Tech Hosts OU In Key Regular-Season Finale
November 14, 2005 | Football
Nov. 14, 2005
No. 21/19 Texas Tech (8-2; 5-2) vs. Oklahoma (6-3; 5-1)Saturday, November 19, 2005 - 11 a.m. (FSN)
Jones SBC Stadium - Lubbock, Texas
Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma - Gameday Central
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TECH MEETS OU IN REGULAR SEASON FINALE
Texas Tech (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) will close out its regular-season schedule against Oklahoma (6-3, 4-1) this weekend, as the teams meet for the 13th time in the series. The game will kickoff at 11:10 a.m. CT at Jones SBC Stadium in Lubbock and will be broadcast on FSN.
PERFECT HOME SEASON ON THE LINE
The Red Raiders enter this weekend's game having won its first six home games this season. A win over the Sooners this weekend would give Tech its first undefeated home season since 1995, when Tech went 5-0 at The Jones. The last time the Red Raiders won six games at home came during the 2000 season. Over the course of the program's history, Tech teams have finished with an unblemished home slate nine times.
RED RAIDERS' START BEST IN 29 YEARS
Entering the Oklahoma State game, Texas Tech's 8-1 start to the season marked the best since 1976, when the Red Raiders jumped to an 8-1 mark. The 1976 team went on to finish 10-2 and is the last Tech team to win 10-plus games in a season. The Red Raiders have won 11 of their last 13 games.
RAIDERS IN THE POLLS
Texas Tech enters this week ranked No. 21 in the Associated Press poll and No. 19 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Tech began the 2005 season ranked 21st in both polls and climbed as high at eighth midway through the season. Tech's consistency in the polls this year reflects the first time in head coach Mike Leach's six seasons that the Red Raiders have been ranked every week of the season.
BOWLING AGAIN
With its win over Baylor, the Red Raiders qualified for postseason play for the 13th-straight season. Texas Tech is the only program of the 12 member institutions to boast an overall winning record each season since 1996. Others have finished at .500, but none have posted winning marks each of the last 10 seasons. Additionally, Tech is the only program to be bowl eligible each season of the league's existence. With the regular season coming to a close, Tech will break a three-way tied with Texas A&M and Washington and take sole possession of 19th place on the all-time bowl appearances list. With a bowl appearance this season, Tech will rank fourth among current Big 12 schools with 29 bowl appearances.
CRAZY EIGHTS
Tech's win over Texas A&M gave the program its fourth-straight season with at least eight victories. The streak is the longest in school history. The nine games in 2002 reflect the most single-season wins since 1995. Should the Red Raiders reach the 10-win plateau, it will be the first time since the 10-2 season in 1976.
TECH MATCHES BIG 12 WINS MARK
Texas Tech is currently 5-2 in league play and matched the Red Raiders most wins in Big 12 competition with five. Tech won five games in league play five times, but has never won more. With this weekend's game remaining, another Red Raider win would not only give Tech its most wins in league play, but also mark the most wins regardless of conference since the program produced seven conference wins during the 1976 season.
RED RAIDER FOOTBALL IN 81st SEASON
The 2005 season marks the 81st year of Texas Tech Football on the South Plains. Over that span, the program has 473 wins, 377 losses and 32 ties.
LEACH IN SIXTH SEASON
Aside from Spike Dykes' 13 seasons (1987-99), the last Texas Tech coach to spend more than six seasons in Lubbock was JT King, who was at the helm of the program from 1961-69. Leach has seen continual improvement in each of his first five years, highlighted by last season's 45-31 win over California in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl. Leach has posted a 47-27 record and 26-20 record in Big 12 play, including last season's 5-3 league record and Big 12 third-place finish, the highest finish for Tech in the league standings. He is the first coach in school history to lead each of his first five teams to bowl games and also to win three-straight post-season games. His Tech teams have combined for over 151 team and individual records. Additionally, the Red Raider offense has led the nation in passing the past three years and total offense the last two.
TEXAS TECH SCORING UNDER LEACH
Texas Tech has scored 30 or more points in 44 games during the Leach era and has won 37 of those games. Additionally, the Red Raiders are 17-3 under Leach when scoring 40+ and 15-0 when scoring over 50. On the flip side, Tech is 9-20 when scoring 29 points or less. Tech's 56 points in the win over A&M was the most since the Kansas State game three weeks earlier and the fifth time this season.
