Texas Bowl Blog: Keys to the Game
December 26, 2015 | Football
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KEYS TO THE GAME - DEC. 29
The stage is officially set as Texas Tech and LSU will meet later tonight in the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. CT inside NRG Stadium with a national television broadcast provided by ESPN.
Texas Tech TV has one final look into tonight's contest as the Texas Tech Sports Networks gives the "Keys to the Game."
Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury and LSU's Les Miles fielded questions Monday afternoon in a joint press conference held at the Hyatt Regency.
TEXAS BOWL LUNCHEON/PRESS CONFERENCE - DEC. 28
Texas Tech and LSU took part in the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl Luncheon on Monday afternoon, the final event for the two teams before Tuesday night's kickoff at NRG Stadium.
Packed house at @HyattHouston for our Team Luncheon Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/3dWWdSjssi
-- AdvoCare Texas Bowl (@TexasBowl) December 28, 2015
The trio was asked an assortment of questions ranging from the funniest player on the team to what playing in an NFL stadium such as NRG Stadium means. For Washington, a Houston native, his answer was an easy one.
"It's a great feeling to be able to end my Red Raider career playing in my hometown," Washington said. "To play with (my teammates) one more time in my hometown is definitely special."
Afterwards, members of the media asked their final questions prior to kickoff as Kingsbury and Miles held a joint press conference while Washington, Kaster and Branden Jackson were on-hand for individual interviews.
The Red Raiders, who went through their final walk-through practice earlier Monday, will continue preparations for the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl later this evening before kicking off against LSU at 8 p.m. CT Tuesday night on ESPN.
Texas Tech fans can view a full recap of today's bowl luncheon and press conference later this afternoon via the Texas Bowl Blog as well as TexasTech.TV.
Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury hosted his radio show Sunday night from the Daily Grill inside the Houston Galleria.
KINGSBURY RADIO SHOW - DEC. 27
Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury held his radio show Sunday night as he joined host Chris Level inside the Daily Grill at the Houston Galleria, the site of the Red Raiders' team hotel.
In addition to Kingsbury, Level was also joined by Texas Tech Chancellor Robert Duncan as well as a member of the Texas Tech spirit squads that were in attendance. The show concluded with an interview with Red Raider senior Jakeem Grant.
Red Raider fans unable to watch Tuesday night's game on ESPN can listen to it on the Texas Tech Sports Network. A full station directory can be found here.
Thanks to the @TexasBowl for putting on a great pep rally! #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/0hrqs0H0ib
-- Texas Tech Athletics (@TechAthletics) December 27, 2015
MUSEUM VISIT/PEP RALLY - DEC. 27
As part of the 2015 AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl activities, the Texas Tech and LSU football teams made a community service visit to DePelchin Children's Museum on Sunday afternoon.
Texas Tech players were paired with local youth with the goal of completing a scavenger's hunt. Red Raiders players spent time signing autographs and touring the museum with their youth hosts.
The AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl is aligned with DePelchin Children's Center as the bowl's honorary charitable beneficiary. A portion of the proceeds of the game are donated to DePelchin Children's Center, the leading center in Houston for children's well-being, with a focus on mental health, foster care and adoption services.
Following its visit to the DePelchin Children's Museum, head coach Kliff Kingsbury and select players joined Raider Red, the Masked Rider and Texas Tech cheerleaders and dance team members at the Texas Bowl Pep Rally, held at Miller Outdoor Theater.
MAHOMES GOES ONE-ON-ONE WITH TEXAS TECH TV
Texas Tech sophomore quarterback Patrick Mahomes II gave an insight look into the Red Raiders' preparations for the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl on Sunday afternoon with a one-on-one interview with Texas Tech TV's Courtney Davis.
Mahomes will make his first career bowl appearance on Tuesday night when the Red Raiders face No. 20 LSU. He enters the bowl game after a successful regular season where he threw for 4,283 yards and 32 touchdowns while also rushing for 484 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Mahomes is one of five quarterbacks in NCAA FBS history to have recorded over 4,000 passing yards and 400 rushing yards while also throwing for 30 touchdowns and totaling 10 rushing touchdowns, joining the likes of Marcus Mariota (Oregon - 2014), Nick Florence (Baylor - 2012), Robert Griffin III (Baylor - 2011) and Chase Clement (Rice - 2008).
Mahomes needs 233 yards of total offense in the Texas Bowl to become the 12th quarterback in FBS history and the third Red Raider to record 5,000 yards of total offense in a season. He would potentially join former Red Raider greats B.J. Symons (2003) and Graham Harrell (2007, 2008) in the elusive club.
Practice No. 2 of @TexasBowl week is underway from the @HoustonTexans practice facility! #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/K1GWcH3rGt
-- Texas Tech Athletics (@TechAthletics) December 27, 2015
PRACTICE REPORT - DEC. 27
The Red Raiders held their final full workout prior to the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl on Sunday afternoon as Texas Tech moved indoors into the Houston Texans indoor facility.
