Interesting Facts You May Not Know About Texas Tech Football
Nov 28, 2013; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders punter Ryan Erxleben (26) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Texas Longhorns in the first quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
Texas Tech was part of a game that set 13 NCAA records.
On November 11, 1939 the Red Raiders visited Shreveport, LA to take on Centenary College. A driving rainstorm blew through town while the game was in progress.
In 1939, field conditions were obviously not what they are today where most teams play on synthetic turf fields that are designed to drain water off of the playing surface. The ground at Centenary College Stadium turned into a gigantic mud pit making it impossible for either team to move the ball on the ground. Likewise, the monsoon conditions rendered passing the ball useless.
Thus, both teams developed a unique strategy. Rather than trying to move the ball and risk a fumble in the awful conditions, the teams repeatedly punted the ball back and forth in hopes that the other team would muff the punt and allow the punting team to recover the ball in their opponent’s end of the field.
Fourteen of the punts were indeed fumbled, but none led to a score. The game set the NCAA record for most punts in a game with 77. Inconceivably, 67 of the punts were executed on first down.
The game ended in a scoreless tie. Centenary gained a total of 31 yards while the Red Raiders finished the game with minus one yard of offense. Imagine a Mike Leach press conference after such a performance. Sorry Kim, but that would have broken the Internet.
Texas Tech’s punter Charlie Calhoun set NCAA records for most punts with 36 and punt yards with 1,318 in a game. Milton Hill, the Tech punt returner holds the records for punt returns and most combined punt and kickoff returns in a game with 20.
Tech’s 39 total punts remain a single-game record, as do the Red Raiders’ 22 team punt returns. Running only 12 plays from scrimmage, Tech holds the record for fewest plays in a game, which is ironic given that the current team aims to run at least 80 plays in a game.
The game also set records for fewest plays from scrimmage by two teams (33), fewest total combined yards (30) and the fewest combined rushes in a game (28). Media coverage of the game was limited to wire reports so there is no information about the health of each kicker’s leg after the game.