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

Some players I had forgotten about made huge contributions

As the years have passed, it’s been impossible to remember all the players that have represented Texas Tech.  That’s why watching these classic games is so fun because it is great to hear some of the names that we have not thought about for quite some time.

One such player was defensive back Khalid Naziruddin.  A senior and former JUCO transfer who racked up 66 tackles that year, Naziruddin had an interception to end Nebraska’s first possession and he came up with a key fourth-down pass breakup at the Tech 32 to end the Huskers’ third possession.

Coming down with Tech’s other interception that day was another senior and former JUCO signee, Sylvester Brinkley.  The linebacker picked off Taylor on Nebraska’s second possession of the second half and returned the ball 20 yards to set up the Red Raiders at the 11-yard-line ultimately leading to a field goal.

The possession prior, Tech also came up with a takeaway deep in NU territory as DE Keyunta Dawson had a strip-sack of Taylor which was recovered by DT Chris Hudler.  Dawson finished the game with seven tackles, the biggest of which set Tech up for a field goal to go up 24-14 early in the second half.

Leading the Red Raiders in tackles that day was a pair of safeties that most remember.  Dwayne Slay and Vincent Meeks each registered 12 stops.  But other players that showed up in the box score for that game whose names might have escaped your memory that day include DBs Sir Don Lewis and Antonio Huffman as well as D-linemen Randal Cherry, and Ken Scott.