Wreck'Em Red
Fansided

Texas Tech football classics: Red Raiders win via miracle at Nebraska in ’05

By Matthew Conner

AUSTIN, TX - OCTOBER 22: Jarrett Hicks #88, Brandon Jones #73, Danny Amendola #20, Joel Filani #8 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders stand in a huddle during the game against the Texas Longhorns on October 22, 2005 at Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. The Longhorns defeated the Red Raiders 52-17. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TX - OCTOBER 22: Jarrett Hicks #88, Brandon Jones #73, Danny Amendola #20, Joel Filani #8 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders stand in a huddle during the game against the Texas Longhorns on October 22, 2005 at Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. The Longhorns defeated the Red Raiders 52-17. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
(Photo by G. N. Lowrance/Getty Images)
(Photo by G. N. Lowrance/Getty Images) /

Joel Filani had one of the defining performances of his career

Ranking No. 10 in Texas Tech football history with 2,626 career receiving yards and No. 6 in career touchdown receptions with 23, Joel Filani is easily one of the best receivers to ever play for the Red Raiders.  And his performance against Nebraska in 2005 stands out as one of his definitive games.

It was the first of three career 3-touchdown games and one of only two times in his junior season that he had more than one touchdown in a game.  He also had 3-TD games against Iowa State and Baylor in 2006.  What’s more, his 163 yards were good for his fourth-most as a Red Raider.

With a career-high 11 catches (which he equaled in the 2006 Insight Bowl), Filani dominated the game, especially in the first half as Tech built its huge lead.  In the first half, he caught five passes for 63 yards and two of his touchdowns.

Later in the game, he was able to once again take over in the clutch after the Tech offense had gone silent. One the final drive of the game (which was technically two drives thanks to the Smith interception and fumble), the Arizona native came up with three receptions for 47 yards, including the game-winning TD.

He would finish the year with 65 receptions for 1,007 yards and eight touchdowns as he earned first-team All-Big 12 honors.  This game set a new career-high in yards for Filani but that mark was shattered a week later when he set the program record with 255 yards against Kansas State.; a record that stood until Antoine Wesley went off for 261 against Houston last fall.

What Tech was able to do against Nebraska in 2005 was isolate Filani on the smaller Cornhusker corners.  His 6-foot-2 inch frame proved to be a mismatch in one-on-one situations, which he saw surprisingly often as Nebraska paid extra attention to taking away the Red Raider slot receivers by clogging the middle of the field.

Following a breakout game in the 2004 Holiday Bowl (5 catches, 144 yards, 1 TD), Filani became one of the better receivers in the country as a junior.  And this was the game that got his excellent 2005 going as he played the role of hero against the Huskers.

Home/Texas Tech Football