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The Avalanche-Journal ranks the top 20 Texas Tech football games

Inside: Do you recognize all of these Red Raiders? See Page 2

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On the Cover Top of the page (from left) Jace Amaro, TE Donny Anderson, RB Zach Thomas, MLB Byron Hanspard, RB Dave Parks, WR TOP ROW Bam Morris, RB E.J. Holub, C Jim Bates, coach Jerry Moore, head coach Eric Morris, (child), WR Vincent Brandon, WR Second Row Lloyd Hill, WR James Gray, RB

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Third Row Gabe Rivera, DT Joe Barnes, QB Fourth Row Steve Sloan, head coach Tracy Saul, S Fifth Row Billy Joe Tolliver, QB Spike Dykes, head coach T. Jones, athletic director Sixth Row Rodney Blackshear, WR Rex Dockery, head coach Seventh Row Taylor Potts, QB Mike Leach, head coach JT King, head coach Thomas Howard, DE Kliff Kingsbury, QB

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Picking 20 best Tech games no simple task DON WILLIAMS

MY VIEW

s we sat through the 1992 Texas Tech-TCU game, a sportswriter colleague declared something to the effect of, “This is like a fistfight between two girls.” This was, oh, late third quarter in a game that featured 11 turnovers and assorted other foul-ups. Somebody sitting at my keyboard that evening called the play of both teams “unbelievably pathetic for three quarters.” And then it turned into one of the craziest Texas Tech games I — and many of you — ever witnessed. In the game’s last 2 minutes, 34 seconds, each team scored two touchdowns and the lead changed hands four times. The Red Raiders won 31-28 on a 43-yard touchdown pass to Lloyd Hill with three seconds left. Just nuts, that ending. And yet, I failed to squeeze it into this assemblage of the Red Raiders’ 20 greatest games. If you think it belongs, I don’t blame you. You see, I have a lot of strong opinions on Tech football, having followed it closely for nearly all of

my 50 years. But I had a devil of a time choosing just 20 great games for this collection. I easily drew up a list of 40, ordered and reordered, narrowed it down, whittled some more, and still ask myself, “How the heck can you leave out suchand-such?” I leaned toward meaningful games from Tech’s most memorable seasons; hence, the several contests from 1976 and 1989. I favored contests with historic significance, against strong teams. The Red Raiders’ 1936 game against mighty TCU and Sammy Baugh is one such game. I included the game in which Tech hung tough against the most powerful team ever to come down a tunnel at Jones Stadium. When I had to exclude, I at least came up with a reason. Tech’s 41-38 upset

of No. 1 Oklahoma in 2011, for example, led to nothing — the Red Raiders lost five in a row after that. As for the 1965 TechTexas A&M game, in which Donny Anderson took a hook-and-lateral for the winning score, well, the Aggies finished that season 3-7. Why did a Gator Bowl-bound Tech team need a late touchdown to beat those guys anyway? Nevertheless, I had a ball choosing, remembering, researching and writing about 20 of the greatest games in Tech history. The A-J hatched the idea of doing something big to recognize 1,000 games worth of Tech football — the 1,000th coming up in the Sept. 5 season opener. In our daily pages, we’ve presented our all-time team and solicited favorite memories from you, the fan. We hope you enjoy looking back at these 20

original pages, reproduced as they appeared then, with a little commentary from today. Credit to A-J sports editor Nick Talbot for blending those concepts on the inside pages and designing a cover full of Red Raiders’ fan favorites. Let us know what you think. don.williams@lubbockonline.com  766-8734 Follow Don on Twitter: @AJ_DonWilliams

Brandon Carter

The all-time Texas Tech depth chart by Don Williams Quarterback Graham Harrell

Third team: Marc Dove

Cornerback Denton Fox

The reason why:Texas Tech’s enjoyed terrific quarterback play over the years. You can make a case for at least eight in the top three spots. That said, Harrell is the program’s career leader in completions (1,403), passing yards (15,793) and touchdown passes (134). Harrell and WR Michael Crabtree formed Tech’s all-time best pitch-and-catch combo, fueling the team’s 10-0 start and race to No. 2 in the rankings the 2008 season. Second team: Joe Barnes Third team: Rodney Allison

The reason why: Size, speed, hitting ability, Fox had it all. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Fox lettered from 196769. He picked off four passes as a senior, then played in the Blue-Gray all-star game, the Hula Bowl and the first Coaches All-America Game staged at Jones Stadium. Second team: Carl Carter Third team: Kenneth Wallace

Safety Ted Watts

Running back Donny Anderson

The reason why: He did it all: Ran with the football, caught passes, returned kicks, punted — all with distinction — and charmed the girls on campus. A marvelous athlete, he was a high-school state track qualifier in five events, turned down pro baseball offers and, after his NFL career, put his 2-handicap to work on the celebrity golf tour. Make no mistake, though. He’s here for his football pedigree. Anderson’s one of four Red Raiders to make firstteam All-America twice and signed a record contract with the Green Bay Packers after his last Tech game. Second team: James Gray Third team: Bobby Cavazos

Running back Byron Hanspard

The reason why: A speed back operating in the I-formation, Hanspard outran defenders on the way to a school record 4,219 rushing yards. He was never better than in 1996, when he became major-college football’s sixth 2,000-yard rusher and Tech’s second Doak Walker Award winner. Second team: Bam Morris Third team: James Hadnot

