I figure long about now you guys are really missing Tech football. I know I am. It has been 7 weeks now since the Gator Bowl win. So, I found a couple of videos today that I thought I would share with you to bring back all of the fun and excitement of football season.

First of all, we have this 2007 highlight film:




Pretty good, huh? I know it is really early to start getting pumped about the 2008 season, but I think we are in store for what may be our best football season ever. I can’t wait.

Here’s an interesting video of what all goes on at the Jones to get ready for kickoff:




And one last video to share. This one is on tailgating at Tech games and very humorously called, “The Grills of Raider Gate”:



Enjoy! Hope your off-season is going well. Remember, spring training is right around the corner!

Regardless of who you were pulling for in the Super Bowl Sunday night, you have to admit that it was one heck of a game, that the Giants really deserved that win, and that you can't blame Red Raider Wes Welker for the Patriot loss.

From the Eagle-Tribune (MA):

“All they had to do was kill 2:42 on the clock, a 162 measly seconds, and two things would have been certain:
The New England Patriots would have been world champions for the fourth time in seven seasons, which would have meant immortality and world-wide recognition.

And wide receiver Wes Welker, not the Patriots' prime time player Tom Brady, would have been named Super Bowl XLII MVP.

Welker carried this anemic Patriots offense, which had been all but unstoppable until yesterday. You could add Kevin Faulk, who had seven catches for 52 yards, into the mix, too.

With the Giants pass rush, led by ends Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, the Patriots never had a chance to throw the ball downfield to Randy Moss. At times, the Giants defense looked like the '85 Bears going after Tony Eason.

That's where Welker came in.

He caught 11 passes from Brady for 103 yards. The 11 receptions tied an NFL record with former Northeastern University star Dan Ross, Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice and the Patriots' Deion Branch.

As for the record, he didn't even know about it.

As for the pass rushes, he heard about them in the huddle.
"They've got some good pass rushers, some guys that break on the ball well, and they do some good things out there," said Welker. "It makes it tough to get those throws downfield. They did a great job with their pass rush."

Welker was acquired from the Miami Dolphins before the draft last April. The Patriots signed him as a restricted free agent, opting to send a second-round pick and a seventh-rounder as compensation.
Welker caught three screen passes, two of which he turned into first downs, and seven other receptions were for a first down.

While Brady had two very good drives, Welker was going to win the MVP Trophy if the Patriots had won. In fact, in the voting, Eli Manning received 161/2 votes and Welker was second with 11/2 votes. Michael Strahan (1 sack) and Michael Tuck (2 sacks) each received one vote.

Welker says win or lose, nothing has changed in terms of the way he views Brady.

"Tom is the best in the game. He's everything you want in a quarterback," said Welker. "There's no quarterback I'd rather play with. He showed great poise on that last drive."
Welker says he needs more time to soak in what happened here last night.

"I don't know if it's really set in or not," he said. "It is what it is, and there's really nothing you can do."”

I can never sing enough praises of Wes Welker. He is simply the best. I am so proud that he is a Red Raider.

I have to admit that I have never really liked the Patriots too much. But that is not surprising, as I am not really a pro football fan and don’t really like any of the teams. I still have some feelings for the Kansas City Chiefs, my team from my early years, but I don’t even follow them anymore. My passion is Texas Tech football and for that reason, I am becoming a New England Patriots fan. Why? Wes Welker, plain and simple.

I got to meet Wes at one of the Texas Tech games a few years back and was instantly impressed with this young man. Sometimes you can just tell right away when you are around someone special and that is exactly how I felt when I met Wes and congratulated him on the win that night. I have been impressed with him ever since. And remember, no one wanted him on the college level expect Tech. And when he graduated, no one in the NFL wanted him. And now, he is on the verge of stardom in the NFL after trading to the Patriots this season. And I couldn’t be happier about it. He is truly a great guy in my opinion.

