the season opener versus Wyoming (9/2), finding the uprights from 54 yards … marked the first of three field goals from at least 50 yards out during the season … was 1-of-4 the rest of the way against Wyoming, connecting from 27 yards out to tie the game with only 41 seconds remaining in regulation … had three previous misses prior to that, all from at least 40 yards out … was 1-of-2 the next week versus Oregon (9/9), connecting from 45 yards out to give the Red Raiders a 30-28 lead with 5:13 remaining in regulation … was the first of 10-consecutive successful field goals over the course of more than a month … followed by going 2-of-2 in each of the next two games with successful tries from 28 and 43 yards against Tarleton State (9/16) and 39 and 34 yards at West Virginia (9/23) … was not called upon for another field goal until connecting from 37 yards out with nine seconds remaining till halftime at Baylor (10/7) … actually marked his lone field goal attempt over a four-game span against Houston (9/30), Kansas State (10/14) and at BYU (10/21) … needed again for pair of first-half field goals from 27 and 55 yards out in the win over TCU (11/2) … the 55-yarder came with 53 seconds remaining until halftime to give the Red Raiders a 20-7 lead … marked his longest successful field goal of the season and was four yards shy of his career high set while at Houston Baptist … streak of successful field goals was snapped as part of a 3-of-4 day at Kansas (11/11), which included the game-winner … found the uprights from 32, 31 and 30 yards out against the Jayhawks with his lone missing coming from 48 yards … marked his lone missed field goal during Big 12 play … final field goal came with three seconds remaining, capping a memorable final drive for the 16-13 victory … pushed the Red Raiders to a 24-17 lead with 6:13 remaining in regulation versus UCF (11/18) with a successful 51-yard attempt … proved to be the game-winner as UCF had an extra point blocked less than a minute later … finished 2-of-3 on field goal attempts in the Independence Bowl versus Cal (12/16) with second-half tries that were good from 25 and 37 yards … pushed the Red Raiders to a 24-14 halftime lead with his first field goal with only three seconds remaining until the break … AWARDS AND HONORS: an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection by the conference coaches … an Academic All-Big 12 second team honoree … SENIOR DECISION: elected to utilize his extra season of eligibility to return to the Red Raiders for the 2024 campaign … SCHOLARSHIP PRESENTATION: placed on scholarship by head coach Joey McGuire in the first team meeting prior to the Independence Bowl.
2022 SEASON (JUNIOR)
Redshirt season … appeared in three games during debut season as a Red Raider … was neck-and-neck with eventual starter Trey Wolff for field goal duties coming out of preseason camp … split duties over the first two games of the year … finished a perfect 7-of-7 on PATs and 0-1 on field goal attempts … was a perfect 4-for-4 on PATs in the season opener versus Murray State (9/3) … followed by going 2-for-2 on PATs the next week against Houston (9/10) but missed his lone field goal try from 46 yards … only other appearance on the year came late in the rout of West Virginia (10/22) with a successful PAT.
PRIOR TO TEXAS TECH
Transferred to Texas Tech following three seasons at Houston Christian … arrived at Texas Tech with two full seasons of eligibility remaining because of the free year the NCAA gave all players for the COVID-disrupted 2020 season … made 32-of-46 field goals the past three seasons at Houston Baptist ... 2021 SEASON (REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE): was a first-team honoree on the All-Southland Conference team … made 9-of-10 field goals, including ones from 59 and 48 yards ... saw action in 10 games ... 2020 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): played in all four games … went 5-of-10 on field goal attempts and 16-of-16 on extra points … went 2-for-2, including a 44-yarder, and made all three extra points in a 35-33 loss at Texas Tech (9/12) … hit a season-long 50-yard field goal at North Texas (9/5) ... 2019 SEASON (FRESHMAN): appeared in all 12 games as a true freshman, hitting multiple field goals in seven contests … made 18-of-26 field goals and 47-of-51 extra points to lead the Huskies with 101 points … ranked second in the Southland Conference with 8.4 points per game, the most among the league’s kickers … set HCU records for single-season scoring, field goals made and attempted and extra points made and attempted … after missing his first attempt of the season from 23 yards, made his last 11 between 20-39 yards … hit 5-of-8 between 40-49 yards and 2-of-6 from beyond 50 yards … went 2-of-2 on field goal attempts, including a 51-yarder, and 6-of-6 on extra points against Northwestern State (9/21) to earn Southland Conference Special Teams Player of the Week … earned his second-straight SLC weekly honor, going 2-of-3 on field goals, including a career-long 54-yarder, tying for third-longest in HCU history, and 8-of-9 on extra points against Texas Southern (9/28) … tied the school record by hitting three field goals, including a long of 49 yards, against UIW (10/5).