Wide receiver Michael Crabtree

The reason why: What Crabtree accomplished in two years is staggering — never mind the fact they were his freshman and sophomore seasons. He caught 134 passes for 1,962 yards and 22 touchdowns — all school records — in 2007 and followed up with 97 catches for 1,165 yards and 19 TDs in 2008. Crabtree and Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon are the only two-time winners of the Biletnikoff Award. Second team: Wes Welker Third team: Joel Filani

Wide receiver Dave Parks

The reason why: Sure, Parks’ numbers pale in comparison to modernday receivers — his three-year career numbers (80 catches for 1,090 yards) constitute a good season today. But judged in the context of his era, Parks was cream of the crop. The Abilene product was a first-team All-American in 1963, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1964 draft and was a recent inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame. And he could be a high-volume receiver when given the chance, leading the NFL in catches (80), yards (1,344) and TDs (12) in 1965. Second team: Lloyd Hill Third team: Larry Gilbert

Tight end Jace Amaro

The reason why: He set a new standard for pass-catching tight ends. As a Tech junior in 2013, Amaro finished with 106 receptions for 1,352 yards and seven touchdowns. The yardage total was a single-season NCAA record for tight ends, and the number of catches is second for a tight end. Amaro joined Mark Bounds, Zach Thomas, Byron Hanspard and Michael Crabtree as the only unanimous selections to the five all-America teams that comprise consensus all-America consideration. Second team: Andre Tillman Third team: Herschel Ramsey

The reason why: Before Watts’ senior season, a major pro scout called him “the best defensive back in college football.” The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder from Tarpon Springs, Florida, played free safety at Tech from 1978-80. He made first-team all-Southwest Conference his junior and senior seasons — combining for 149 tackles and 19 pass breakups those two years — and first-team all-America as a senior. Second team: Dwayne Slay Third team: Curtis Jordan  A-j media File Photo

Texas Tech middle linebacker Zach Thomas tackles Texas running back Roderick Walker in 1994. Thomas was Don Williams’ selection as the Red Raiders’ all-time middle linebacker. Offensive tackle Dan Irons

The reason why: He was a cornerstone of one of Texas Tech’s best teams, the 10-2 bunch in 1976. Irons grew from a 6-foot-6, 225-pound second-team all-state tight end at Monterey to a 6-7, 260-pound allAmerica tackle at Tech while retaining fine agility. Irons was consensus allSWC tackle in 1976. Second team: Rylan Reed Third team: Ben Kaufman

Offensive tackle Charles Odiorne

The reason why:Texas Tech’s breadand-butter in 1989 was a steady diet of handoffs and pitchouts to 1,500yard rusher James Gray. An offensive line with seven seniors got credit, deservedly so, none more so than Odiorne, the 6-foot-4, 280-pound tackle. Second team: Jerry Walker Third team: Le’Raven Clark

Offensive guard Brandon Carter

The reason why: Forget his menacing look, the macabre game-day face that Carter fashioned out of eye liner. The guy could play. He received firstteam all-America recognition from two major organizations in 2008, the year the Red Raiders finished 11-2 after reaching No. 2 in the national polls. Second team: Louis Vasquez Third team: Mike Sears

Offensive guard Phil Tucker

The reason why: The 1967 team was Tech’s first to beat rivals Texas and Arkansas in the same year, in part because of an outstanding offensive line that included Jerry Turner at center with Don King and Tucker at the two guard spots. All three are in the Tech Athletic Hall of Fame. Second team: Don King Third team: Manny Ramirez

Center E.J. Holub

The reason why: Assemble a list of Texas Tech’s five greatest players regardless of position, and Holub’s probably on that list. “The Beast” was Tech’s first two-time first-team allAmerican in 1959 and 1960, knocking heads at center and linebacker. His spot in the College Football Hall of Fame, the Tech Ring of Honor and his retired jersey attest to greatness. Second team: Jerry Turner

Third team: Toby Cecil

Defensive end Montae Reagor

The reason why: Powerfully built at 6-foot-2 and 265 pounds, Reagor was perhaps Tech’s best-ever combo end — strong against the run, able to rush the passer — and he did it from day one. In the first quarter of his first game at Penn State, Reagor caused a fumble that teammate Shawn Banks recovered for a touchdown. Reagor ended his career in 1998 with the school records for sacks (24½) and tackles for loss (47). Second team: Brandon Sharpe Third team: Brandon Williams

Defensive end Aaron Hunt

The reason why: Hunt was an impact player for the Red Raiders all four years (1999-2002) and wound up with the still-standing Tech career record for sacks (34) as well as 46½ tackles for loss. Not just a one-trick pass-rush pony, the 6-foot-3, 270-pounder from Denison recorded single-season tackle totals of 71, 85 and 103 — big numbers for a defensive lineman. He received some level of postseason honors all four years, most notably being named third-team all-America and first-team All-Big 12 his junior year. Second team: Adell Duckett Third team: Richard Campbell

Defensive tackle Gabe Rivera

The reason why: He’s not just the best defensive tackle Tech ever had, he’s the best defensive lineman — maybe even the best defensive player of all. Who else played noseguard, yet ran like a skill-position player? The San Antonio Jefferson product was honorable mention all-America twice and consensus all-America as a senior in 1982, racking up 321 career tackles. Second team: David Knaus Third team: Kris Kocurek

Defensive tackle Ecomet Burley

The reason why: Romeo Crennel joined the Texas Tech staff in January 1975 and needed only a month of spring practice to declare, “Ecomet is going to make me a great coach.” The 5-11, 241-pounder from Lufkin made all-SWC each of his last three years, piling up single-season tackle totals of 124 and 102, remarkable numbers for someone who played defensive tackle and noseguard.