So, this Sunday, whether you give a flip about the Giants or the Patriots or anyone else, be sure to cheer for Wes. He has managed to do great things when no one thought he could, and he never gives up. He makes you proud to be a Red Raider, and on this Sunday, a Patriot.

There is a great story today from ESPN.com on Wes. Be sure to check it out.

Have a great game on Sunday Wes! We will all be cheering for you!

Here is a video highlight film of the All American Bowl for 1989:



1989 Red Raider football season

What a great year for our program. We finished the season 9-3 with losses to Arkansas, Baylor and Houston. Then, a big win in the All American Bowl against 8-4 Duke by a score of 49-21. Unfortunately, the next few years would be some of the worst at Tech and we would not have another “good” season until the 9-3 1995 season.

This was the second season for Coach Spike Dykes who had taken over the helm after David McWilliams left for oranger pastures in Austin. The team finished the season ranked #19 in the final AP Poll. And, two All-Americans that year, Charles Ordine was a 1st team All-American tackle while James Gray was a 2nd team All-American running back.

Most interesting to me, is looking at the stats from that year as compared to the stats from this year. Here are the 1989 stats:

Scoring Offense: 311 points
Rush Offense: 2,505 yards
Pass Offense: 1,634 yards

Total Offense: 4,139 yards


Scoring Defense: 260 points allowed
Rushing Defense: 1,481 yards allowed
Passing Defense: 2,879 yards allowed

Total Defense: 4,360 yards allowed

Now, for the 2007 stats:
Scoring Offense: 532 points (221 more than in 1989)
Rush Offense: 1004 yards (1105 yards less than in 1989)
Pass Offense: 6114 yards (4480 more than in 1989)

Total Offense: 6885 yards (2746 more than in 1989)


Scoring Defense: 337 points allowed (77 more than in 1989)
Rushing Defense: 2301 yards allowed (820 more than in 1989)
Passing Defense: 2499 yards allowed (380 less than in 1989)

Total Defense: 4750 yards allowed (390 more than in 1989)


See what I mean? The 1989 season was 9-3, 2007 9-4. Huge increase in the offensive numbers and the defensive numbers, not so much change. But look at the points scored stats for Tech. This year we almost DOUBLED the points scored in 1989.

Man, I love that offense!

I remember this game very well. It was my junior year at Tech. The previous summer had been all about the Bicentennial and I had worked that summer as a volunteer at the brand new Ranching Heritage Center as part of the Bicentennial festivities.

Game day on November 13 was cold and snowing. They moved the game time from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM and used the extra time to clear the snow from the field. It was bitterly cold. I remember being as cold as I have ever been at this game. My feet got wet walking over to the stadium and then froze while I was sitting in the stands. I remember students throwing snowballs at the refs during the game. I remember long lines for hot chocolate and long lines to get into the heated bathrooms at Jones Stadium. We won that game 34-7.

Here is a video highlight film of that game:



1976 Red Raider football season

It was a really good one for the Red Raiders, quite possibly the best one ever. Our record that year was 10-2 and we were SWC Co-Champions with the new conference school of Houston. We lost that game to Houston at home (I remember that one, too) and went on to play Big 8 powerhouse Nebraska in the Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston (Astrodome) on New Year’s Eve and then lost that game 27-24 thus preventing Coach Steve Sloan from achieving an 11 win season.

What ever happened to Steve Sloan?

Coach Sloan left Texas Tech to take the head coaching job at Ole Miss after the 1977 season. In my opinion, this was a bad move for him. In just three years at Tech he had amassed a 23-12 record and two bowl games. He went to Mississippi and from 1978-1982 compiled a 13-34-1 record. He then moved on to Duke from 1983 to 1986, compiling a 13-31 record.

I think he would have done much better to stay at Tech, and our program would have been much better, sooner. Does everyone remember the horrible days of the 1980’s? Do you also remember that Sloan’s DC was Bill Parcels, who went on to the NY Giants and the Dallas Cowboys? Here is the Dirk West cartoon from 1978 when Sloan left Tech for Ole Miss.