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Pearce High School in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex … a successful dual sport athlete in both football and soccer … was a first team All-District 8-6A selection as a senior … garnered second team All-State honors by the Associated Press Sports Editors and earned honorable mention All-State accolades by the Texas Sports Writers Association (TSWA) … made all 53 extra points and was 7-of-7 on field goal attempts, including a long of 49 yards as a senior … successful on three 40-plus yard field goals in a playoff win over Cedar Hill, pushing Pearce to the Class 6A area round his senior year in 2018 … tabbed Pearce’s Special Teams Player of the Year following the season … was the District MVP for his play on the soccer field.
PERSONAL
Gino Garcia … son of Congino Garcia and Maria Sandra Long … has one older brother, Michael Garcia, and one younger sister, Daisy Garcia … brother played soccer at nearby West Texas A&M University in Canyon … hobbies include watching soccer and spending time with his family … earned a bachelor's degree from Texas Tech in university studies ... enrolled in post-baccalaureate courses.
- Two-time All-Big 12 honoree, earning second team accolades in 2024 and an honorable mention nod in 2023.
- Named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award during his final season in 2024.
- Nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy as a super senior in 2024.
- Tabbed the Big 12 Co-Special Teams Player of the Week on Dec. 2, 2024.
- Earned Academic All-Big 12 second team honors in 2023.
IN THE TEXAS TECH RECORD BOOK
- Set the Texas Tech single-season record for the best field goal percentage after connecting on 19-of-20 attempts (95.0) in 2024. He snapped the previous record of 93.8 percent that was set by Jonathan Garibay in 2021.
- Set the Texas Tech record for most-consecutive made field goals with 16 in a row starting at the 2023 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl and running through the Colorado game in 2024. He broke the previous record of 13-consecutive made field goals, which was set twice previously by Clayton Hatfield in 2018 and then Jonathan Garibay in 2021.
- His 19 made field goals as a super senior in 2024 ranked fourth all-time in Texas Tech single-season history. He trailed only the 23 from Ryan Bustin in 2013, the 21 from Trey Wolff in 2022 and Wolff’s 20 in 2019.
- Finished his Texas Tech career tied for ninth all-time with 35 career field goals despite only two seasons as the primary field goal kicker.
- Boasts three of the longest-made field goals in program history during his career after connecting on a 55-yard field goal in 2023 (tied for 3rd) a 54-yard field goal in 2013 (tied for 8th) and a 53-yard field goal as a senior in 2024 (tied for 10th).
- Became the first Red Raider in school history to connect on three or more field goals of at least 50 yards in a season during his 2023 senior campaign.
- Ended his career as the only Red Raider in school history with three of the top-10 longest field goals by distance in a career. He had three successful field goals of at least 53 yards during his career.
