2010 RED RAIDER FOOTBALL INJURED PLAYERS EXPECTED TO RETURN Sophomore receiver Alex Torres and junior offensive lineman Mickey Okafor are expected to return to action this weekend at New Mexico. Torres, Tech’s leading receiver last season, was sidelined on Sunday against SMU after suffering a lower back strain during training camp. Mickey Okafor, who made two starts on the offensive line in 2009, is also expected to return this week after suffering a concussion. Sophomore receiver Austin Zouzalik, who underwent an appendectomy on August 12, will be a game time decision. YOUNG SECONDARY PROVIDES SPARK Texas Tech’s young secondary provided a huge spark for the Red Raiders in the season opener against SMU. The group accounted for three interceptions in the game and that total is more than the Red Raiders had in any game last season. In fact, the three interceptions was the most since Tech picked off five passes against SMU on Sept. 1, 2008. Redshirt freshman Jarvis Phillips hauled in the first interception of the season late in the first quarter while true freshman Tre’ Porter got his first career pick off midway through the second quarter. Sophomore D.J. Johnson picked off the SMU quarterback midway through the third quarter and that marked his first interception since the Texas game last season. DUNCAN PICKS UP FIRST CAREER SACKS Senior Brian Duncan, a preaseason candidate for the Butkus, Lott and Nagurski Awards, registered his first career sacks on Sunday by virtue of his new position. Previously a middle linebacker, Duncan is lining up as the right defensive end and that change paid huge dividends for the Red Raiders on Sunday. Duncan’s first career sack came on SMU’s first offensive drive of the game. The sack forced the Mustangs into a third-and-long situation and the Red Raider defense ended up forcing SMU to punt. He added two more sacks on the afternoon, including a crucial one in the final minutes of the game. OLD RELIABLE Senior NT Colby Whitlock might very well be one of the best defensive lineman in the country and he has the resume to back it up. Whitlock has made 37 consecutive starts dating back to his freshman season in 2007 and will be in search of No. 38 on Saturday at New Mexico. Whitlock, an Oklahoma native, cracked the starting lineup at Oklahoma State on Sept. 22, 2007, and hasn’t looked back since - racking up 133 total tackles, including 22 for a loss. Fellow senior Brian Ducnan is right behind him with 36 consecutive starts dating back to the Northwestern State game in 2007. FIRST TOUCHDOWNS GO TO LEONG Senior quarterback Taylor Potts found his old high school buddy Lyle Leong in the corner of the end zone for a two-yard touchdown strike that marked the first of the season for the Red Raiders on Sunday against SMU. Leong didn’t stop there as he caught the second touchdown (six-yard reception) of the game with 14:30 remaining in the second quarter to help the Red Raiders build a 14-0 lead. CAREER DAY FOR LEONG Lyle Leong got his senior year off with a bang as he led the Red Raider offense on the afternoon with 11 catches, 142 receiving yards and three touchdowns against SMU. Leong surpassed his previous career high of nine receptions and 117 yards receiving that he set last season against Rice. His three touchdowns on the afternoon tied his career high (set twice previously) and it marked the fifth multiple touchdown game of his career. POTTS IMPRESSIVE AGAINST SMU Senior quarterback Taylor Potts enjoyed a solid season opener on Sunday and led the Red Raiders to a 35-27 win over SMU. Potts completed 34 of 53 passes without an interception and piled up 359 passing yards along with four touchdowns through the air. In the season opener last season against North Dakota, Potts was 34-of-48 with three interceptions while throwing for 405 yards and two touchdowns. POTTS NOTABLES • Needs two completions to tally 400th career • Only 32 yards shy of 4,500 career yards • Third touchdown against SMU marked 30th of his career • Owns eight multiple touchdown performances, including four consecutive dating back to last season. • Four TDs against SMU marked second career game with at
