Texas Tech football: The most painful plays in Red Raider history

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A general view from the north end zone of Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images) /

Two blown calls vs. Kansas State in 1996

One of the most significant Texas Tech football games in program history came in 1996 when the Red Raiders took on Kansas State in the first-ever Big 12 game. But since that contest is on this list, we know that it didn’t go well.

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In the season’s first game, the No. 21 Wildcats survived at home 21-14. But the affair was not without controversy and of course, the Big 12 officials were at the heart of it all.

Near the end of the first half with KSU up 14-9, the Red Raiders appeared to score a TD on a pass from Zebbie Lethridge to Donny Hart, the latter of whom had both feet in bounds when he made the catch along the sideline. However, the Big 12 referee just feet away somehow called Hart out of bounds, and being as there was no replay at that time, the call could not be challenged.

It got worse just a couple of plays later when Tech receiver Sheldon Bass was tackled at the goal line when trying to catch a pass but no flag was thrown. In the span of a few snaps, the Big 12 refs robbed Tech of seven points twice. In a game that was eventually decided by seven points, that was critical. (To see both plays, skip to the 0:51 mark of this video.)

Perhaps it was a fitting start to life in the Big 12 for Texas Tech football fans. Throughout the years, Red Raiders have felt like we were a mere afterthought in the conference and there have been repeated instances of officiating blunders screwing Tech at inopportune moments (Waco 2019 comes to mind).

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Of course, every fan base feels slighted and flat out robbed by the refs from time to time and the farcical Big 12 officiating that has come to define this conference has bit every team at one point or another. But it’s always more painful when it is your ox that is being gored and that’s what Tech had to endure in the first-ever Big 12 football game. Over 20 years later, not much has changed.

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