2024 SEASON (SUPER SENIOR)
Concluded his Red Raider career with one of the best seasons by a kicker in school history … appeared in all 13 games as Texas Tech’s primary place kicker for a second-straight season … battled fellow senior Reese Burkhardt for kicking duties early in the season, splitting reps before taking over full-time midway through Big 12 play … ultimately set the Texas Tech single-season record for field goal percentage after connecting on 19 of his 20 attempts on the season (95.0 percent) … broke the previous record of 93.8 percent that was set by Jonathan Garibay in 2021 … had at least one made field goal in 11 of 13 games overall … was not called on for a field goal attempt against both Baylor (19/19) and at Oklahoma State (11/23) … was a perfect 15-of-15 on attempts at 39 yards or closer and 3-of-3 on attempts from 40 to 49 yards … only miss came from 50-plus yards as he was 1-of-2 from that distance … was a perfect 13-of-13 in games Texas Tech won and 7-of-7 in road games … steady once the Red Raiders began the conference schedule, finishing 14-of-15 during that span (93.3 percent) … made his first 15 attempts on the season before his only miss, which came in the closing seconds until halftime against Colorado (11/9) … set the Texas Tech record for most-consecutive field goals made with 16 dating back to the end of the 2023 season at the Independence Bowl … snapped the previous record of 13 that was set twice previously by Clayton Hatfield in 2013 and Garibay in 2021 … made two field goals that came with less than a minute remaining in either the second or fourth quarters, giving him seven total for his Red Raider career … finished a perfect 40-of-40 on PAT attempts, marking the 18th time in program history a kicker had not missed a try … marked the second-consecutive season he had not missed a PAT attempt … received a 90.7 overall grade as a kicker by Pro Football Focus, which ranked tied for 14th nationally and second in the Big 12 … IN NCAA RANKINGS: ended the season ranked fourth in the FBS for field goal percentage (95.0), trailing only Florida State’s Ryan Fitzgerald (1.000), Charlotte’s Stephen Rusnak (1.000) and Michigan’s Dominic Zvada (95.5) … of that group, only Zvada had more attempts, finishing 21-of-22 overall … Fitzgerald had only 13 attempts on the season, while Rusnak was called on 11 times … also ranked tied for 22nd in total field goals made (19) and 29th in field goals per game (1.46) … finished tied for 11th in the FBS with 11 made field goals during conference play … one of only 10 kickers in the FBS to not miss an attempt on the road … IN BIG 12 RANKINGS: led the conference in field goal percentage as one of only two kickers to finish above 90.0 percent overall … was third in the league for made field goals (19), trailing only BYU’s Will Ferrin (24-of-27) and Iowa State’s Kyle Konrardy (21-of-28) … finished fifth in made field goals per game (1.46) seventh in the league for total field goal attempts (20) … ranked second in the league for field goal percentage in Big 12 play (93.3, trailing only Ferrin (95.0) … was joined by West Virginia’s Michael Hayes II as the only two kickers in the league to not miss a field goal attempt on the road … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: perfect 2-for-2 on field goal attempts in the season opener against Abilene Christian (8/31) after finding the uprights from 39 yards out early in the second quarter and then 31 yards with 2:39 remaining in regulation … fourth quarter field goal gave the Red Raiders a 45-42 lead late … called on for only one field goal attempt at Washington State (9/7), a successful 37-yarder late in the first quarter … connected from 25-yards out midway through the first quarter in the win over North Texas (9/14) to close non-conference play … was 2-for-2 on field goal attempts in the Big 12 opener against Arizona State (9/21) with a successful 30-yard attempt with only eight seconds until halftime and then a 39-yard try with 6:54 remaining in regulation … recorded two made field goals in each of the first three Big 12 contests, going 2-for-2 against both Cincinnati (9/28) and at Arizona (10/5) as well … found the uprights from 45 yards out to close Texas Tech’s first drive against the Bearcats before doing so again from 27 yards out to push the Red Raiders’ lead to 44-34 with 7:50 remaining … final field goal was ultimately the game-winner in the 44-41 victory … needed again late in the fourth quarter at Arizona after connecting on a 41-yard attempt to give the Red Raiders a 21-19 lead with 2:21 to play … was previously successful on a made 30-yard attempt as time expired in the second quarter to cap a quick four-play, 68-yard drive … came back after no field goal attempts versus Baylor (10/19) to connect on both of his attempts at TCU (10/26) with successful tries from 38 and 24 yards … utilized only once in the road win at Iowa State (11/2) with a successful 44-yard attempt late in the first quarter in cold, rainy conditions … followed by making his first two attempts against Colorado (11/9) with a 53-yarder and then a 39-yard attempt in the first quarter … his 53-yarder marked his longest made attempt of the season and the eighth of his career of 50 yards or longer (fourth at Texas Tech) … recorded his only missed field goal of the season as time expired before halftime as his 53-yard attempt into the wind was wide right … rounded out the regular season by going 3-for-3 on field goal attempts in the rout of West Virginia (11/30) … found the uprights from 32 yards and 23 yards in the first quarter versus the Mountaineers and then again from 22 yards early in the fourth quarter … performance earned him Big 12 Co-Special Teams Player of the Week honors … wrapped his Red Raider career with a successful 37-yard field goal midway through the first half of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl versus Arkansas (12/27) … AWARDS AND HONORS: named to the All-Big 12 second team by both the conference coaches and Associated Press … a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, which recognizes the nation’s top place kicker … also a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy presented to the nation’s top walk-on player … tabbed the Big 12 Co-Special Teams Player of the Week on Dec. 2 following Texas Tech’s victory over West Virginia.
