Tech’s supporting cast comes through
Tech vs. Baylor Headquarters
Tech v. Baylor Game Statistics
Tech 11-1 on outside looking in
Griffin earns respect for himself, Baylor
Bowl Series Championship Rankings
Raiders not bemoaning bad luck with BCS outlook
By Adam Zuvanich | AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Less than four minutes into the third quarter, it seemed as if Texas Tech’s Saturday was doomed.
The Red Raiders trailed Baylor by 14 points in their last home game of the season, and their most explosive offensive player had already been knocked out. Star flanker Mike Crabtree – who became Tech’s career receiving yards leader earlier in the game – spent the second half on the sideline wearing street clothes and a protective boot on his right foot, and Tech’s offense had been bogged down since the midway point of the second quarter.
But just as Crabtree emerged from the locker room toward the tail end of the third period, the Red Raiders finally began to turn the tide. Tech’s other receivers started making plays in the passing game, as did running backs Baron Batch and Shannon Woods, who also got their ground game going down the stretch.
With Mike Crabtree injured, Texas Tech's Detron Lewis made nine catches for 68 yards and one TD in Saturday's win over Baylor.
The result was 21 unanswered points and a 35-28 victory at Jones AT&T Stadium, which gave the No. 7 Red Raiders a share of their first Big 12 South championship and their first 11-win season since 1973.
“It always hurts not to have Crab out there, but everyone else stepped up,” said Tech quarterback Graham Harrell, who shook off two early turnovers to throw for 309 yards and two touchdowns. “The guys that came in for him did a good job, and we came out with a win.”
Ten different receivers caught passes for the Red Raiders, but none had a greater impact than Detron Lewis. After catching only three passes for 17 yards in the first half, the 6-foot, 209-pound sophomore had six receptions for 51 yards and a TD in the second half.
Four of Lewis’ grabs came on Tech’s game-tying scoring drive early in the fourth quarter.
“Detron’s bigger and tougher than he looks,” Tech coach Mike Leach said. “He has kind of a finesse quality, but when you stand next to him, he’s bigger than you think he is. He’s also quite a bit tougher than you think he is.”
Batch and Woods also were keys to the Red Raiders’ turnaround. They combined for just 12 rushing yards on five carries and two catches for 17 receiving yards in the opening half, but after Tech fell behind 28-14 early in the third quarter, they got touches on 24 of the team’s final 39 plays.
In the second half, Batch and Woods combined for 59 rushing yards, 48 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
“Graham did a good job checking it down and not forcing some things and getting us some receptions,” Batch said. “Everybody just settled down, and things just started to open up for us a lot more than it was the first half.”
Harrell and Leach said the offensive line also played much better after halftime, as did a shorthanded Tech defense. The Red Raiders were playing without senior safety Daniel Charbonnet, who has 54 tackles, six pass breakups and five interceptions this year, but some other defensive backs helped fill the void.
Safety Anthony Hines was Tech’s second-leading tackler with eight, including seven solo stops. Another fifth-year senior, Nazareth product Jordy Rowland, was part of the most critical play of the game.
With the game tied at 28 with about 10 minutes left, Rowland knocked the ball away from Baylor receiver Thomas White on a slant pattern, and Brian Duncan snagged it for an interception at the Bears’ 38-yard line. Tech scored the go-ahead TD seven plays later.
Defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill said it was “pretty cool” the way Tech managed without Charbonnet.
“We’ve got a lot of depth at safety, lots of senior guys,” Rowland said. “Hines came in and did a good job back at safety, and then LaRon Moore came in in the Jet package and I filled in at (nickelback).
“That’s a loss when you lose someone like Charbonnet, who makes a lot of plays for us, but we were able to step up and do a good job.”
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Injuries, losses, lowest momentum of the season.
feed your fury Raiders! WE STILL HAVE A BOWL TO WIN
don’t give up. work on your first half play quality.
defense, get fired up. Don’t depend on offensive momentum, make your own.
offense, ditto. Stop feeling sorry for yourselves.
You played flawlessly with great execution and heart for ten games. The last two since Oklahoma State, bye, OU beating?
not the same team.
good comeback. don’t sweat BCS. Beat Ol’ Miss in Cotton Bowl
keep it going so next year we can still contend with this amazingly talented and comptetive conference.
GUNS UP
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Better yet, stay on the porch, you scrubs aren’t ready to run with the big dogs In the BIG 12 and you never will. You just don’t get it do you? BIG SCHOOL=BIG MONEY=TOP RECRUITS=BCS BOWL GAMES AND CHAMPIONSHIPS. HENCE- OAKLAHOMA, TEXAS
TECH=NO MONEY=POOR RECRUITS=NO BCS BOWL GAMES OR CHAMPIONSHIPS.
GOT MONEY?
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BOOMSOON; How quick you forget … Boise State!
