This week is the Tech vs. Texas game in Austin. For some reason it seems our friends in Lubbock do not get as excited about the Longhorns as they do for the Aggies. Or, the answer maybe that Texas just beats them, so you hear less about it. This week’s game should be a good one. Tech has struggled against top tier teams, which Texas is definitely included in that bunch. However, Texas has had to pull some last minute victories out this year, specifically the last two games. Now, this SWC Game of the Week Correspondent thought for sure that Texas was primed for an upset last week on the road against a decent OSU team, and I was proven wrong by a last minute field goal. Maybe that upset is waiting for this week? Tech has the funky offense that when clicking is hard to defend and Texas is without some key personnel due to injury. We’ll just have to wait until Saturday and let them settle it on the field.
THIS WEEK’S GAME:
This week’s game features the Texas Tech Red Raiders traveling to Austin to take on the Texas Longhorns. Texas leads the all time series 42-14 or 41-14 depending on what press release you read. The Longhorns have won the last 4 games however and Tech’s last win in Austin was in 1997. Tech is of course led by their ridiculous video game offense. QB Graham Harrell is now only 611 yards short of 10,000 yard passing for his career. That’s one good game for these guys. The Red Raiders are averaging 42.4 points a game this year, which ranks second in the Red Raider record books. They have only 11 drives stall after only 3 plays, the ole three and out, this year. While 16 Red Raiders have caught passes this year, the best may be freshman Michael Crabtree. He has accumulated 1512 yards receiving (first in the NCAA) thus far this season as well as catching 18 touchdown passes. He has caught a total of 118 balls this year, also first in the NCAA. The defense at Tech has been much improved since Ruffin McNeal took over as defensive coordinator. They currently rank 3rd in the Big 12 conference in total defense behind only Kansas and Oklahoma, allowing 344.6 yards a game. DE Brandon Williams has led the defensive with 5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. CB Jamar Wall leads the Raiders with 4 interceptions. The Longhorns are coming off their annual come from behind victory over OSU. Since 1998 they are 39-4 against Texas teams earning them a state champ moniker. Center Dallas Griffin was lost for the season against the OSU Cowboys, and this will hurt the Longhorns. Colt McCoy gets most of the success and accolades for the Longhorn offense, but the recent comebacks have been as easy as giving the ball to sophomore Jamaal Charles. He has rushed for 1192 yards this season, the 10th best total in UT history. The last two games, comeback wins over Nebraska and OSU, he has rushed for 470 yards and 6 touchdowns on 49 carries (9.6 yards per carry). Jermichael Finley, the Longhorn tight end, is another unexpected offensive source with 67 receptions for 872 yards this season with 5 TD’s. On defense the Longhorns have a veteran linebacker crew, with seniors Scott Derry and Robert Killebrew, junior Rashad Bobino, and sophomore Roddrick Muckelroy. This group will have their hands full against the high flying Tech attack. This game can be seen on ABC at 2:30 CST.
COTTON BOWL MEMORIES:
This week’s Classic Memory is from the 1939 game featuring Texas Tech “hosting” St. Mary’s. National Champion TCU elected to go to the Sugar Bowl this year, leaving Tech to host. Remember, this is before Tech was a SWC member (that would come 21 years later), but also before the Cotton Bowl had an agreement with the SWC to invite its champion. Tech, coached by Pete Cawthon, was 10-0 that year and was ranked #11 in the nation. The Red Raiders viewed this game as a chance to show they deserved SWC membership. The St Mary’s Gaels from California were 5-2, but the two loses by a total of 8 points were to national powers California and Fordham. They also suited out 31 sophomores on a 47 man squad. (Remember freshmen were not eligible for the varsity squad.) Tech struggled with turnovers with 8 on the day, 5 coming on interceptions. Tech QB Gene Barnett did throw two 4th quarter touchdown passes to Elmer Tarbox and E.J. McKnight to pull Tech within 7 but another Barnett pass to George Webb for 45 yards was a few yards short as time expired with Tech just short of the goal line. The final score read St. Mary’s 20, Texas Tech 13, the first defeat for Tech since losing 12 months earlier to West Virginia in the Sun Bowl. Texas Tech would not appear in another Cotton Bowl until 1995, getting the nod after a funky 6 team tie for first in the conference (A&M at 10-0-1 was ineligible for post season play) because their Cotton Bowl drought was the longest.
OTHER GAMES THIS WEEK:
Arkansas at Tennessee (If Dolly Parton has recorded your fight song, you need a new one)
Baylor at OU (Dr. Pepper and Oreo’s, Breakfast of … Bears!)
Houston at Tulsa (Houston looks to keep rollin’ in the CUSA against the Golden Hurricanes. What is a Golden Hurricane? (Keep responses PG please))
Rice at SMU (Someone has to win, and Rice is on a roll)
Texas A&M at Missouri (Fran’s farewell tour hits the Show Me State, why don’t they just fire him and we can all get on with our lives?)
TCU at BYU (TCU wanted a conference with big games, like BYU, huh? On Thursday night, but no ESPN. Big Time!)
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK:
SWC Game of the Week, Week 8:
Houston 38 SMU 28 (SMU stomps on UH symbol before game, then UH wins game after that apparently upset them)
Other Games:
Arkansas 48 South Carolina 36 (Run DMC goes off for 323 yards, Hogs beat Cocks)
Texas Tech 38 Baylor 7 (Baylor woes continue. Tech good at beating bad teams)
Rice 56 UTEP 48 (Clement throws for 395, runs for 103, accounts for 8 TD’s, gets a buckeye)
Texas 38 OK State 35 (Well, I forgot to factor in the Cowboy 2nd half collapse against the Longhorns)
OU 42 Texas A&M 14 (Fran can’t get the Aggies motivated, Sooners have a cake walk)
TCU 37 New Mexico 0 (These Aggies were shut out by the Froggies)
STANDINGS:
| | Conference: | Overall: |
| | W | L | W | L |
| Texas Tech | 4 | 0 | 7 | 3 |
| Texas | 3 | 0 | 8 | 2 |
| Houston | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| TCU | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Arkansas: | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| Texas A&M | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Baylor | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| SMU | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Rice | 0 | 4 | 2 | 7 |
FINAL WORD:
That’s a wrap for this week. Please feel free to forward to your friends, send me emails of those that should be included that aren’t, and submit your additions to the weekly newsletters (favorite SWC memories, player bio’s, funny old SWC stories, mascot hijinks, etc.) If you are receiving this note and you don’t want to, shame on you, but let me know, I’ll take you off the list.
Remember to visit http://www.honortheswc.com/home.asp and help build the SWC Gallery in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
1 comment:
Could this game just end in a 0-0 tie? I don't like either team!
But if I had to pick one to win, I reckon I'd pick the t-sips. Anyone's better than those damn Red Raiders!
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