2023 SEASON (SENIOR)
Developed into a reliable option in first full season as the Red Raiders’ primary field goal specialist … appeared in all 13 games, finishing 16-of-22 on field goal attempts and a perfect 40-of-40 on PATs … overcame a slow start to only miss one field goal during Big 12 play … called on to successfully make a field goal in nine games overall, including in five Big 12 contests … led the team with 88 total points with 48 coming via field goals and the other 40 on PATs … accurate from inside 40 yards, going 4-of-4 from 20-29 yards and 7-of-8 from 30-39 yards … proved to have a powerful leg with five successful field goals of 40 yards or longer … finished 2-of-5 from 40-49 yards and 3-of-5 from 50-plus yards … four of those five misses from more than 40 yards came over the first two games of the season … connected on five field goals overall that came with under a minute remaining in either the second or fourth quarters … made one game-winning kick, which came in the final seconds of the Kansas victory … received an 85.9 grade on field goals from Pro Football Focus, which ranked fourth in the Big 12 … utilized on kickoffs in only one game, which was the Radiant Technologies Independence Bowl versus Cal … previously was the backup for kickoff duty throughout the regular season … IN TEXAS TECH RECORD BOOK: became the first Red Raider in program history to connect on at least three field goals in a season of 50 yards or longer … his 55-yarder versus TCU matched the third-longest successful field goal (by distance) in school history … was the fifth player in school history to connect from exactly 55 yards out and the seventh player to do so from at least that distance … joined Jaret Greaser (1996 vs. Texas) and Jonathan Garibay (2021 vs. Iowa State) as the only Red Raiders in the Big 12 era to connect from 55 yards or longer in a game … his 54-yarder against Wyoming matched the eighth-longest field goal in program history … closed the season tied for ninth all-time for the most single-season field goals in program history … was tied with the totals of Bill Adams (1978) and Chris Birkholz (1998) … compiled a perfect season on PATs for only the 17th time in program history and the first time since Clayton Hatfield in 2018 … IN NCAA RANKINGS: one of only seven kickers in the FBS with multiple successful field goals of 54 yards or longer, joining the likes of Griffin Kell (TCU), Cam Little (Arkansas), John Hoyland (Wyoming), Dragan Kesich (Minnesota), Trey Smack (Florida) and Spencer Shrader (Notre Dame) … IN BIG 12 RANKINGS: ended the year ranked sixth in the league for total field goals made (16), seventh in field goals per game (1.23), eighth in both scoring per game among kickers (6.77) and total PATs made (40) as well as ninth in field goal percentage (.727) … led the league in field goal percentage in conference games only, finishing 9-of-10 overall (.900) … was also ninth in scoring among kickers with 52 points during conference play and boasted the second-longest field goal in a Big 12 game with his 55-yarder versus TCU … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: connected from deep on his very first field goal as a Red Raider in the season opener versus Wyoming (9/2), finding the uprights from 54 yards … marked the first of three field goals from at least 50 yards out during the season … was 1-of-4 the rest of the way against Wyoming, connecting from 27 yards out to tie the game with only 41 seconds remaining in regulation … had three previous misses prior to that, all from at least 40 yards out … was 1-of-2 the next week versus Oregon (9/9), connecting from 45 yards out to give the Red Raiders a 30-28 lead with 5:13 remaining in regulation … was the first of 10-consecutive successful field goals over the course of more than a month … followed by going 2-of-2 in each of the next two games with successful tries from 28 and 43 yards against Tarleton State (9/16) and 39 and 34 yards at West Virginia (9/23) … was not called upon for another field goal until connecting from 37 yards out with nine seconds remaining till halftime at Baylor (10/7) … actually marked his lone field goal attempt over a four-game span against Houston (9/30), Kansas State (10/14) and at BYU (10/21) … needed again for pair of first-half field goals from 27 and 55 yards out in the win over TCU (11/2) … the 55-yarder came with 53 seconds remaining until halftime to give the Red Raiders a 20-7 lead … marked his longest successful field goal of the season and was four yards shy of his career high set while at Houston Baptist … streak of successful field goals was snapped as part of a 3-of-4 day at Kansas (11/11), which included the game-winner … found the uprights from 32, 31 and 30 yards out against the Jayhawks with his lone missing coming from 48 yards … marked his lone missed field goal during Big 12 play … final field goal came with three seconds remaining, capping a memorable final drive for the 16-13 victory … pushed the Red Raiders to a 24-17 lead with 6:13 remaining in regulation versus UCF (11/18) with a successful 51-yard attempt … proved to be the game-winner as UCF had an extra point blocked less than a minute later … finished 2-of-3 on field goal attempts in the Independence Bowl versus Cal (12/16) with second-half tries that were good from 25 and 37 yards … pushed the Red Raiders to a 24-14 halftime lead with his first field goal with only three seconds remaining until the break … AWARDS AND HONORS: an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection by the conference coaches … an Academic All-Big 12 second team honoree … SENIOR DECISION: elected to utilize his extra season of eligibility to return to the Red Raiders for the 2024 campaign … SCHOLARSHIP PRESENTATION: placed on scholarship by head coach Joey McGuire in the first team meeting prior to the Independence Bowl.