Second team: Don Rives Third team: Colby Whitlock

Middle linebacker Zach Thomas

The reason why: Thomas joined Tech icons E.J. Holub and Donny Anderson as the third Red Raiders player to be a two-time first-team all-American. Yet, not even Tech coaches knew what they had when they signed the lightly recruited prospect out of Pampa. Typically listed at 5-foot-11 and 225 or so pounds, Thomas’ weight usually dropped into the 2-teens over the course of the season. His talent and gusto for the game trumped any size deficiency, though. Second team: Brad Hastings Third team: Lawrence Flugence

Outside linebacker Thomas Howard

The reason why: Howard’s immense talent and work ethic make him the standard bearer for Tech outside linebackers.The 6-foot-2, 208-pound Howard set the tone for the Red Raiders’ banner 1976 with 15 tackles and two interceptions in the season-opening 24-7 upset of No. 18 Colorado. Second team: Charlie Rowe Third team: Larry Molinare

Outside linebacker Marcus Coleman

The reason why: First things first: Many folks think of the 6-foot-2, 202pound Coleman as a safety. But his position coach was the outside linebackers coach, and that’s what he played in the Red Raiders’ 4-4 defense. That bunch is conceivably the program’s all-time best linebacking corps: Zach Thomas and Shawn Banks inside, Robert Johnson and Coleman outside. Coleman made first-team all-America as a senior in 1995 and all-Southwest Conference each of his last two years. Second team: Dwayne Jiles Third team: Mike Mock

Cornerback Elmer Tarbox

The reason why: He was Texas Tech’s first megastar. A two-way halfback on the 10-1 Cotton Bowl team of 1938, Tarbox made a nation-leading 11 interceptions (still the school record) and ranked top-10 nationally in rushing and receiving. To illustrate how he was viewed at the time, Tarbox garnered more votes than TCU Heisman Trophy winner Davey O’Brien as the “Wheaties Cereal Champion” of 1938. Second team: Joselio Hanson

Safety Tracy Saul

The reason why: There’s never been a more natural ballhawk. Saul, 23 years after his career ended, remains tied for fourth in major-college history with 25 career interceptions. Coming from Class 2A Idalou, Saul cracked the starting lineup in his fifth game as a freshman and finished the season with eight interceptions. He picked off four passes in 1990, eight more in 1991 when he was a secondteam all-American and five in 1992. Second team: Kevin Curtis Third team: Tate Randle

KICKER Ryan Bustin

The reason why: Bustin, a transfer from Kilgore College, played only three seasons for the Red Raiders, but set the school records for career field goals (50), single-season field goals (23 in 2013) and single-game kick scoring (18 points). Though his oddly-spinning kicks were ridiculed by some fans, they worked much more often than not. Among the Red Raiders’ top 10 in career field goals made, Bustin’s 76.9 percent rate is the most accurate — Jon Davis (.745) and Brian Hall (.737) being the only others better than 66.0 percent. Second team: Alex Trlica Third team: Bill Adams

Punter Maury Buford

The reason why: He delivered high quality over four years, though he got more work than desired on teams that went 16-25-3 from 1978-81. Buford’s 44.1-yard average in 1978 made him the first freshman in 35 years to lead the nation, and he averaged 42.1, 41.9 and 44.8 in his remaining seasons. The Mount Pleasant product was named the second-team punter on the Southwest Conference all-decade team of the 1970s, and in 1980 he had eight punts killed inside the 10-yard line. Second team: Mark Bounds. Third team: Alex Reyes

Return specialist Wes Welker

The reason why: He set an NCAA record with eight career punt-return touchdowns between 2000 and 2003. The mark fell five years ago. Still, Welker returned two punts for TDs as a freshman, one as a sophomore, three as a junior and two as a senior. He still holds the school and Big 12 records for single-season and career punt returns and punt-return yardage, finishing with 152 for 1,761 yards. Second team: Tyrone Thurman Third team: Dane Johnson

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emotions didn’t subside until the wee hours of Sunday. This was game two of four in a row against teams ranked in the top 20, and Tech won the first three. Alas, three weeks after the Tech-Texas thriller, Oklahoma dashed the Red Raiders’ dream of playing for a national championship by unleashing a 65-21 rout north of the Red River. But for three weeks in November, Tech fans never felt closer to the top of the college football world.

Michael Crabtree caught one of the most important passes in Texas Tech history, giving the Red Raiders a 39-33 win over Texas on Nov. 1, 2008.