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Boomsoom- your comments are completely void of intelligence. You are partially correct on one statement. Texas as well as Texas A& M are the only “land grant” schools in the state, which means , in case you don’t know, that these two schools who were chartered in the 1800′s, and fifty years before Texas Tech, receive funds annually from oil and gas revenues, as well as other revenues from university owned real estate. Texas Tech does not have access to such funds. However, in light of the success of their program, it’s rather amazing how Leach maximizes return on investment. Gee, I wonder what Stoops, Brown, and Sherman might do with the same resources.
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Boomsoon…since you believe you are so superior, why do you spend your time talking trash on Tech websites? I would think you would have much better things to do with your precious time than to worry about us Red Raiders. Go to your own sites and post all of your self righteous comments, I’m sick of reading your b-s. Get over yourself.
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RAIDERS SUCK, SOONERS RULE
OU-65
TECH-21
LMAO ALL THE WAY TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
TECH IS A BUNCH OF SCRUBS WHO WILL NEVER MAKE IT TO THE BCS.
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LOSERS
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SCRUBS
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TRAILOR TRASH LOSERS
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DUST BOWL BOUND, OH YALL ARE THE DUST BOWL
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rAIDERS ARE A SORRY TEAM THAT ONLY DREAMS OF A BCS BOWL GAME
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tECH SUCKS
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Boomsoom- 65- obviously your intelligence quotia
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Go to the barn and play with the donkey ranchgirl. Don’t have too much fun now and don’t get caught.
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“Oaklahoma”??? Wow, you are so supportive of your home that you can’t even spell it right. You represent your great land well. You are the reason Texans look down on Okies. You have your football team (of Texas players) and we have something to be proud of.
And in addition to Boise State, don’t forget about West Virginia last year. And USC in 2004. And LSU in 2003. Hmmm, seems like a pattern to me.
And the caps lock button is what is making all your letters big. You might want to push it to make them small.
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SHUTUP PATTY BOY AND LOOK WHO’S GOING TO THE BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP, THAT’S WITE IT BE THE OKIE SOOMERS BABY, DEN FRUM DARE WE GO T DA NATIONAL CHAMPIONCHIP, SO LAUGH AT MY SPELLIN ALL YOU WANT TOO, CAUSE WE GO YOU DON’T GET NOTHIN NOT A TING, NOTTA, YOU DON’T GET SH!T CAUSE YOU ARE SH!T. CUZ WE DA SH!T MAN
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Raiders, please remember — the folks such as BOOMSOON give universities a “black eye” even if they are not attenders or alumni.
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Oklahoma is the best from the south this year. May have been in 2007 except Tech knocked them off. Great year Raiders
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BOOMSOON: Your mom told me she wants you to either buy the food or pay the rent on the trailer this week. She can’t keep the rent-to-own guys “busy” forever.
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LEAVE MY WIFE OUT OF THIS!
TRAILOR TRASH LOSERS…
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Folks, again, I’m really an idiot and I want to apologize for my postings. My mama didn’t give me my usual lovin last night so I’m a little cranky. The reality is I didn’t go to OU. I’m too ignorant and stupid for any college. I barely graduated high school and live in a trailer by the pond in Norman. Daddy says I’m the best kisser, especially when I put on my sweaty Sam Bradford jersey that I stole.
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May not want to be tied to the University Lands Money as those institutions are going to be way in the RED with their budget numbers….
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Who is this BOOZERSOON clown? Tech’s bowl record under Leach far more impressive. Zero U lost to Boise State with all those 4 star recruits. Stoopes record in the big game is sad. Lost to Tech last two times in Lubbock.. Unlike Tech’s league leading graduation rates in football this year (79%), this clown probably works at a used car dealership with Bomar and the rest of the Zero U players.
Raiders continue to have an outstanding year. The only team in the Big 12 to be bowl eligible since the inception of the Big 12.
Wreck em!!
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Wherever we play — Just WIN!
We have the team to take on ANYONE and will need to do so to convince the “football analysts” on the boob tube and in the ratings! (one lousy game amidst 11 great wins — let it go and get ready for the next one — do your thing!)
Now is the time for the Raider Nation to step up to the plate. Buy bowl tickets, support our team, travel to the game. As a graduate of Tech, I refuse to allow any UT or OU fan “out support” me!
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GUNS UP RAIDERS!!!!!!! 11-1 AND WHAT BOOMER FORGETS IS, IF IT WAS NOT FOR US-THE SOONERS WOULD BE HEAD TO HEAD WITH UT AND THEY WOULD BE LEFT OUT. WE BEAT UT AND THEY DID NOT……..WE HAVE THE SAME RECORD 11-1 AND BEAT TEXAS SOMETHING OU CANNOT SAY!!!!!!
NO NEED TO LOWER OURSELVES TO THE LEVEL OF STUPIDITY OF THE BOOMERSOONER. WE HAVE MORE CLASS AND WE HAVE ARRIVED.
THANKS TO ALL THE COACHES, PLAYERS AND FANS- WHAT A GREAT YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!
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BoomSoon, can you even spell OU? I’ll guarantee you that BoomSoon doesn’t have 1 accredited hour from The University of Oklahoma…
Let’s test your education. Can you spell “Hillbilly”? Go ahead, sound it out…
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