2022 SEASON (JUNIOR)
Redshirt season … appeared in three games during debut season as a Red Raider … was neck-and-neck with eventual starter Trey Wolff for field goal duties coming out of preseason camp … split duties over the first two games of the year … finished a perfect 7-of-7 on PATs and 0-1 on field goal attempts … was a perfect 4-for-4 on PATs in the season opener versus Murray State (9/3) … followed by going 2-for-2 on PATs the next week against Houston (9/10) but missed his lone field goal try from 46 yards … only other appearance on the year came late in the rout of West Virginia (10/22) with a successful PAT.
PRIOR TO TEXAS TECH
Transferred to Texas Tech following three seasons at Houston Christian … arrived at Texas Tech with two full seasons of eligibility remaining because of the free year the NCAA gave all players for the COVID-disrupted 2020 season … made 32-of-46 field goals the past three seasons at Houston Baptist ... 2021 SEASON (REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE): was a first-team honoree on the All-Southland Conference team … made 9-of-10 field goals, including ones from 59 and 48 yards ... saw action in 10 games ... 2020 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): played in all four games … went 5-of-10 on field goal attempts and 16-of-16 on extra points … went 2-for-2, including a 44-yarder, and made all three extra points in a 35-33 loss at Texas Tech (9/12) … hit a season-long 50-yard field goal at North Texas (9/5) ... 2019 SEASON (FRESHMAN): appeared in all 12 games as a true freshman, hitting multiple field goals in seven contests … made 18-of-26 field goals and 47-of-51 extra points to lead the Huskies with 101 points … ranked second in the Southland Conference with 8.4 points per game, the most among the league’s kickers … set HCU records for single-season scoring, field goals made and attempted and extra points made and attempted … after missing his first attempt of the season from 23 yards, made his last 11 between 20-39 yards … hit 5-of-8 between 40-49 yards and 2-of-6 from beyond 50 yards … went 2-of-2 on field goal attempts, including a 51-yarder, and 6-of-6 on extra points against Northwestern State (9/21) to earn Southland Conference Special Teams Player of the Week … earned his second-straight SLC weekly honor, going 2-of-3 on field goals, including a career-long 54-yarder, tying for third-longest in HCU history, and 8-of-9 on extra points against Texas Southern (9/28) … tied the school record by hitting three field goals, including a long of 49 yards, against UIW (10/5).
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Pearce High School in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex … a successful dual sport athlete in both football and soccer … was a first team All-District 8-6A selection as a senior … garnered second team All-State honors by the Associated Press Sports Editors and earned honorable mention All-State accolades by the Texas Sports Writers Association (TSWA) … made all 53 extra points and was 7-of-7 on field goal attempts, including a long of 49 yards as a senior … successful on three 40-plus yard field goals in a playoff win over Cedar Hill, pushing Pearce to the Class 6A area round his senior year in 2018 … tabbed Pearce’s Special Teams Player of the Year following the season … was the District MVP for his play on the soccer field.
PERSONAL
Gino Garcia … son of Congino Garcia and Maria Sandra Long … has one older brother, Michael Garcia, and one younger sister, Daisy Garcia … brother played soccer at nearby West Texas A&M University in Canyon … hobbies include watching soccer and spending time with his family … earned a bachelor's degree from Texas Tech in university studies ... enrolled in post-baccalaureate courses.
The Brand: Early Momentum
Thursday, September 25
The Ride: Utah
Monday, September 22
What's Next! With Joey McGuire: Episode 19
Monday, September 22
Utah Locker Room Celebration
Saturday, September 20