"It's been very focused," head coach Kliff Kingsbury said of his team's practices this week. "They know we are playing a great opponent. We talked about making this a business type atmosphere and the practices have been good. I'm excited to see how they play."
Texas Tech moved indoors on Sunday in order to avoid rainy conditions around the Houston area and also capitalize on the Red Raiders' final full practice before kicking off the Texas Bowl at 8 p.m. CT Tuesday night in NRG Stadium.
The practice, roughly an hour and a half in length, was similar to one the Red Raiders would normally host on a Thursday during a normal game week.
"Just the possibility of rain," Kingsbury said of the move indoors. "It's kind of our `Perfect Play Thursday' and we wanted to make sure it was crisp and clean."
The Red Raiders will attend a community service event later Sunday afternoon while Kingsbury will host his weekly radio show from 6-7 p.m. on the Texas Tech Sports Network. The radio show will be broadcast from the Daily Grill located inside the Houston Galleria.
For complete updates on Texas Tech's trip to the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl, continue to follow the Bowl Blog as well as @TechAthletics on Twitter.
Get the ribbon off the calf? No problem! Winners again. #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/S7X5bUYE3D
-- Texas Tech Athletics (@TechAthletics) December 26, 2015
RODEO BOWL - DEC. 26
Texas Tech and LSU competed in a real-live rodeo Sunday evening as part of pre-game festivities for the 2015 AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl.
Hailed the "best bowl week diversion" by Sports Illustrated, the Rodeo Bowl has become one of the most famous bowl week events in college football. Both teams traveled to the George Ranch Historical Park for an evening filled with rodeo themed shenanigans, delicious barbecue and live Texas Country music around the campfire.
Texas Tech and LSU competed in seven different rodeo challenges including a defensive line dance off, calf pinning, calf roping, ribbon pull, calf branding, stick horse race and hay stacking.
Rodeo standouts for Texas Tech included defensive end Gary Moore, defensive back John White and offensive tackle Le'Raven Clark. In the ribbon pull, Moore pumped up the Red Raiders side when he tackled a calf, yanked the ribbon and raced back to give the Red Raiders an impressive win in 16 seconds. White led Texas Tech to a victory in the calf branding competition after he watched Moore, Clark and fullback Tyler Scalzi tackle a calf, sprinted to the calf, branded it and raced back in record time.
.@TexasBowl Cow Pinning champs ?️ #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/uZdEdpeHfY
-- Texas Tech Athletics (@TechAthletics) December 26, 2015
In the end, LSU claimed the final event to register a 4-3 win over Texas Tech. In the final event of the evening, hay stacking, Texas Tech's bale of hay fell apart while being passed by Tech's offensive line, enabling LSU to register a slim win.
2015 RODEO BOWL RESULTS
Defensive Line Dance Off--winner, LSU
Calf Pinning--winner, Texas Tech
Calf Roping--winner, LSU
Ribbon Pull--winner, Texas Tech
Calf Branding--winner, Texas Tech
Stick Horse Race--winner, LSU
Hay Stacking--winner, LSU
Photo Gallery: #TexasTech hosts first practice in Houston prior to @TexasBowl. https://t.co/SY5bGpTts4 #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/Ww0ZSZKYOE
-- Texas Tech Athletics (@TechAthletics) December 26, 2015
PRACTICE REPORT - DEC. 26
The Red Raiders held their first practice in Houston prior to the Texas Bowl on Saturday afternoon with a two-hour workout at Houston Baptist University. The nearly two-hour practice was Texas Tech's first since before the Christmas holiday.
Texas Tech will move inside beginning Sunday as the Red Raiders will host their final two practices inside NRG Stadium. Tech is slated for a morning workout on Sunday which will be followed by a community service event as well as several other bowl appearances.
First, however, the Red Raiders will participate in the Rodeo Bowl tonight at George Ranch Historical Park. Tech and LSU will square off in several competitions, all of which that will be rodeo themed.
For complete coverage of the Red Raiders in Houston, continue to follow the Texas Bowl Blog as well as @TechAthletics on Twitter.
RED RAIDERS ARRIVE IN HOUSTON ON CHRISTMAS DAY
The Red Raiders traveled to Houston on Christmas Day to begin preparations for the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl against No. 20 LSU. Texas Tech and the Tigers are slated to face off Tuesday night in an 8 p.m. CT kickoff on ESPN.
Texas Tech will host a pair of practices on Saturday and Sunday before going through a final walk-through on Monday afternoon inside NRG Stadium, which is also home to the Houston Texans.
In the midst of game preparations, the Red Raiders will also take part in several events surrounding the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl, including the annual Rodeo Bowl which will take place Saturday evening. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury will host his weekly radio show from 6-7 p.m. Sunday evening on the Texas Tech Sports Network.
Texas Tech fans can keep up with the Red Raiders leading up to the game by following the Red Raiders on Twitter - @TechAthletics - or by visiting the athletics department's official Facebook page.
Thanks, @TexasBowl. We are glad to be here. #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/GNucNDpdRY
-- Texas Tech Athletics (@TechAthletics) December 25, 2015