BIG 12 LEADERS
Texas Tech leads the Big 12 in two statistical categories and is tied for the lead in another. Tech tops the charts in passing offense (416.7) and first downs (280) and is tied in PAT kicking (100%). Individually, QB Cody Hodges leads the league in passing (376.9). WR Jarrett Hicks tops the receptions per game chart (6.6), while RB Taurean Henderson leads in scoring (12.6). WR Joel Filani is the league leader with 89.9 receiving yards per game. PK Alex Trlica is the league's second-leading scorer with 9.0 points per game and leads the league's kickers with 90 points this season. Defensively, FS Dwayne Slay is the leader in forced fumbles with eight leads the Big 12 defensive backs with 8.9 tackles per game.
NCAA LEADERS
Texas Tech leads the country in passing and ranks among the top five in scoring offense (44.0), total offense (520.4) and pass efficiency (152.1). Hodges leads the country in passing and total offense.
HOME WINNING STREAKS OVER CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
Tech's win two weeks ago over the Aggies marked the sixth-straight home win in the series for the Red Raiders. The run is the third-longest against Big 12 schools in Lubbock. The Red Raiders have won 10 straight over Oklahoma State in Lubbock, dating back to the 1940s. Tech has knocked off Baylor on the Bears' last seven trips to Jones SBC Stadium.
OFF TO A HOT START
The Red Raiders have out-scored opponents 214-92 in the first half this season, including a 97-30 advantage in the first quarter. Tech also has been hot coming out of the locker room at the half, out-scoring opponents 103-45 in the third quarter. The Red Raiders hold a 123-55 advantage in the fourth. In the last two games, Tech has scored 35 points in the fourth quarter, including 21 against Texas A&M.
SCORING IN BUNCHES
When the Red Raiders score, the trend shows they like to keep it together. Texas Tech has scored touchdowns on back-to-back scoring drives 43 times this season, including once against Oklahoma State on a Cody Hodges to Jarrett Hicks touchdown pass followed by a Chris Hudler fumble recovery in the end zone. Tech opened the game with back-to-back scores and ran off six-straight touchdowns in the second half. The longest stretch of consecutive touchdowns spanned 10 drives between the Sam Houston State and Indiana State games.
TECH'S DEFENSE BEST SINCE 2000
The Tech offense has company this year. The Red Raider defense has played a major role in the team's success this season and is ranked 31st nationally in total defense. The unit is allowing only 4.8 yards per play, 333.0 yards of total offense per game and has forced 28 turnovers. The yards per game Tech is allowing is the lowest for Red Raider opponents since the 2000 season, when the opposition managed 320.7 yards per game.
SHUTOUT REPRESENTS FIRSTS
When Texas Tech shutout Baylor (28-0) in Waco, the win marked the first blanking of an opponent since a 49-0 win at New Mexico in 2002. It also marked the first conference shutout for Tech since knocking off Texas A&M (12-0) at Jones SBC Stadium during the 2001 season. Additionally, the shutout against Baylor is the first for Tech against a Big 12 Conference opponent on the road.
RED RAIDERS PLAYING A MEAN GAME OF KEEP AWAY
Texas Tech has done such a good job of bullying its opponents into turnovers this season that the Red Raiders lead the league in turnover margin at +1.3 per game. The Red Raiders have recovered 16 opponent fumbles this season, while forcing 20 overall. Additionally, the pass defense has stepped up and has picked 12 passes on the year. In Saturday's loss at Oklahoma State, the Red Raiders picked one Cowboy pass and recovered a fumble.
TECH PASS DEFENSE PLAYING SOLID
Texas Tech's pass defense ranks second in the Big 12 Conference this week and has caused trouble for opposing passing games throughout the season. The unit ranks 14th nationally and is holding opponents to 177.2 yards per game through the air. In the last two games, the Tech secondary held A&M and OSU to a combined 112.5 yards per game and a 54.2 completion percentage.
- Tech's secondary is currently holding opponents to a 55.1 completion percentage.
