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Texas Tech football: The best one-hit-wonders in Red Raider history

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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Quarterback B.J. Symons #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Quarterback B.J. Symons #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

QB B.J. Symons

Stuck behind Kliff Kingsbury for the first four years of his career, in 2003 B.J. Symons finally got his shot to be Tech’s starting QB and he had one of the most legendary seasons in college football history.  And he did it despite playing half of the year with a torn knee ligament.

Passing for 5,833 yards and 52 TDs, he set single-season program records in both categories.  He set all-time NCAA records for both passing yards and total offense (5,476) in a 12-game season and he led Tech to an 8-5 record in a season that saw him have to compensate for one of the worst defenses in the history of the program.

His most famous game came against Ole Miss in week four when he threw for a then school-record 661 yards with six touchdowns in a thrilling 49-45 road comeback win against Eli Manning and the Rebels.  A week later, he set another program record with eight TD passes in a 59-28 humiliation of Texas A&M in Lubbock.

But in the next game, a 52-21 win at home over Iowa State, Symons tore a ligament in his knee while celebrating one of his three TD passes.  However, because it was his only opportunity to be a starter at Tech, the fifth-year senior played through the injury and though his mobility was severely compromised, he was able to lead Tech to an 8-5 record after claiming a win over Navy in the Houston Bowl.

Four times that season, Symons and the offense put up over 50 points.  Eight times, the offense surpassed the 40-point mark.  It was one of the most prolific seasons in Red Raider history and it was engineered by one of the best QBs to ever play in Lubbock.  Imagine what he would have done had he been able to start for three years…or play his entire season on two healthy knees.

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