Wreck'Em Red
Fansided

Looking back at Texas Tech football’s best decades

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX -NOVEMBER 22: Wide receiver Wes Welker #27 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders carries the ball during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Jones SBC Stadium on November 22, 2003 in Lubbock, Texas. The Sooners won 56-25. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX -NOVEMBER 22: Wide receiver Wes Welker #27 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders carries the ball during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Jones SBC Stadium on November 22, 2003 in Lubbock, Texas. The Sooners won 56-25. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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The 1970’s

A case could be made that the 1970’s was one of the most influential decades in Texas Tech football history.  With the novelty of playing the SWC having worn off, the Red Raiders finally became more than the plucky little West Texas school that was just grateful to be on the same field as Texas, Arkansas, SMU and the rest of their conference foes.

It was in the second decade of the program’s time in the SWC that the Red Raiders began to make some serious noise.  The 70’s saw eight winning seasons (including two of only six 10-win seasons in program history).  What’s more, Tech finished in the top two of the conference standings three times, including a first-place tie in 1976.

It is the 1976 squad that many still regard as arguably the best to ever don the scarlet and black.  That team finished the regular season 10-1 and moved up to No.5 in the nation before losing a heartbreaker to Houston in Lubbock 27-19.

That loss kept Tech from claiming the outright conference title and appearing in its first Cotton Bowl.  The consolation prize was a Bluebonnet Bowl matchup with Nebraska, which Tech lost 27-24.  Still, Tech finished that season ranked No. 13 in the nation, the fifth highest-finish for any Red Raider team.

Not to be overlooked is the 1973 team.  Head coach Jim Carlen led his program to an 11-1 recored with its only loss coming in Austin in the third week of the season. Ending the year with an impressive 28-19 win over No. 20 Tennessee , the Red Raiders earned the No. 11 overall ranking.

The 70’s also saw some of the most popular players in program history take the field.  College Football Hall of Fame inductee Gabe Rivera began his Red Raider career in 1979.  Meanwhile, Lubbock native “Rocket” Ron Reeves took over the starting QB role as a freshman in 1978.

Another popular QB from that era was Rodney Allison, who led the Red Raiders from 1974-77.  During that time, Tech went 29-16-2 and appeared in two bowl games.  Unfortunately, Allison’s senior season was cut short by a broken leg in the third week of the season as No. 7 Tech fell to No. 6 Texas A&M 33-17.

In the 1970’s Texas Tech became a nationally recognized program.  Finding itself in the national polls on a regular basis, Tech went to the second-most bowl games of any team in the SWC trailing only Texas.

It would be a long time until Tech realized that type of success again as the program went without a bowl appearance from 1978-1985.  And it would take almost three decades for Tech football to climb back to the upper echelon of the national polls.

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