— Don Williams, A-J Media

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No. 1 — Texas Tech 39, Texas 33: Nov. 1, 2008

or high stakes and drama, how do you top this game? Texas Tech came in 9-0, ranked No. 6 and beat a team ranked No. 1 for the first time. The fact it took place at Jones Stadium, on national television and climaxed with a thread-the-needle touchdown pass puts it at the pinnacle of Tech games. The night was electric right from the start — building when defensive tackle Colby Whitlock popped a Longhorns running back for a safety not five minutes into the game — and the

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No. 2 — Texas Tech 28, Tennessee 19: Dec. 29, 1973

Larry Isaac

hen I was a kid growing up in the 1970s, I assumed Texas Tech was going to field a powerful football team every year. The 1973 and the 1976 Red Raiders were the reason why. Talk about spoiling a kid. Both belong in the discussion of the program’s all-time best teams. Beating a salty SEC program in a bowl game proved the worth of the 1973 Red Raiders, who finished 11-1 and ranked No. 11. Only really good teams got invited to bowls in 1973, and Tennessee, though “only” 8-3 and No. 20 coming in, was firmly in an up cycle under Bill Battle. The Vols notched 10 or 11 victories from 197072 and won the Sugar, Liberty and Bluebonnet

bowls. You just didn’t beat them in December. Tech had some of its all-time greats: QB Joe Barnes, TE Andre Tillman, DT Ecomet Burley and FS Curtis Jordan. The Volunteers looked just as stout with QB Condredge Holloway, RB Haskel Stanback, WR Stanley Morgan and DB Eddie Brown, still household names to Vols fans. This was the first Gator Bowl played at night, and Tech’s stars were out. Barnes threw a couple of touchdown passes, on a bomb to Lawrence Williams and a shorter throw to Tillman. Tech led the whole way, but not without the defense making some big stops down deep. With Tech clinging to a 21-19 lead, Tennessee’s Ricky Townsend missed a field goal with 3:36 left. Tech no sooner got the ball back than fullback James Mosley ripped off a Gator Bowl record 70yard run to the Vols’ 10. That set up the clinching touchdown by Larry Isaac. — Don Williams, A-J Media

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No. 3 — Texas Tech 35, Auburn 13: Jan. 1, 1954

he 1953 Red Raiders watched a game videotape of the Gator Bowl during a 45th-year reunion I got to cover in Lubbock. What a fun gettogether that was. “They’re looking pretty good,” one of the old Red Raiders said in a joking tone. “I bet they win.” Auburn’s who he was talking about. You see, the Tigers got up 13-7 at halftime that afternoon. Then here came Tech to score 28 unanswered points. “I’m glad we don’t give up,” team manager Moody Alexander said as he watched the tape. The split-T can be a thing of beauty: Two halfbacks, stationed behind the offensive tackles, flank the fullback. They dart into the line, taking quick handoffs. Tech ran it to perfection — that season, and that second half. The Red Raiders had averaged 47.7 points per game in their last six regular-season games in 1953. They were an offensive juggernaut. At the 1998 reunion, Tech halfback Bobby Cavazos blamed the slow start on a wet field. Then the Red

Raiders got their act together. Jack Kirkpatrick threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to Paul Erwin and Cavazos ran for a couple of scores. He finished with 141 yards rushing and three TDs. The game’s importance to Tech history can’t be understated. Masked Rider Joe Kirk Fulton and his horse gave the Red Raiders a scintillating entrance. The team finished 11-1, ranked No. 12. For a school that lobbied for years for membership in the Southwest Conference, the Gator Bowl provided some ammunition. Auburn had two future members of the College Football Hall of Fame: Coach Shug Jordan, whose 1953 team started a string of 12 consecutive winning seasons, and quarterback Vince Dooley, who became a coaching legend at Georgia. Second-half collapse for them, springboard for Tech football. — Don Williams, A-J Media

Bobby Cavazos

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No. 4 — Texas Tech 22, Houston 21: Nov. 25, 1978

he 1979 Cotton Bowl’s famous for Joe Montana chugging chicken soup and rallying Notre Dame from a 24-point deficit to a 35-34 victory against Houston. That wasn’t the Cougars’ first stunning setback that season. Houston came to Lubbock on Thanksgiving weekend 1978 with an 8-1 record and ranked No. 5. Tech was on a fivegame winning streak, so the stage was set for a whale of a game. It turned out more memorable than anyone could have imagined. Start with the fact the Red Raiders came out in special uniforms — back when that never happened, much less on a weekly basis. So Tech fans got a distinctive entrance from their team, and then an unforgettable finish.

Cornerback Mike Patterson picked off a pass with 5:54 left in the game and the Red Raiders drove 88 yards for a touchdown with 3:40 to go. Then the Red Raiders set up for two Ron Reeves — and one of the great plays in Tech history. Ron Reeves’ screen pass left to fullback James Hadnot fooled nobody. But Hadnot bulled through a wave of tacklers and somehow made it into the end zone, shoving his team in front 22-21.