- The unit ranks 11th nationally in pass efficiency defense, up two spots from last week.
- FS Dwayne Slay holds the Big 12 record for single-season forced fumbles with eight this year. Slay also ranks first among the league's defensive backs with 8.9 tackles per game and third overall.
- SS Vincent Meeks has 12 interceptions in his career, including three this season.
- The secondary has accounted for 13 of the team's 28 takeaways this year, including three by Naziruddin on a pair of picks and a fumble recovery and Meeks' three picks.
- Tech has held six of its 10 opponents this year below 200 yards passing and has allowed multiple-passing touchdowns only twice. Oklahoma State was limited to 94 passing yards, the lowest output of the season for a Tech opponent.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
Texas Tech is in the middle of a 102-game scoring streak, the second-longest in school history, and fourth among Big 12 schools. The run began with a 16-13 win over Texas A&M on Oct. 25, 1997, a week after dropping a 29-0 decision to second-ranked Nebraska. During its current run, the Red Raiders have scored 10+ in all but four games.
Longest Scoring Streaks in School History
106 games - Began 10/17/87 with 59-7 win over Rice; ended 12/29/96 with a 27-0 loss to Iowa in the Alamo Bowl
102 games - Began 10/25/97 with 16-13 win over Texas A&M in Lubbock (current streak)
WIN AT MEMORIAL STADIUM LEAVES TWO
With its win at Nebraska, Texas Tech has now posted victories on the home field of each Big 12 school, save two - Colorado and Missouri. The Red Raiders will get their chance next season at Colorado and Missouri the following year.
AN EXTRA PLAY IS THERE IF WE NEED IT
When Texas Tech does get a wild hair and go for it on fourth down, odds are in its favor to be successful. The Red Raiders are 11-of-14 on fourth-down conversions this season.
RED RAIDERS APPLYING PRESSURE IN OPPONENTS' BACKFIELDS
With the regular season almost complete, Texas Tech has 46 tackles for loss, 18 sacks and 22 quarterback hurries. LB John Saldi leads the team with eight and a half tackles for loss, while DE Brett Bischofberger has the team high in sacks with three. NT Chris Hudler lead with five quarterback hurries.
HUDLER MAKES BIG PLAYS AT KEY TIMES
With the team's back against the ropes at Oklahoma State, NT Chris Hudler emerged as the spark that helped get the Red Raiders back into the game. Down 17-10 early in the fourth quarter, Hudler scrambled to recover an OSU fumble in the end zone and give the Red Raiders a 17-17 tie with the Cowboys with a quarter to play. After a Cody Hodges fumble a couple of series later gave OSU the ball at the Tech 31, Hudler stepped up again, picking an OSU pass at the Tech 10 and thwarting a threatening Cowboy drive. Hudler finished the game with three tackles, the fumble recovery and the interception, which he returned 19 yards. He currently has 22 tackles on the season, three tackles for loss, two sacks and a team-leading five quarterback hurries.
SENIOR LINEBACKER STEPPING FORWARD
Senior LB John Saldi closed his freshman season with Defensive MVP honors at the 2002 Tangerine Bowl and gave Red Raider fans a glimpse of what to expect from him in the future. Saldi continues to fulfill the promise shown that night and has emerged this season as one of the team top defenders. He leads the team with eight and a half tackles for loss from his outside linebacker slot. He also has three sacks to his credit and has been effective against the pass as he is second with three passes broken up. Saldi has 28 tackles, two quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. In the loss at Oklahoma State, Saldi forced OSU quarterback Bobby Reid to fumble which resulted in a Chris Hudler recovery for a touchdown. Additionally, he made two sacks in the game and finished with five tackles.
SLAY CONTINUES DOMINANT PLAY
An internal radar for the ball and a knack for applying punishing hits are how senior FS Dwayne Slay has become the team leader in tackles and Big 12 Conference record holder in forced fumbles. It also enabled him to become the Walter Camp Football Foundation National Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 30) and SBC Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Week following his 18-tackle performance at Baylor. For an encore, Slay posted 10 tackles and grabbed his first interception of the season in the win against A&M. He also forced his eighth fumble of the season. Both turnovers led to Texas Tech touchdowns. In the loss at Oklahoma State, Slay posted 10 tackles. He leads the team with 89 tackles. His eight forced fumbles break the previous mark of seven, set by former Texas LB Derrick Johnson last season. Slay's bone-jarring hits have been highlight reel material this season.
