Counting Down The Best Wins Of The Kliff Kingsbury Era

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SAN DIEGO, CA – DECEMBER 30: Terrance Bullitt #1 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrates after his teams’ 37-23 win over the Arizona State Sun Devils during their National University Holiday Bowl Game on December 30, 2013 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images) /

No. 1: 2013 Arizona State

Kliff Kingsbury’s biggest win came at the end of his first season on the job. It would also prove to be one of the best bowl wins in Texas Tech football history.

The Red Raiders entered the 2013 Holiday Bowl as double-digit underdogs to No. 14 Arizona State. But in what is arguably the most complete performance of the Kingsbury era, Tech dominated the game on all sides of the ball for a 37-23 win.

After winning the starting job in a two-way QB battle following the regular season, freshman Davis Webb threw for 403 yards and four TDs, two to Jakeem Grant. Reginald Davis returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and Justis Nelson had a game-clinching pick to help propel Texas Tech to one of the best wins in recent memory.

The win was improbable as Tech ended the season on a five-game losing streak that saw both freshman quarterbacks, Webb and Mayfield, struggled with inconsistencies and turnovers. But Kingsbury proved capable of finding a way to re-focus his team and get the best out of them against a team that had played in the Pac-12 title game.

Tech’s defense rose to the occasion holding ASU to 18 points below their season average. Linebacker Will Smith was the defensive star with 14 tackles (10 solo).

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And the impact of the win on the Texas Tech football program was phenomenal. The excitement surrounding the Red Raiders carried over into the offseason when fans sold out the program’s allotment of 2014 season tickets, the first time Texas Tech has sold out its season tickets.

It was a fitting and triumphant end to Kingsbury’s first campaign. Though 2013 was a roller coaster season that saw a seven-game winning streak followed by a five-game losing streak, it was an important season for the program as the fans were able to come together and move on from the debacle that was the Tommy Tuberville tenure.

Ultimately, the season culminated in a bowl win that allowed everyone associated with Texas Tech to celebrate the program and its bright future. Unfortunately, that momentum was not sustained in 2014 but the significance of the win remains.

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Kingsbury’s record of 2-19 against ranked opponents is atrocious. So it stands to reason that his only win over a top-15 team should be regarded as his best thus far. Here’s hoping that he pulls out a win or two in 2018 that supplants the 2013 Holiday Bowl as his most significant win as Texas Tech head coach.

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