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Texas Tech football: The defining victories of the 2010s

By Matthew Conner

NORMAN, OK - OCTOBER 22: Texas Tech players celebrate after the game against the Oklahoma Sooners October 22, 2011 at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. Texas Tech upset Oklahoma 41-38. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK - OCTOBER 22: Texas Tech players celebrate after the game against the Oklahoma Sooners October 22, 2011 at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. Texas Tech upset Oklahoma 41-38. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /
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2015: Texas Tech 48, Texas 45

When Tech went to Austin in 2015, the program was riding an 8-game losing streak at Royal-Memorial Stadium that stretched back to 1997.  But all it took to end that was the most talented QB in the program’s history, Pat Mahomes and the best running back of the “Air Raid” era.

Accounting for over 440 yards of total offense and two touchdowns on a soggy night, Mahomes made play after play.  Meanwhile, Washington was able to ground out 173 yards and two scores on 28 carries.

But this game will be remembered for two plays, both coming from Jakeem Grant.  In the first quarter, the inside receiver snagged a deflected pass that looked like it was going to be picked off until WR Devin Lauderdale jarred the ball loose.  That play resulted in a 60-yard TD for Grant to open the scoring for Tech after a 3-0 Texas first quarter.

In the 4th quarter, Grant scored on a 40-yard run on a trick play Kingsbury called “Little People Big World”.  The 5-foot-7 receiver squatted behind the offensive line and took a handoff from Mahomes who then carried out a fake to the right side of the field.

That action allowed Grant to sneak around left end and break to the endzone to put his team up 48-38 with only 2:41 to play.  This was also the game in which Grant passed Michael Crabtree to become the program’s all-time leading receiver.

It was a special moment for Kingsbury who ended his alma mater’s losing streak in Austin just north of where he grew up in New Braunfels.  What’s more, it was the first of back-to-back wins in Austin for Kingsbury who two years later would save his job with a 27-23 win in the regular-season finale.

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