30 Greatest Games in Texas Tech History
Dec 30, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders receiver Jakeem Grant (2) scores on an 18-yard touchdown reception against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the 2013 Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
No. 29 – 2013 Holiday Bowl
The 29th greatest game in Texas Tech history is one of the school’s most impressive bowl performances ever.
In Kliff Kingsbury’s first year as Texas Tech head coach, the team got off to a 7-0 start reaching the top 10 in the national polls. But after a road win at West Virginia, the Red Raiders would lose the final five games of the season.
Texas Tech would earn an invitation to the 2013 Holiday Bowl to face to face the No. 14 Arizona State Sun Devils who were coming off of a loss in the Pac 12 championship game.
True freshman quarterback Davis Webb played the best game of his career to lead the Red Raiders to a convincing 37-23 victory. Named the game’s MVP, Webb passed for 403 yards and four touchdowns as Texas Tech jumped out to a 13-0 lead and never looked back.
Reginald Davis returned a kickoff 90 yards early in the 3
rd
quarter just after and Arizona State touchdown pulled the Sun Devils within 7 points. After the return, Arizona State seemed to lose any fight they had been able to muster and Texas Tech cruised to the victory.
The importance of this game was that it ended Kingsbury’s first season as head coach on a positive note after a 5-game losing streak. The excitement generated by this victory was a catalyst in helping Texas Tech sell out all season tickets for the 2014 season, the first time that had happened in program history.
Next: West Virginia 2012