TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 I THE CRABTREE CATCH 2 TEXAS TECH FIRSTS 12 3 WINNING FOR SPIKE 4 22 AIRING IT OUT 28 5 KINGSBURY RETURNS 36 TIMELINE 42 QUICK STATS 44 QUOTES ANECDOTES 45 GLOSSARY 46 MORE INFORMATION 47 ONLINE RESOURCES 47 INDEX 48 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 48
Michael Crabtree caught 19 touchdown passes in 2008
1 THE CRABTREE CATCH TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY HAD NEVER DEFEATED A TOP-RANKED TEAM IN ITS 76 YEARS OF PLAYING COLLEGE FOOTBALL BUT IN 2008 GRAHAM HARRELL MICHAEL CRABTREE AND THE RED RAIDERS HIGH FLYING OFFENSE SET OUT TO MAKE HISTORY AGAINST THE MIGHTY TEXAS LONGHORNS In 1996 Texas Tech became a founding member of the Big 12 Conference The Red Raiders who play in the northwest Texas town of Lubbock had plenty of success in the new conference They had winning records year after year Head coach Mike Leach helped them build a reputation as a high scoring team with a quick strike offense That big offense landed them in the national spotlight during the 2008 season The Red Raiders started the season ranked No. 12 in the preseason Associated Press AP poll That ranking was due in part to the success of the Raiders 2007 squad which went 9-4 and ended the regular season