TECH RUNNING GAME PRODUCING RESULTS
RB Taurean Henderson and RB Shannon Woods both are averaging over or near six yards per carry on the season, with Woods leading the way with 7.2 yards per carry on 23 rushes. Henderson, who has a Big 12-leading 16 rushing touchdowns, is averaging 5.9 yards on 128 carries. Take away the sack yardage and the Red Raiders are averaging 5.6 yards per carry in the rushing department.
SCORING RECORD UP NEXT FOR HENDERSON?
To say RB Taurean Henderson is a vital part of Texas Tech scoring offense would be a major understatement. Henderson has scored in 15 of his last 17 games, dating back to the Oklahoma game last season. As the nation's active leader in career touchdowns, Henderson is on pace to break the Tech single-season mark in touchdowns and points. He currently has 21 touchdowns on the season and 126 points. If he continues his current pace, Henderson will finish the regular season with 139 points and 23 touchdowns. The record for single-season points and touchdowns is 134 and 22, respectively, set by Byron Morris in 1993.
More on Henderson
- Held to minus six yards rushing at Ok. State for first time in his career. He currently has 3,120 yards in his career and is only the fifth player in school history to do so. Additionally, Henderson rushed for 100 yards in back-to-back games against Baylor and Texas A&M for the first time in his career.
- Rushed for a career-high four touchdowns in win over A&M. The four scores on the ground were the most for a Tech player since Ricky Williams crossed the goal line four times in Tech's win over Baylor in 2001.
- His 408 career points ties him third on the NCAA career scoring list for non-kickers with Boise State's Brock Forsey (1999-02). He trails the leader by 60 points.
- Eclipsed the 5,000-yard plateau in all-purpose yards and is on the fifth player in school history to do so. He currently has 5,146.
- Moved into a fourth-place tie on the Tech single-season rushing TD list as he now totals 16 this year - ties with his total from 2004.
- His 49 career rushing scores are three short of the Tech record of 52, set by James Gray (1996-89).
- Henderson broke the NCAA record for career receptions by a running back with his first catch against Kansas State. He bested the previous mark of 262, set by Long Beach State's Mark Templeton during the 1984-87 seasons. Henderson needed four receptions against Nebraska to break Wes Welker's school record for receptions (259 from 2000-03) and wasted little time setting the new mark. He had his fourth reception before the end of the first quarter to set the new standard. He has 297 receptions in his career.
- Henderson wasn't finished with the record books when he set the NCAA receptions record for a running back against Kansas State. The senior running back also tied a school record with five touchdowns (three rushing and two receiving) in Tech's 59-20 win over Kansas State. The multi-touchdown game was the fourth of the season for Henderson and the third in which he has scored at least three. His five touchdowns tie him with Billy Taylor (vs. TCU, 1977), James Gray (vs. Rice, 1989) and Byron Hanspard (vs. SMU, 1995).
TOTAL TEAM EFFORT IN SCORING DEPARTMENT
Add NT Chris Hudler to the list of 16 Red Raiders who have contributed to Tech's hold as one of the nation's top scoring teams. Hudler recovered an Oklahoma State fumble in the end zone for Tech's game-tying touchdown against Cowboys over the weekend. Seven players have scored multiple touchdowns. RB Taurean Henderson leads the Big 12 in scoring at 12.6 points per game on 21 touchdowns, while PK Alex Trlica is second with 9.0 points. Trlica has connected on 11-of-15 field goals this year and 57-of-57 extra points. WR Joel Filani and WR Jarrett Hicks are second with eight touchdowns apiece, while IR Robert Johnson and RB Shannon Woods have four scores each. QB Cody Hodges and H Danny Amendola have three. WR Marquis Johnson, H Eric Morris, LB John Saldi and IR Slade Hodges each scored their first touchdowns this season, while WR Brandon Douglas scored his first-career touchdown on a blocked punt. RB Taurance Rawls also has a score.
