Texas Tech football: Ranking the 10 best QB seasons of “Air Raid” era
No. 7: Cumbie in 2004
Another season on our countdown to be aided a bit by how the team fared overall is Sonny Cumbie’s 2004 campaign. Also a first-time starter as a fifth-year senior, the Snyder native threw for 4,742 yards, 32 TDs, and 18 INTs.
When you take into consideration that he averaged just 7.4 yards per passing attempt, Cumbie’s 65.4% is a bit lower than one might like to see. That indicates that he wasn’t necessarily a gunslinger nor was he a tactical surgeon, and while that might have been part of his success, it was also a reason that he doesn’t hold the same place in Red Raider lore as other QBs might.
But make no mistake, he got results. Cumbie authored wins over TCU, Kansas State, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, and Baylor, all of which are programs (outside of the Huskers, who Tech no longer plays) that we have stopped taking for granted as wins.
Of course, his most memorable win was his last game in the Scarlet and Black. Facing off with No. 4 Cal and their QB Aaron Rogers, Cumbie stole the show with 520 yards, 3 TDs, and no picks in a 45-31 Holiday Bowl upset.
Prior to that, his best game was a 470-yard, 4 TD showing in the season-opener at SMU. He also had four other games of at least 400 yards that year.
Unfortunately, one of those was in one of the most unacceptable losses of the “Air Raid” era of Texas Tech football. Somehow, in Cumbie’s second start, Tech managed to lose to New Mexico in Albuquerque 27-24. That night, Cumbie did throw for 449 yards but only one TD. What’s more, his two picks were a huge part of the loss, one that many Texas Tech fans will never forget because it is simply embarrassing for Tech football to ever fall to the Lobos.
Regardless, Tech got an excellent season out of Cumbie who was the underdog in the QB competition to begin the year. Remember that former inside receiver Robert Johnson arrived on campus that year as a 5-star dual-threat QB, the top JUCO QB in the nation in fact, and was the heavy favorite to win the job. But he didn’t and he eventually redshirted before changing positions. And the man that won the job went on to put up a fantastic season himself.