least four (7 vs. Rice - 2009). • Recorded eighth career 300-yard passing game while having passed for at least 300 yards in three of his past four games dating back to last season. STEPHENS MOVING UP ON KICKOFF CHARTS Sophomore Eric Stephens, who set the single-season kickoff return yardage record as a freshman in 2009, is just 15 yards away from moving into fourth place on the school’s career list. Stephens currently has 945 career kickoff return yards and 15 more will move him past Wayne Walker who tallied 959 between 1985 and 1988. • Stephens also ranks tied for seventh with 37 career returns and needs seven more to move into sole possesion of fifth place. PROTECTING THE HOUSE As Under Armour (Texas Tech’s official apparel provider) would say, “We Must Protect This House.” Texas Tech has taken that motto seriously over the years as the Red Raiders have amassed a home record of 41-6 since 2003. The .872 winning percentage ranks third in the league behind Texas and Oklahoma. RECORD SEASON TICKET SALES The Red Raider faithful have spoken in record numbers in regards to the excitement of the arrival of coach Tuberville and this new era of Texas Tech football. On July 21, 2010, Texas Tech announced that a new school record in season ticket sales had been established - and by the first game against SMU, the old record was shattered. Texas Tech’s final season ticket count was 46,565 which blew away the previous record of 41,740. ALL ABOUT RED Texas Tech head coach Tommy Tuberville and the athletics department announced a new RED OUT Initiative on Friday, August 20. Red Raider fans have been urged to wear RED each and every time they attend a Texas Tech sporting event, home or away. EXPANSION, EXPANSION Texas Tech’s Jones AT&T Stadium can lay claim to being one of just a few stadiums across the country that expanded twice within one calendar year. The addition of 6,000 north end zone seats prior to the Texas A&M game on Oct. 29, 2009, coupled with the opening of the east side stadium building for the 2010 season opener has increased stadium capacity to 60,454. The east side stadium building features 29 luxury suites along with 544 outdoor club seats as well as a private dining club that will be open daily to members. When combined with the west side stadium building, Jones AT&T Stadium now boasts 83 luxury suites and 1,644 club seats. In addition to the stadium, Texas Tech also spent close to 2.3 million in renovating the football training facility. A football hall of fame and turf practice field were added while the locker room and weight room underwent major renovations. THIRD WINNINGEST PROGRAM THIS CENTURY Texas Tech enters the 2010 season as the third winningest Big 12 program in this century. With 47 league wins since 2000, Texas Tech ranks behind Texas and Oklahoma who lead the way with 69 and 67, respectively. EIGHT-STRAIGHT Texas Tech football has reeled of eight-straight seasons of winning eight-plus games and that streak has made the Red Raiders one of the most consistent programs in the nation. Texas Tech is also in the middle of a streak of 15-straight winning seasons.
GAMEDAY ASSIGNMENTS TOMMY TUBERVILLE Head Coach --Sideline--
JAMES WILLIS Defensive Coordinator --Sideline--
SAM McELROY Defensive Line --Press Box--
ROBERT PRUNTY Defensive Ends/Outside LBs --Sideline--
TRAVARIS ROBINSON Defensive Backs --Sideline--
NEAL BROWN Offensive Coordinator --Sideline--
SONNY CUMBIE Inside Receivers --Press Box--
TOMMY MAINORD Wide Receivers --Sideline--
BIG 12 BOWL RECORD CONTINUES Texas Tech’s appearance in the 2010 Valero Alamo Bowl (a 4131 win over Michigan State) marked the 16th-consecutive year of bowl eligibility for the Red Raider football program – a Big 12 record. Texas Tech will be looking to push that streak to 17 consecutive years this season and the Red Raiders will be in search of their 10th-straight bowl appearance and 34th overall.
MATT MOORE Offensive Line --Sideline--
DEGREES IN HAND Eight players on this year’s team have already completed the bachelor’s degree and are either pursuing a second degree or are enrolled in graduate school. CURRENT RED RAIDERS WITH DEGREES Gerardo Acevedo ........... Human Development & Family Studies Britton Barbee ........................................................ Psychology
CHAD SCOTT Running Backs --Sideline--
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