Texas Tech Football: Top 10 Plays of 2015

No. 4 DeAndre Washington’s 80-yard touchdown run vs. Kansas State

The No. 4 play from 2015 is a career-long touchdown run from the Big 12’s leading rusher.

In 2015, running back DeAndre Washington cemented his place as the best Texas Tech running back in the Air Raid era. Washington fell 8 rushing yards short of 1,500 on the season while amassing 1,877 all-purpose yards and 16 total touchdowns.

What made Washington so great was that he was as steady as any back in the conference. Rarely was he stopped for a loss but on the other hand he seldom broke long runs like fellow Texas Tech running back Justin Stockton who has world-class speed.

But with Texas Tech leading Kansas State 14-7 in the first quarter of Washington’s final game at Jones Stadium, Washington broke through the Wildcat defense and was off to the races for an 80-yard touchdown.

This play may be the finest of Washington’s career at Texas Tech because on it he showed that he was a complete running back.

Five yards into the run, Washington made a quick cut to slip past a linebacker as he did hundreds of times during his career. Seven yards later he put the same move on a safety.

He was then fast enough to outrun the Kansas State defense for 60 yards down to the 10-yard-line. To finish the run, Washington displayed balance and power as he broke the arm tackles of two final defenders before hitting the end zone.

The play itself was significant for the 2015 season because it gave Texas Tech a 14-point lead in its final home game, a game it needed to win to guarantee bowl eligibility.

Washington’s final appearance at Jones Stadium left Texas Tech fans in awe. He ran for 248 yards on only 27 carries (9.2 yards per rush) and scored two touchdowns leaving no doubt in the minds of Red Raider fans that he is worth of being considered one of the school’s all-time best running backs.

Next: The Immaculate Reception