“Looking at the film, they should have got me, but they didn’t wrap up,” Hadnot said in 2005. “They bounced off.” Tacklers had a way of doing that against Hadnot, who stood 6-foot-3 and played between 230 and 245 pounds. There was one tragic footnote. Walk-on wide receiver Michael Morris might just as easily have been the hero that day. Morris caught a 21-yard pass down to the 1 before the last touchdown — he had to kneel to catch a throw from Hadnot and his knee touched before he backed into the end zone. Morris died five weeks later, having gone into cardiac arrest during a Dec. 11 thyroid surgery and lapsing into a coma. — Don Williams, A-J Media

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No. 5 — Texas Tech 21, Arkansas 16: Nov. 19, 1966

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Gene Darr

here was nothing to suggest the 1966 regular-season finale ranked as must-see football. Mighty Arkansas, ranked No. 6, had won 20 of its previous 21 Southwest Conference games and, to earn its third straight trip to the Cotton Bowl, had only to finish off Tech. Surely that didn’t pose much of a risk, given they were about three-touchdown favorites. The 3-6 mark Tech carried into that Saturday came as a long autumn letdown for folks with Donny Anderson and the previous year’s eight-win Gator Bowl team fresh on the mind. JT King asked grumbling fans to stick with ’em to the end. What came next was The Associated Press upset of the decade, though no one saw it coming when the Hogs led

10-0 at halftime. Defensive tackle Gene Darr, a Cisco boy who’s spent the last 30-plus years in Levelland, returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown. That’s the game’s most talked-about play. Also part of the lore was a gnarly funeral wreath sent to the Tech locker room at halftime with a note: “We are going to bury you.” Best guess for years was that it was an inside job, a tactic thought up by a Tech assistant coach to motivate the boys. Only in 2012 did A-J editor emeritus Burle Pettit learn it was the handiwork of a couple of Lubbock citizens — one a funeral director. Well, it produced the desired result. Tech quarterback John Scovell apologized to his dad, Cotton Bowl kingpin Field Scovell, for messing up the New Year’s Day game’s best scenario. “Yeah?” the elder Scovell said. “Well y’all sure ... weren’t playing like you were trying to keep from messing it up.” — Don Williams, A-J Media

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No. 6 — Texas Tech 7, TCU 0: Sept. 26, 1936

ad some Hollywood script writer dreamed up Ron Burgundy in the 1930s, Ron surely would have agreed that TCU’s Sammy Baugh was kind of a big deal. All-American, star passer of a powerhouse team and, years down the road, charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. So as a sportswriter, you spared no superlative when you’d watched the Horned Frogs get shut out and Slingin’ Sammy sent home with a rare defeat. “He was out-generaled by Tech captain Demp Cannon, out-kicked by Tech’s great Jim Neill, and kiboshed by the entire Tech team, which out-hustled, out-fought and out-played the Frogs in every department.” A-J scribe Collier Parris wrote that, and it makes me want to have a throwback day for sportswriters and sportswriting. Bring me my top hat, trench coat and

manual typewriter. For anyone wondering how a 7-0 game from 80 years ago ranks in Tech’s top 10, one moment, please, for context. This was 10 months after No. 1 TCU and No. 4 SMU brought 10-0 records into one of college football’s first “Game of the Century” showdowns. No serious treatment of Texas football history overlooks this game. SMU won 20-14 and went to the Rose Bowl, TCU beat LSU in the Sugar Bowl. When the Horned Frogs rolled into Lubbock for the second game of 1936, they’d won 14 of their previous 15 games. Other than SMU the November before, the Red Raiders were the first to pierce the Frog aura of invincibility. TCU finished ’36 9-2-2, winning the first Cotton Bowl with Baugh as the consensus all-America quarterback. That one night in Lubbock, though, he was human. — Don Williams

 A-j media File Photo

Former Red Raider coaches Pete Cawthan, left and JT King hold up a blanket monogrammed with Cawthan’s name and the year’s that he coached at Texas Tech.

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No. 7 — Texas Tech 45, California 31: Dec. 30, 2004

Sonny Cumbie

ike Smith decided the night before the 2004 Holiday Bowl that he’d grab a giant doubleT flag and parade it around Qualcomm Stadium after Texas Tech beat California. Hearing Cal players say they belonged in a better bowl had irked the Tech linebacker. Not that anyone gave the Red Raiders much chance of beating California. The Golden Bears came in ranked No. 4 with a 10-1 record, the only loss a 23-17 decision to Southern Cal, which won that year’s BCS title game. Oddsmakers had Tech as an 11-point underdog. But Red Raiders players such as quarterback Son-

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ny Cumbie (520 passing yards) and wide receiver Joel Filani (144 receiving) put together career nights. For Tech, it was a major win then, and it gets better with age. That Cal team’s talent level looks more impressive all the time. From the 2004 Golden Bears: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and running back Marshawn Lynch and defensive tackle Brandon Mebane from the back-to-back NFC champion Seattle Seahawks. Maybe they weren’t all that motivated that night in San Diego, but regardless … Beating those guys was something to crow about. — Don Williams, A-J Media

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No. 8 — Texas Tech 42, Texas 38: Nov. 16, 2002 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 A10

 Associated Press

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Wes Welker catches a pass against Kansas in 2002. Welker came up big on a trick play to help Texas Tech beat Texas on Nov. 16, 2002.

he year 2002 was a grand time to be Kliff Kingsbury, or just to be Red Raiders in general. When they beat Texas on a crisp afternoon-turned-evening in mid-November, Kingsbury passed for 473 yards and six touchdowns. Texas was ranked as high as No.3 at the time, making the Longhorns the highestranked team the Red Raiders had beaten. The game-winning touchdown, a 25-yard Kingsbury-to-Taurean Henderson pass, came with 5:41 left. But after Texas returned the kickoff

across midfield, Tech safety Ryan Aycock saved the Raiders with an interception. Moments later, with Tech facing thirdand-9, Wes Welker talked Mike Leach into calling a daring trick play. Mickey Peters took a backward pass, waited until he could feel the breath of two Longhorns bearing down on him, and flipped one downfield to Welker for 35 yards. That play enabled Tech to run out the clock. Oh, and it was the final home game of the season for Kingsbury’s senior class. — Don Williams, A-J Media

