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Texas Tech football classics: Red Raiders stun Aggies in 2002

By Matthew Conner

NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 23: Wide receiver Nehemiah Glover #6 of the Texas Tech University Red Raiders carries the ball during against the University of Oklahoma Sooners during the game at Memorial Stadium on November 23, 2002 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners won 60-15 to advance to the Big 12 Championship. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 23: Wide receiver Nehemiah Glover #6 of the Texas Tech University Red Raiders carries the ball during against the University of Oklahoma Sooners during the game at Memorial Stadium on November 23, 2002 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners won 60-15 to advance to the Big 12 Championship. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Wes Welker gives Texas Tech its first lead with 4th-quarter punt return TD

This game provided us with the signature play of Wes Welker’s illustrious college career.  With Tech trailing 35-30 with just 3:25 to play, Welker returned a punt 89 yards to put his team up for the first time 36-35.  Tech would then add a successful two-point conversion to increase the lead to three points.

This was the fifth punt-return TD of the junior’s career.  Of course, he would finish his career with eight, an NCAA record that stood until 2017 when Oregon’s Dante Pettis bested that mark by one.

When Welker fielded the punt at the 11-yard-line, there were no Aggies within eight yards of him.  He immediately headed towards the far sideline where the wall had been developed perfectly.

B though the blocking was in place, Welker had to make one move that it seemed only Wes Welker could make. At the 15, he somehow split two tacklers, one of which clipped his feet and caused him to stumble.  By the time he crossed the 17, he had regained his footing and was off to the races.

The knock on Welker coming out of both high school and the NCAA was that he was not fast enough but it never seemed like he got caught from behind at Tech.  And on this punt return, the last man he beat was a Texas A&M safety who had the angle but who Welker blew past with ease.

Crossing the goal line and running out the back of the end zone, Welker found a handful of Red Raider fans in the front row of the end zone seats to celebrate with.  Thankfully, he did not slip on the strange concrete ring that encircled the playing field in College Station back in those days.

This was perhaps Welker’s finest game as a Red Raider.  He returned 6 punts for a career-high 166 yards, averaging 27.7 per return.  He also had 120 receiving yards (5th-most of his career) and a touchdown reception while running for 41 yards as part of a career-high 327 total yards.

Wes Welker provided Texas Tech fans with as many memorable moments as any player in the modern era of the game.  And tops among them was this epic punt return T.D. that he took down the far sideline right in front of the A&M corps to instantly silence over 85,000 fans at Kyle Field.

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