Texas Tech Set To Host Fifth-Ranked Texas

Texas Tech Set To Host Fifth-Ranked Texas
Kickoff set for 6 p.m. at Jones AT&T Stadium - Game Is SOLD OUT

Tech plays host to Texas on Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium

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Oct. 23, 2006
TEXAS TECH vs. TEXAS Saturday, October 28, 2006 - 6 p.m. Jones AT&T Stadium TBS National Broadcast
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THIS WEEK'S GAME Texas Tech (5-3, 2-2 Big 12) faces defending National Champion and No. 5 Texas (8-1, 4-0 Big 12) on Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium. Texas Tech won its last outing at Iowa State, 42-26, snapping a two-game skid. Texas won a tough road tilt at Nebraska, knocking off the No. 17 Huskers, 22-20, in the final minutes. Kickoff Saturday is set for 6 p.m. and the game will be broadcast nationally on TBS. Ron Thulin (play-by-play), Charles Davis (analyst) and Craig Sager (sideline) will call the action from Lubbock.
TRYING TO GRAB THE BULL BY THE HORNS It hasn't been easy, but Texas Tech has experienced success against Texas in the 54-game series. The Longhorns lead 40-14 and have won the last three games, including last season's 52-17 win in Austin. The teams have split the last two games on the South Plains, with Tech knocking off then-No. 4 UT, 42-38, in 2002 and dropping a 51-21 decision in 2004. Tech's current three-game skid is the longest since suffering a five-game drought from 1981-85 and matches two other streaks of three games (1990-92, 1999-01). The Red Raiders won back-to-back games during the 1993-94 and 1997-98 seasons, years two and three in the Big 12 Conference. The series dates back to 1928, as the teams met nine times before Texas Tech entered the Southwest Conference in 1960. The teams have played each year since.

