|
GAME INFORMATION
Texas Tech (1-0, 0-0) returns to action a week after taking down North Dakota 38-13 in the season opener at Jones AT&T Stadium. The win over North Dakota kicked off the 85th season of Red Raider Football and next up on the schedule are the Rice Owls. The Owls (0-1; 0-1 C-USA) come to Lubbock after dropping their season opener 44-24 at Alabama-Birmingham. Kickoff on Saturday is set for 6 p.m. and there will be no television (including PPV or webcast).
RANKINGS
Texas Tech and Rice are unranked in both the AP and the USA Today Coaches polls.
TEXAS TECH SPORTS NETWORK
Texas Tech fans across the state and the region can tune into the Texas Tech Sports Network coverage of Saturday's game. Brian Jensen (play-by-play), John Harris (color) and Toby Cecil (sidelines) will call the action. The flagship station for the Red Raiders in Lubbock is Double T 104.3FM. For more information, log on to www.texastech.com.
THE SERIES
Texas Tech and Rice will be meeting on the gridiron for the 48th time on Saturday evening when the two teams collide in Jones AT&T Stadium. The Red Raiders and Owls will be completing the second game of a two-game series that began back in 2007 with the Red Raiders traveling to Houston. Tech took a decisive 59-24 win over the Owls in that game to give the Red Raiders two-straight wins in the series. Tech and Rice were once conference foes in the Southwest Conference but all that changed when the Red Raiders joined the Big 12 back in 1996. The Red Raiders lead the all-time series 26-20-1 and have won the last five contests played between the two teams at Jones AT&T Stadium. Following Saturday's game, the series against Rice will be the fifth-most played series in school history (48 total meetings).
A QUICK LOOK AT THE OWLS
Rice enters Saturday's game against Texas Tech having dropped its season and Conference USA opener at Alabama-Birmingham. The Owls allowed 516 yards of total offense, including 295 rushing yards in the losing effort. UAB's Joe Webb rushed for 198 yards against the Owl defense while three different UAB receivers totaled 50-plus receiving yards. Offensively, Rice was led by quarterback Nick Fanuzzi who was 12-for-20 with 154 yards passing and one touchdown. Toren Dixon led the Rice receiving corp with 65 yards on nine catches.
LAST TIME AGAINST RICE
HOUSTON (AP) -- Graham Harrell threw a personal best six touchdown passes, three to freshman Michael Crabtree, and Texas Tech scored 35 unanswered points for a 59-24 victory over the Rice Owls Saturday in a battle of former Southwest Conference rivals.
The Red Raiders (3-0) beat their third straight Conference USA opponent. Rice dropped to 0-3. The two teams last played in 1995 when both were in the SWC.
Crabtree, in just his third college game, has eight touchdowns. He caught 11 passes for 244 yards against the Owls and had touchdown catches of 74, 9 and 25 yards. Crabtree has gained at least 150 yards in receptions in all three games this season. Harrell completed 28-of-37 passes for 414 yards.
Harrell got the Raiders off to a quick 14-0 first quarter lead with touchdown passes of 11 yards to Shannon Woods and 38 yards to Grant Walker.
Rice battled for a while in the first half. Clark Fangmeier kicked a 25-yard field goal in the first quarter and Chase Clements had second quarter touchdown passes of 13 yards to Toren Dixon and 47 yards to Jarett Dillard. Woods also scored on a 3-yard run in the second quarter.
Leading 21-17 midway in the second quarter, Harrell took the Raiders to five straight scores starting with Crabtree's 74-yard pass-run play. Harrell then threw touchdown passes of 10 yards to Eric Morris and 9 yards to Crabtree. Kobey Lewis scored on a 1-yard run and Crabtree caught a 25-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
C.J. Ugokwe broke Tech's 35-point run with a 7-yard touchdown run with 10:18 to play. Alex Trlica kicked a 39-yard field goal with 5:12 to play.
Clement completed 20-of-37 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns. He had one intercepted.
THE Taylor Potts ERA BEGINS
Texas Tech unveiled junior Taylor Potts as its starting quarterback for the 2009 season in the opener against North Dakota. Potts replaced a three-year starter in Graham Harrell who ended his career earlier this year in the Cotton Bowl and became the NCAA's all-time leader in touchdown passes. The start for Potts on Saturday was his first since leading Abilene High School in an area round playoff game against Southlake Carroll in 2005. Exactly 1,379 days ago!
Potts' first drive was a success as he led the Red Raiders to a touchdown on the opening possession of the game. The drive covered 64 yards on seven plays and lasted 3:18. Baron Batch capped off the drive with a three-yard rush for the first touchdown of the season for the Red Raiders.
Potts was responsible for Tech's second touchdown of the game as he dove into the end zone on a one-yard quarterback keeper to give the Red Raiders a 13-0 lead with 6:06 remaining in the first quarter.
Rushed for his second touchdown with 3:12 remaining in the third quarter to give Tech a 27-6 lead.
Became only the third Tech quarterback under Mike Leach to throw for 400-plus yards in his debut.
