Football Braces For Showdown With Top-Ranked Oklahoma
November 15, 2000 | Football
Nov. 15, 2000
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The Records
Texas Tech improved to 7-4 overall and 3-4 in Big 12 play with a 58-0 win over Oklahoma State in Lubbock Nov. 11. The win was the first for the Red Raiders at home since shutting out Baylor 28-0 Oct. 7. Top-ranked Oklahoma remained the nation's only undefeated Division I team after knocking off Texas A&M 35-31 in College Station over the weekend. The Sooners are 9-0 overall and 6-0 in Big 12 play.
The Series
Oklahoma leads the series 5-2, dating back to the 1992 season. OU won the first meeting (34-9) in Lubbock in the initial game. The Red Raiders won last year's meeting 38-28 at Jones SBC Stadium. The Sooners hold a 2-1 series advantage in Norman. The other Tech win was a 22-12 victory over the Sooners in Norman during the 1996 season.
The Coaches
Mike Leach is 7-4 in his first season at Texas Tech and as a collegiate head coach. The Red Raiders have a 3-4 mark in league play under the first-year coach. Leach has never faced Oklahoma as a head coach, but served as the Sooners' offensive coordinator last season. Oklahoma's Bob Stoops is 16-5 in his second season at OU, after a 7-5 inaugural season in 1999.
Texas Tech Becomes Bowl Eligible for Eighth Season
Texas Tech's win over Oklahoma State game the Red Raiders their seventh win necessary to qualify for a bowl berth. This marks the eighth-consecutive season that Texas Tech has qualified for a bowl game.
Texas Tech Bowl History
The Red Raiders are tied 20th all-time with 23 bowl appearances in the program's 75 years. In those 23 games, Tech is 5-17-1. In the last eight seasons that Tech has qualified for a bowl appearance, the Red Raiders have participated in five postseason games:
1998: Independence Bowl (L, 35-18 to Mississippi)
1996: Alamo Bowl (L, 27-0 to Iowa)
1995: Copper Bowl (W, 55-41 over Air Force)
1994: Cotton Bowl (L, 55-14 to USC)
1993: John Hancock Bowl (L, 41-10 to Oklahoma)
Tough Slate
This weekend's game at top-ranked Oklahoma marks the second time this season that Texas Tech will face the nation's No. 1 team. The other was against Nebraska Oct. 14 in Lubbock. The Red Raiders also played at No. 10 Kansas State and at home against No. 20 Texas. When Tech and Texas A&M met Sept. 30, the Aggies were not ranked. A&M is currently ranked No. 23.
Texas Tech vs. No. 1s
The Red Raiders have played five Associated Press No. 1 teams since the poll's inception in 1936. Three of the games have been at home, while the other two were on the road. In the last game against a No. 1-ranked team, the Red Raiders dropped a 56-3 decision to Nebraska on Oct. 14.
Baker Continues Impressive Senior Campaign
Senior receiver Tim Baker caught seven passes for 75 yards to leads all receivers against Oklahoma State. He also caught two touchdown passes, marking only the second time in his career to post a multi-touchdown game (the other was at A&M this season). Baker leads the Big 12 with 715 receiving yards and 63 receptions. He has six touchdown catches.
Dorris Looking Good, Too
Senior receiver Derek Dorris also is having his best season as a Red Raider. He caught five balls for 30 yards a touchdown against OSU and currently is second on the team with 54 points on a team-best nine touchdown receptions. Against Kansas three weeks ago, Dorris set a school record with four touchdown receptions.
Red Raiders Post Best Running Performance
Texas Tech rushed for a season-high 152 yards against the Cowboys last weekend. The Red Raiders are averaging 70.5 yards per game on the ground, compared to 295 yards per game in the air.
Offensive Line Has Best Day
The Texas Tech offensive line has undergone many changes this season, mostly due to injury. Despite a wealth of youth among the front five (a senior, two juniors, a sophomore and a freshman), the O-Line gave Kingsbury all the time he needed against Oklahoma State. The group did not allow a sack and helped the Red Raiders amass the highest rushing total of the season.
Kingsbury Ranks Among Best All-Time
Kliff Kingsbury has set several Texas Tech passing records in his sophomore season and first year as the Red Raider signal caller. He also is moving up the career charts.
Other Records Broken or Within Reach
Kingsbury also has set single-game records in completions (42), passes (55) and passing yards (456). In addition to total passing yardage in 2000, Kingsbury holds the single-season record in passes (524). He is one touchdown pass short of tying Robert Hall's single-season touchdown toss mark of 21, set in 1993.
Getting the Most Out of Completions
Kliff Kingsbury has completed a school-record 321 passes this season, 20 of those for touchdowns. Kingsbury is currently averaging a touchdown pass per 16 completions.
Defense Provides a Little Offense
For the first time in recent memory, the Texas Tech defense accounted for two scores in one game. Antwan Alexander and Kevin Curtis each returned interceptions for touchdowns against Oklahoma State. Additionally, Lawrence Flugence returned a blocked punt 79 yards for a touchdown in the game.
Hunt Makes His Presence Felt
Sophomore defensive end Aaron Hunt thwarted Oklahoma State's only opportunity to put points on the board when he blitzed through the OSU line and blocked OSU's only field goal attempt. The block resulted in seven points for the Red Raiders as Lawrence Flugence scooped the ball and returned it 79 yards for a touchdown.
Dead End
Tech senior linebacker Dorian Pitts made five stops for 30 lost yards against Oklahoma State, not allowing the Cowboy running backs to reach the line of scrimmage. Pitts also recorded two sacks and a pass deflection.
Williams Running to Be First
Senior running back Ricky Williams, who is looking to become the seventh player to lead the Red Raiders in rushing in three seasons, currently leads Texas Tech with 424 net rushing yards through 11 games.
The Last Game - Texas Tech 58, Oklahoma State 0
Representatives from the Sylvania Alamo, Sanford Independence and galleryfurniture.com bowls were on hand scouting Texas Tech. The Red Raiders became bowl eligible with the win over OSU, marking the eighth-straight season the program has done so.
Red Raider quarterback Kliff Kingsbury threw for 236 yards, allowing him to set the single-season passing yardage record. Kingsbury has 3,123 passing yards this season and is the first Red Raider to throw for more than 3,000 yards.
Texas Tech returned a blocked field goal for a second quarter score. The 79-yard return by Lawrence Flugence was the first for a Red Raider team since accomplishing the same feat against Houston in 1986.
Eighteen of Texas Tech's 58 points were scored by units other than the offense. The Red Raider defense scored 12 points off interception returns and the Texas Tech special teams unit scored six points on a blocked field goal return.
Tech placekicker Chris Birkholz missed an extra point attempt in the third quarter, which snapped a streak of 84 consecutive extra points by the senior. The miss was the first of his career.
The Red Raiders 27 points in the third quarter were the most points scored by Tech in a quarter this season. The 58 points were the most scored by Texas Tech all season. The last time a Red Raider team scored 58 points was against Louisiana-Lafayette Sept. 13, 1997. Tech won that game 59-14.
The 58-point margin marked the largest margin of victory for Texas Tech since the Red Raiders beat New Mexico A&M, 71-0, Oct. 2, 1953. Texas Tech largest win over an opponent came during the program's inaugural season in 1925 when Tech knocked off Wayland Baptist 120-0.
The shutout was the third of the season, marking the first time since 1949 that a Tech team has held three opponents scoreless in one season.