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DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME Texas Tech has not played at home on consecutive weekends this season until now. The Texas game marks the first of two straight at Jones AT&T Stadium for the Red Raiders as the team plays three of its final four games at home. Baylor comes to town next weekend, while Tech faces Oklahoma State in the season finale in Lubbock. Sandwiched in between is a road trip to Oklahoma.
TECH PUTS FINISHING TOUCHES ON NORTH SCHEDULE Texas Tech closed out its schedule against teams from the Big 12 North Division with last weekend's 42-26 win at Iowa State. The game marked the third straight against a team from the division as the Red Raiders faced Missouri and Colorado the previous two weekends. Tech finished 1-2 against the North this year as Missouri's win snapped a six-game win streak against the division for the Red Raiders. Tech is 32-17 against the Big 12 North.
RED RAIDERS AGAINST THE BIG 12 CONFERENCE Texas Tech holds a series lead over four Big 12 members, including Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and Oklahoma State. Baylor, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M all hold series advantages over the Red Raiders, while the series with Colorado is tied.
FIRST HALF SCORING The Red Raiders have a penchant for coming out of the gates early, having scored 149 of its 238 points this season in the first half. The second quarter has been the most productive as the team has produced 94 points (11.8) in the frame. Entering last weekend's game at Iowa State, Tech was averaging 5.9 points in the first quarter on the season, but tacked on 14 within the first eight minutes of the game. On the flipside, Tech has scored 42 in the third and 44 in the fourth this season.
WASTING LITTLE TIME Texas Tech is tied second nationally with Nebraska and Clemson with 15 touchdown drives under two minutes in length. Louisville leads with 18. The Red Raiders had two touchdown drives against Iowa State under two minutes,
TOUGH ROW TO HOE Texas Tech's schedule currently ranks as the 23rd-toughest in the nation, with all opponents (past and future) a combined 39-28 on the season. Additionally, the Red Raiders' next four opponents are a combined 17-10 this year. Texas (9), Texas A&M (17) and Oklahoma State (20) rank ahead of Tech on the list.
RED RAIDERS IN THE MIDST OF SCHOOL SCORING MARK Texas Tech set a new consecutive games scoring mark against TCU and extended the streak against Iowa State. 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 five games. During the run, two Tech opponents have come close twice to ending the streak - 1) Tech scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter at Texas in 1999 after going scoreless in the first three quarters, and 2) the Red Raiders poked one in the end zone in the fourth quarter at Colorado two weeks ago after being held scoreless through the first three. Longest Scoring Streaks in School History
112 games - Began 10/25/97 with 16-13 win over Texas A&M in Lubbock (current streak)
106 games - Began 10/17/87 with 59-7 win over Rice; ended 12/29/96 with a 27-0 loss to Iowa
A LOT OF WORK TO DO Texas Tech ranks third among Big 12 members with at least eight wins in each of the last four seasons. Texas leads the group with eight, while Oklahoma has done it in the last six seasons. Currently, the Red Raiders have five wins with four games to play at home against Texas, Baylor and Oklahoma State and on the road at Oklahoma.
TRIO OF TRUE FRESHMEN AMONG TWO-DEEP Three true freshmen worked their way up the depth chart during the preseason and season and have appeared in the two deep at one point - RB Baron Batch, DT Dan'Tay Ward and TE Adrian Reese. Batch and Ward have been backups all season behind Shannon Woods and Chris Hudler, respectively. Reese moved into the No. 2 slot behind Grant Walker at Colorado and started at Iowa State.
TRUE FRESHMEN SEE ACTION EARLY Nine members of the Texas Tech signing class saw action in the opener against SMU, including eight true freshmen. Junior college transfer Ofa Mohetau was lone upper classman in the signing class that played. S Jamar Wall, S Blake Collier, S Steven Harris, LB Marlon Williams, TE Adrian Reese, DE Brandon Williams, DT Rajon Henley, DT Dan'Tay Ward and DT Richard Jones all made appearances. RB Baron Batch was the 10th true freshman to see action when he stepped into the lineup at UTEP.
TEXAS TECH HAS 40 WINS OVER RANKED OPPONENTS Over the course of Red Raider history 40 wins have come against ranked opponents. Tech's last win over a ranked opponent came against then-No. 4 California in the 2004 Pacific Life Holiday Bowl (45- 31). The Red Raiders closed the 2004 season with consecutive wins over ranked teams, including the regular-season finale over then-No. 23 Oklahoma State (31-15).
LEACH AMONG SHUTOUT LEADERS In seven seasons as head coach, Mike Leach has delivered seven shutouts, including the 62-0 win over SLU. The total represents the most shutouts for a Texas Tech head coach since Dell Morgan's 20 blankings from 1941-50. Tech posted five shutouts during Leach's first three seasons, before reaching the sixth against Baylor last year.
DEFENSE LIMITS IOWA STATE RUN GAME The Red Raider defense stepped up against Iowa State and helped hold the Cyclones to 75 rush yards on 32 carries. The yardage total is the second-lowest of the season for a Tech opponent (58 yards, SE Louisiana). Iowa State entered the game averaging 101.6 yards on the ground.
PASS DEFENSE RISES AGAIN The one constant on the defensive side of the ball this season has been the pass defense. While the unit as a whole has been solid, the secondary continues to make opposing offenses one-dimensional. The Red Raiders held Iowa State to 146 yards through the air. The total is the fifth-best allowed by the Red Raiders in 2006. After yielding 375 yards to UTEP in the second game of the season, 173 (Missouri) yards is the highest number allowed by the secondary since. The group ranks ninth in the latest NCAA stats.
LINEBACKER TURNED RECEIVER Senior LB Brock Stratton accomplished something he hadn't done since his freshman season in 2003 - record an interception. Not only did the team captain grab a first-half pick against Iowa State that led to Tech's second first-quarter touchdown, he also snagged a pass in the fourth quarter that set up the Red Raiders' final touchdown. Stratton finished the game with five tackles and a quarterback hurry. He also is third on the team with 52 tackles this season.
PAPER OR PLASTIC? Texas Tech rang up five sacks against Iowa State, marking the second time this season the defense has recorded as many (SE Louisiana). The defensive line accounted for each sack, led by DE Deyunta Dawson's two. DT Dek Bake, DE Seth Nitschmann and DE Jake Ratliff each recorded one as well.