Texas Tech Football: Top 10 Plays of 2015

9. Jakeem Grant’s touchdown pass against Arkansas

The all-time leading receiver in Texas Tech history was on the giving end of a touchdown pass in Texas Tech’s week 3 road win at Arkansas.

With the game tied at 14 in the middle of the second quarter, Kingsbury went into his bag of tricks and took a gamble on a play that he would later admit had only worked about 50% of the time in practice.

With the ball on the Texas Tech 28, quarterback Pat Mahomes tossed the ball to Grant, who had been lined up behind Mahomes in the running back position. Grant took two steps towards the line of scrimmage before throwing a perfect pass on the run to Reginald Davis who was streaking down the sideline all alone.

After the 68-yard touchdown, television cameras showed an elated Kingsbury whose lips could be read as he said, “I can’t believe that worked”. Considering the importance of the game, it is easy to see why the Texas Tech head coach was willing to take the risk of asking his smallest player to throw a fade route.

The Red Raiders entered the game as big underdogs against the Razorbacks which humiliated Tech in Lubbock in 2014. Wanting to seize momentum and take the lead on the Hogs, Kingsbury went with his motto Fortune Favors the Bold.

Texas Tech would not trail on the evening and this play that broke the 14-14 tie put the game in the Red Raiders’ hands by putting them ahead in a contest in which possessions would be limited by the Arkansas ball control game.

The play also seemed to energize and rejuvenate the Texas Tech players. Trick plays are huge momentum boosts (when they work) due to the surprise nature of the attack. Grant’s successful execution of this play gave the Red Raiders the confidence needed to pull off the upset.

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