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No. 9 — Houston 27, Texas Tech 19: Nov. 20, 1976

efore 2008, the 1976 Texas TechHouston game was the Red Raiders’ all-time biggest if you ask me. Alternative history buffs could have fun tackling the idea of what might have been had No. 5 Texas Tech beaten No. 9 Houston. Instead of Houston-Maryland, that season’s Cotton Bowl would have been Tech-Maryland in a matchup of 11-0 teams. Now, calling 1976 Tech-Houston a great game might be a stretch. It was a lousy game from a Tech perspective. The Red Raiders got down 24-5 at halftime and 27-5 early in the third quarter. It wasn’t until the middle of the fourth quarter that Tech came to life. Defensive end Richard Arledge picked off

a pass and ran it in for a touchdown with 6:37 left. Rodney Allison threw a touchdown pass to Billy Taylor and then a two-point conversion to Sammy Williams, and it was 27-19 with 3:23 to go. That capped a 93-yard drive that took 58 seconds. Improbably, Houston recovered an onside kick, fumbled two plays later, and Tech set sail again for the tying points. The Red Raiders made it to the Houston 10 before, alas, Allison tossed an interception to safety Elvis Bradley. “I never saw the safety,” Allison, now director of the Double-T Varsity Club, said that afternoon. To this day, it still rankles him. — Don Williams, A-J Media

Kicker Brian Hall (11) made a field goal against Houston, but the Red Raiders couldn’t finish their rally and fell 27-19 on Nov. 20, 1976.  A-j media FIle Photo

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No. 10 — Texas Tech 14, Texas A&M 7: Oct. 7, 1995

ong before the 1995 season started, Texas A&M and Texas Tech knew they were headed for the bigger-and-better Big 12. Both teams wanted to leave the Southwest Conference on a high note, though, and Texas A&M had a particularly good reason: R.C. Slocum’s bunch had a 29game conference unbeaten streak — 28 wins and a tie — when they came to Lubbock for the 1995 league opener. Zach Thomas and a stingy Tech defense had something to say about that. With the game tied at 7, Thomas stepped in front of a Corey Pullig pass and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown with 30 seconds left, setting off a crazy celebration. And eighth-ranked A&M’s streak of 29

SWC games without a loss was over. “There’s nothing better than this,” Tech linebacker Marcus Coleman said. “We ended the streak.” Thomas was stricken with strep throat that week, stayed home from two practices and felt lousy when he did come in on Thursday. Also of note, Tech freshman Donnie Hart caught the first of his 17 career touchdown passes, and the Red Raiders’ swarming defense trapped speed back Leeland McElroy seven times behind the line of scrimmage. Add it all up, and it was misery for the Aggies, warm memories for the Red Raiders. — Don Williams, A-J Media

Marcus Coleman

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No. 11 — Texas Tech 24, Texas 17: Nov. 4, 1989

Jamie Gill

he week of the 1989 TechTexas game, Anthony Manyweather had a friend shave “Beat UT” into his hair. When the Tech wide receiver took off his helmet on the sideline that Saturday, the UT student section got after him. Then Manyweather got after the Longhorns. His 65-yard touchdown catch pulled Tech out of a 17-14 hole with 4:26 left, the signature play to the Red Raiders’ third win in Austin. Facing third-and-26, Jamie Gill rolled left and threw on the run

while Manyweather was slipping past his man on an out-and-up. He caught it at the UT 25, ran it in and then went into a frenzied celebration beyond the north end zone. “It was a spontaneous reaction, giving it to the fans,” he said in 2008. Manyweather was a walk-on from California. He’d caught nine passes in his career before then. All it takes is one, though, and you’re an unforgettable part of Tech history. — Don Williams, A-J Media

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No. 12 — SMU 34, Texas Tech 27: Nov. 13, 1982

e’ve already established that Texas Tech didn’t win all the greatest games in Red Raiders history. Maybe there’s never been a more stunning loss for Tech than the 1982 SMU game. The Red Raiders were 17 seconds away from a 27-27 tie with the mighty Mustangs, which would have shocked the college football nation. Fueled by the Eric Dickerson-Craig James tandem, the Pony Express was 9-0 and ranked No. 2. Tech was 4-5. Tech tied it with a field goal and on the ensuing kickoff, SMU receiver Bobby Leach took a backward pass and ran 91 yards up the sideline for the winning touchdown with four seconds left. It worked perfectly for the Ponies.

