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Texas Tech football: Team records that may never be broken

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 19: The Will Rogers and Soapsuds statue is pictured before the college football game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Iowa State Cyclones on October 19, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 19: The Will Rogers and Soapsuds statue is pictured before the college football game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Iowa State Cyclones on October 19, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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Texas Tech Red Raiders mascot “Raider Red” (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
Texas Tech Red Raiders mascot “Raider Red” (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

52 career rushing touchdowns

Points are being scored at an all-time rate in college football but those points come primarily through the air.  That’s why James Gray‘s 52 career touchdowns on the ground seem safe from ever being topped.

From 1896-89, Gray averaged 13 rushing TDs per year and had three-straight years with at least 11 to end his career.  That included 18 in his senior season, second-most in a season in program history behind Bam Morris‘s 22 in 1993.

Last season, SaRodorick Thompson had 12 rushing touchdowns as a redshirt freshman.  Given that he also had three the year before as a true freshman, he’s actually on pace to top Gray’s mark thanks to the new NCAA rule allowing players to play four games in a year and still retain their ability to redshirt.  All he needs to do now is average 12.4 TDs per year for the next three seasons.  That’s a tall task.

In the “Air Raid” era of the program, DeAndre Washington in 2015 and Taurean Henderson in 2004 and 2005 are the only players to run for more than 12 TDs in a season.  Washington had 14 as a senior, which brought his career total to 23, not even half of the way to Gray’s record.

However, from 2002-05, Henderson ran for 50 touchdowns.  That included 16 as a junior and 17 as a senior.  Thus, it is conceivable that Gray could be surpassed.

Still, that doesn’t seem likely for many of the same reasons that Hanspard’s single-season rushing record seems safe.   The way running backs are utilized now is different than the way RBs were utilized even back in Henderson’s day as it was far less common to rotate backs as it is now.  Thus, it wouldn’t be smart to bet on anyone passing Gray, but for now, SaRodorick Thompson is on pace.

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