 |
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -It was as risky a pass
as Graham Harrell has ever thrown. Also the
most important.
With the final seconds ticking off and Texas
Tech trailing by a point, the Texas Tech
quarterback saw Michael Crabtree in double
coverage and let it fly. The All-American
wide receiver snagged it on the sideline,
shook off a defender and ducked into the end
zone with one second left.
With that stunning 28-yard touchdown, the No.
6 Red Raiders turned near-heartbreak into a
wild victory, 39-33 over No. 1 Texas on
Saturday night.
Texas Tech showed it's tops in the Lone Star
State - and maybe even the best team in the
land.
''Play 60 minutes,'' Texas Tech coach Mike
Leach said. ''You may have a second to
spare.''
That's what it came down in a West
Texas-style shootout that had the Longhorns
(8-1, 4-1 Big 12) rally from a 19-0 deficit
in the first half and from 29-13 in the third
quarter to take a 33-32 lead with Vondrell
McGee 's 4-yard TD run with 1:29 to play.
The problem was, Texas left Harrell too much
time.
Harrell drove the Red Raiders (9-0, 5-0) 62
yards to the touchdown in six plays, slinging
the long pass to Crabtree, who broke the
tackle of Curtis Brown , kept his balance,
stayed in bounds and scooted the last few
yards for a score.
''On the sideline, I kind of dreamed that I
would catch a pass and go in the end zone for
a game-winning score. I do that, like every
game, but it happened. It kind of shocked
me,'' Crabtree said.
Tech really just needed about 10 yards to set
up a field goal for Donnie Carona , who had
been benched earlier this season but kicked a
42-yarder in the fourth quarter. But Harrell
took a big chance with the big throw.
If Crabtree had been tackled instead of
getting in, Texas Tech might have had a hard
time calling its last timeout to set up a
short field goal before time expired.
''All we needed was a field goal, but a
touchdown's even sweeter,'' Harrell said.
''If you're a quarterback and don't want to
be in that situation, you should probably
change positions.''
Thousands of Texas Tech fans poured onto the
field and had to be sent off while the play
was under review to make sure Crabtree didn't
step out of bounds. Once the fans were chased
off the field and Tech kicked the extra
point, the Red Raiders were penalized and
forced to kick off from their own 7.
When Texas couldn't pull off a miracle
kickoff return, the fans ran back on the
field to celebrate the biggest win in Texas
Tech history. The victory not only gave the
Red Raiders command of the Big 12 South, it
puts them smack in the chase for the national
title, quite a leap for a program usually
left behind by conference powers Texas and
Oklahoma.
In fact, maybe Texas Tech shoots to the top
of the rankings and the BCS standings? More
likely, Alabama moves to No. 1. The question
is whether the Red Raiders , on the strength
of their first victory against a No. 1 team,
can jump over the likes of Florida, Southern
California and unbeaten Penn State on Sunday.
Just like Texas over the last month, the Red
Raiders also face a daunting schedule the
next three weeks. Texas Tech hosts No. 9
Oklahoma State next weekend, then has a bye
week before traveling to No. 4 Oklahoma. They
finish the regular season at home against
Baylor.
More Texas Tech Videos at www.RaiderCam.com
Wreck Em' Tech!
Tags : Texas Tech Red Raiders 11-01-2008 Longhorns Horns Mike Leach Lubbock Michael Crabtree Graham Harrell Colt McCoy #1 |