SMU’s Blane Smith bobbled the kickoff, and the charged-up Red Raiders converged in his direction. That left Leach all alone on the other side of the field when the lateral came to him. Leach told me in 2000 the Mustangs worked on the trick play every Thursday at the end of practice. “Blane would impersonate some pro quarterback, or try to, a different one each week,” he said. “He threw a couple in the turf. He threw a couple in the stands. It was hardly ever executed the way it was supposed to in practice.” Which, knowing that, even to this day, doesn’t make the Red Raiders feel any better. — Don Williams, A-J Media

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No. 13 — Texas Tech 19, Texas 13: Sept. 30, 1967 Black Yellow Magenta Cyan

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John Scovell

exas Tech throttled No. 8 Texas so thoroughly in the 1967 Southwest Conference opener that Longhorns coach Darrell Royal went to the visitors’ locker room to congratulate the Red Raiders. Spotting Tech quarterback John Scovell, Royal said, “It’s nice to finally see you standing still.” Scovell dashed for 175 yards that night, scoring once and throwing a touchdown pass to end Larry Gilbert. Kenny Vinyard did the rest, kicking a 37-yard field goal in the first quarter and a 54-yarder with 4:33 left in the game. The Red Raiders were 11-point underdogs, but won for only the second time in Austin. The key: Tech jumped into the option and rushed for 310 yards. Upon Tech coach JT King’s death

in 1993, Royal told me that game influenced Texas’ decision to get into the wishbone the next year. “Anytime you have something that confuses you and baffles you, it makes you think about doing it,” Royal said. “Yeah, it probably moved the process along. We went to it the next year, just a different form of it, but the same idea, the same execution.” After beating Texas, Tech jumped into the rankings the following week at No. 10. The Red Raiders lost their next three games and finished the season 6-4, but the win in Austin remains a big night in Tech football history. Back in Lubbock, so many fans crowded the airport runway, the Tech plane had to be diverted to Amarillo. — Don Williams, A-J Media

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No. 14 — Texas Tech 41, Texas A&M 9: Sept. 18, 1954

round the turn of the century, a book and a movie brought the story of the Junction Boys to a new generation. Each depicted the grueling, 10-day summer training camp to which Bear Bryant subjected his first Texas A&M team. More than 90 players made the trip from College Station to Junction and only 35 stuck it out. The Aggies practiced, without water breaks, in drought conditions with temperatures ranging from 95 to 101 degrees. Bryant broke down the boys for the first 10 days of September, and a week later the Red Raiders wiped out his weary team. Tech’s 41-9 win came in the season opener for both teams, the Aggies’ first game after the Junction experience. Tech’s Rick Spinks ran for two touchdowns, and the Red Raiders got five fumbles and an interception from the frazzled Aggies. Jerry Johnson from Hale Center, Ronnie Herr, Claude Harland and M.C. Northam had the other touchdowns. Junction Boy Gene Stallings reflected on that game in the book: “I Remember

 Associated Press

Paul “Bear” Bryant on the sidelines for Texas A&M in 1957. Bryant never had a loss as bad as Texas Tech handed to him in 1954.

Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant: Personal Memories of College Football’s Most Legendary Coach as Told by the People Who Knew Him Best.” Stallings recounted that the Aggies practiced in their game uniforms the following Monday. “That was one bad practice, I’m tell-

ing you, but we didn’t get beat 41-9 again,” he said. That they did gave the 1954 Red Raiders a lasting distinction: No Bear Bryant team ever got beaten as badly as his Junction Boys did that night. — Don Williams, A-J Media

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No. 15 — Texas Tech 49, Duke 21: Dec. 28, 1989 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 A18

James Gray

teve Spurrier had one foot out the door in late December 1989. He’d coached Duke to an 8-3 regular season and its first bowl since 1961, but had already agreed to take over at Florida right after the AllAmerican Bowl. Not to diminish what Tech did to the Blue Devils. Even a plugged-in Spurrier might have been powerless to stop the Red Raiders that night at Legion Field. James Gray ran for 280 yards and four touchdowns, Tech built a 28-0 lead early and the game was a continuation of smashing performances the Red Raiders had given all season. They started the year picked sixth in

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the Southwest Conference and ended with wins over four Top 20 opponents. Has any Red Raiders team ever exceeded expectations to such a degree? Theirs is surely one of the best stories. Six former walk-ons — including two offensive linemen and a defensive end — were in the starting lineup. The offense meshed splendidly with Gray at I-back, an all-senior offensive line and cool play from sophomore quarterback Jamie Gill, whose field generalship that season was some of the best I’ve seen from any Tech team. What the Red Raiders did to Duke served as a fitting end for one of Tech’s most special teams. — Don Williams, A-J Media

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No. 16 — Texas Tech 27, Texas A&M 16: Oct. 9, 1976

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Rodney Allison

exas Tech fans knew their 1976 team could be something special right from the start. They pounded a good Colorado team 24-7 in the season opener at Jones Stadium. And if anyone thought it was a fluke, they bashed Texas A&M 27-16 in the third game of the season at Kyle Field. Second-year coach Steve Sloan called it “certainly the biggest win for us since I’ve been at Tech.”

A&M started slow that season, but the Aggies were no slouches. George Woodard and Curtis Dickey were thunder and lightning in the backfield. A&M fielded one of the Southwest Conference’s strongest defensive lines and had Lester Hayes in the secondary. After the Tech game, they didn’t lose again, finishing 10-2 and No. 7 in the AP poll. But the Red Raiders had their way that day. Tech quarterback Tommy Duniven got hurt early in the game.