Quarterback Debut's Under Mike Leach
Kliff Kingsbury (2000): 21-47-1; 186 yards; 2 TD's
BJ Symons (2003): 23-38-1; 297 yards; 3 TD's
Sonny Cumbie (2004): 40-66; 470 yards; 4 TD's
Cody Hodges (2005): 29-37; 454 yards; 4 TD's
Graham Harrell (2006): 34-49; 342 yards; 5 TD's
Taylor Potts (2009): 34-48-3; 405 yards; 2 TD's
LEWIS SHINES IN ANOTHER SEASON OPENER
For the second-straight season, Detron Lewis was the go-to receiver for the Red Raiders in the season opener. Lewis hauled in a game-high 146 yards (one touchdown) for what was just the second 100-plus yard receiving game of his career. Lewis shined last season for the Red Raiders in the season opener against Eastern Washington as he hauled in a career-high 163 yards on nine catches.
BRITTON SHINES ON SPECIAL TEAMS
Senior wide receiver Edward Britton had a big night for the Red Raiders against North Dakota, but it didn't come in his usual fashion. Britton was the star of a much improved special teams unit that was one of the highlight's of Saturday's win over North Dakota. Britton blocked a punt and totaled 115 kickoff return yards, including a 47-yard return in the second quarter. His blocked punt was the first by Tech since Lance Fuller blocked a punt last season at Nevada.
NEW FACES
There were plenty of new faces on the field on Saturday night when the Red Raiders opened up their 2009 season against North Dakota. A total of eight players made their first career starts against the Sioux, including three redshirt freshman. Making their first career starts were: QB, Taylor Potts, LT Chris Olson, Z receiver Alex Torres, H receiver Adam James, RE Daniel Howard, SS Franklin Mitchem, FS Cody Davis and RC LaRon Moore.
CARONA DEBUTS IN NEW ROLE
Sophomore Donnie Carona debuted a new role on Saturday - punter. Carona entered last season as Tech's placekicker but lost that battle to Matt Williams beginning with the Kansas game. In the spring, special teams coordinator Eric Russell moved Carona to punter and on Saturday against North Dakota, he got the starting nod. He punted just one time in the contest and the kick went 40 yards and the Red Raiders ended up recovering a fumble on the return.
TRUE FRESHMEN SEE PLAYING TIME
Freshman running back Eric Stephens became the first true freshman to earn playing time this season as he took part in Tech's opening touchdown drive. Stephens is a product of Mansfield Timberview High School. Will Ford, a freshman from Abilene Cooper, saw action in the Tech defensive backfield on the second drive by North Dakota.
DEFENSE TURNS IN BIG EFFORT
Saturday's defensive effort was statistically one of the best under Ruffin McNeil - although it hardly compares to some dominating performances last season against Texas and Oklahoma State. However, the Red Raiders were solid on Saturday allowing only 207 yards of total offense (73 on the ground and 134 through the air). The 207 yards allowed was the fewest by McNeil's defense since allowing only 118 yards to Northwest Louisiana in his first game as the defensive coordinator back in 2007.
SELLOUT STREAK SNAPPED IN SEASON OPENER
Texas Tech had its consecutive sellout streak come to an end at six games as the season opener against North Dakota drew just 47,824 fans to Jones AT&T Stadium. Tech's sellout streak began last season against SMU and the Red Raiders sold out each home game the rest of the way in 2008.
NORTH DAKOTA NOTABLES
Texas Tech scored its first touchdown of the season on a three-yard rush by Baron Batch and that TD rush marked the third-straight year that Tech's first touchdown was scored on the ground.
Texas Tech's 38 points was the lowest amount it had scored in an opener since 2006. Tech scored 35 points against SMU in the 2006 opener.
Gave Tech a 56-26-3 all-time record in season openers. The Red Raiders have now won seven-straight season openers dating back to the 2003 season. Tech also improved to 64-18-3 when opening the season at home.
Gave Mike Leach a career record of 76-39. He is now just six wins away from becoming the school's all-time wins leader. Spike Dykes currently holds the record with 82.
Sophomore inside receiver Adam James hauled in just his second career touchdown in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. He caught an 18-yard strike from Taylor Potts to give Tech a 37-13 lead with 2:05 remaining. His only other TD catch, ironically, came from Taylor Potts last season in the fourth quarter at Kansas.
PROTECTING THIS HOUSE
Since the start of the 2003 season, Texas Tech boasts a 34-5 record at Jones AT&T Stadium. The .871 winning percentage ranks third in the Big 12 behind only Oklahoma and Texas. The Red Raiders are currently riding a nine-game win streak at Jones AT&T Stadium with their last loss coming at the hand of Colorado on Oct. 27, 2007.
TECH STEADY AT HOME OUT OF CONFERENCE
Since Mike Leach's arrival in 2000, the Red Raiders boast a 21-1 non-conference record at Jones AT&T Stadium. Overall, Texas Tech is 35-8 in non-conference match-ups, including five bowl wins. The program is 8-4 on the road and 6-3 at neutral sites during the previous eight seasons.
| 
