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Can Texas Tech End Any Of These Streaks In 2018?

By Matthew Conner

NORMAN, OK - OCTOBER 28: The Texas Tech Red Raiders mascot Raider Red performs during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Texas Tech 49-27. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK - OCTOBER 28: The Texas Tech Red Raiders mascot Raider Red performs during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Texas Tech 49-27. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
(Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

Four-Consecutive Losses To Texas At Jones Stadium

Any discussion of negative streaks is likely to date back to the 2008 season.  Such is the case with the Red Raiders’ current 4-game home losing streak to the program’s biggest measuring-stick, Texas.

There is nothing more satisfying to the Texas Tech faithful than seeing the Red Raiders beat the Horns in Lubbock.  But for the last decade, if Tech fans wanted to see Tech beat Texas, they would have had to be in Austin where Tech has won the past two matchups.

What makes the 4-game home losing streak so frustrating is that over the last decade, Texas has been nothing more than a mediocre team, if not an altogether bad team. In fact, in the last four seasons that Texas has played in Lubbock, the Horns had just a 25-25 record and in only one of those seasons (2012) did Texas finish above .500.

And each of those games was there for Texas Tech to win. In 2010, Tech held the No. 6 Longhorns to just 24 points but Taylor Potts was atrocious throwing two picks as Tech racked up just 144 total yards on the afternoon. It was the lowest offensive output for the program in a decade as Tech fell 24-14.

In 2012, No. 18 Texas Tech was the favorite over No. 23 Texas but the Red Raiders failed to find the end zone on four different drives into the red zone in a 31-22 defeat. The 2014 game was Pat Mahomes first career start but the true freshman was knocked out of the game on a vicious helmet-to-helmet hit that was not flagged.  With walk-on Vincent Testaverde Jr. taking over, the Red Raider offense was inept in a 34-13 loss.

Two years ago, Texas running back D’Onta Foreman ran for 314 yards and three touchdowns and Mahmoes was picked off in the end zone with 2:11 to play sealing a 45-37 loss.  So for the last eight years, Tech has had opportunities to secure wins against its most hated rival in front of the home faithful but it has failed to do so.

Beating Texas garners more good will with the Texas Tech fanbase than beating any other team on the schedule.  For proof, look no further than last season when AD Kirby Hocutt announced that Kingsbury’s job was safe just minutes after Tech’s 27-23 comeback win.

This season, Texas is expected to be improved but there is no reason to think Tech will not be able to beat them.  If Tech can finally beat the Horns in Lubbock this year, it will make the first back-to-back wins in the series for the Red Raiders since 1998 and will be a huge step towards securing another bowl appearance.

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