Rodney Allison entered and went off, running up a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. He hit Sammy Williams for touchdowns of 22 and 56 yards, then threw passes to Williams and Brian Nelson to set up a TD run of his own. The Aggies got as close as 24-16, but a couple of secondhalf field goals by Brian Hall kept the Red Raiders just out of reach. Yes, 1976 was going to be a season to remember, which no one could doubt after that day in College Station. — Don Williams, A-J Media

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No. 17 — Texas Tech 27, Texas A&M 24: Oct. 7, 1989

o charmed was Texas Tech’s 1989 football season that nothing seemed impossible, certainly not third-and-long. Jamie Gill’s 35-yard touchdown pass to Travis Price with 50 seconds left lifted the Red Raiders, an 8½-point underdog, past No. 19 Texas A&M in an early October Southwest Conference game. What were the odds against that play? Well, Price didn’t practice all week, nor play in the first half, because of an injured ankle.

The Aggies sacked Gill on each of the two previous plays, and claim he lost a fumble on one. The winning pass came as the teams were coming out of a timeout — and, at the snap, Aggies players were still scrambling back onto the field, trying to get into position. Gill-to-Price came on thirdand-28, Price turning a post route into a corner, and Gill put enough air under the pass for his buddy to run under it. The two had hooked up for another touchdown at the

Travis Price catches a 35yard touchdown pass on a third and 28 that lifted Texas Tech past Texas A&M 28-24 on Oct. 7, 1989.  A-J MEdia File Photo

5:44 mark to pull Tech within 24-20 … all in a game Price wasn’t supposed to play. “I didn’t work out all week,” he said in 2005. “At halftime, the coaches said, ‘Can you

go?’ And I said, ‘Yes, sir. I’m ready.’ ” Lucky for him. Wouldn’t want to miss that ending. — Don Williams, A-J Media

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No. 18 — Texas Tech 44, Minnesota 41 (OT): Dec. 29, 2006

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Graham Harrell

ith any other ending, the 2006 Insight Bowl wouldn’t come close to making a Texas Tech top 20 all-time games list. It was one of those cable TV-space-filler bowls that matched a 7-5 team against a 6-6 team. Of course, this wasn’t just any ending. Tech’s rally from a 38-7 third-quarter deficit to win in overtime set a record for largest comeback in a Division I-A bowl game. It cost Minnesota coach Glen Mason his job. Alex Trlica’s 52-yard field goal got the Red Raiders to overtime and capped a 31-0

burst in 20 minutes. After Minnesota scored first in OT to lead 41-38, Tech running back Shannon Woods went in from the 3 and the record comeback was complete. The only thing left was to swarm the Sun Devil Stadium turf. “You never feel like you’re going to run out of time with this offense,” said quarterback Graham Harrell, who threw for 445 yards. “This was one of the greatest (examples of) playing together as a team,” Tech coach Mike Leach said, “that I’ve been part of.” — Don Williams, A-J Media

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No. 19 — Southern Cal 21, Texas Tech 7: Sept. 8, 1979

or as much as sports serves as a source of debate, it’s amazing to think that after 999 Texas Tech games, there’s no disputing the best team to play in Jones Stadium. Defending national champion Southern Cal came to Lubbock for a 1979 season opener. The amount of talent on that team staggers the mind. Those Trojans had four future members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame: tackle Anthony Munoz, guard Bruce Matthews, running back Marcus Allen and safety Ronnie Lott. Tailback Charles White won the Heisman Trophy that year, and guard Brad Budde won the Lombardi Award. Safety Dennis Smith made the Pro Bowl six times in 14

NFL seasons. Safety Jeff Fisher became an NFL head coach. Several more, including quarterback Paul McDonald, became NFL starters. Against the Red Raiders, White suffered a bruised shoulder in the second quarter, and Allen took over and ran for 105 yards. Yep, when his Heisman winner got hurt, Trojans coach John Robinson had a Hall of Famer to pick up the slack. White ran for 156 yards the year before when USC beat Tech 17-9 at the L.A. Coliseum after trailing 9-0 at halftime. That Rex Dockery’s teams twice stuck with Southern Cal deserves a hat tip. — Don Williams, A-J Media

Charles White (12) of the USC Trojans breaks loose for a short gain as Larry Flowers of the Texas Tech Red Raiders comes up to make the stop during first quarter action at Jones Stadium in Lubbock on Sept. 8, 1979.  Associated press

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No. 20 — Texas Tech 31, Texas 28: Oct. 30, 1976

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Billy Taylor

he Texas Longhorns weren’t exactly flying high in 1976 – they finished 5-5-1, and coaching great Darrell Royal retired at the end of the year. At Texas Tech, though, any win over Texas is a good win, a case in point being the 1976 game. That the Longhorns would tail off so badly wasn’t apparent. They were 3-1-1 in late October. Still, they nearly spoiled the Red Raiders’ perfect start to the season. When the Tech defense fouled up a call and the Longhorns’ Jimmy Johnson ran 60 yards for a touchdown right after halftime, the score swelled to 21-10, UT. The game went back and forth, Tech rallying ahead 24-21, then falling behind 28-24 early in

the fourth quarter. Part of the legend of Rodney Allison was made that afternoon, though. The Tech quarterback ran 25 times for 106 yards and a touchdown and completed 10 of 11 passes. Lubbock native Larry Isaac broke Donny Anderson’s Tech career rushing record that day, and backfield mate Billy Taylor sealed his spot in the program’s history. One of the iconic photos of a Red Raider shows Taylor diving over on one of his two 1-yard touchdowns. The last came with 7:20 left, and the Red Raiders made it stand up. — Don Williams, A-J Media

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