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Texas Tech football: Counting down the Red Raiders’ best uniform combos of all-time

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX - SEPTEMBER 30: Keke Coutee #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders looks for yards after making the catch during the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on September 30, 2017 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. Oklahoma State won the game 41-34. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - SEPTEMBER 30: Keke Coutee #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders looks for yards after making the catch during the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on September 30, 2017 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. Oklahoma State won the game 41-34. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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Nic Shimonek #16 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders hands the ball off to Tre King #24. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
Nic Shimonek #16 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders hands the ball off to Tre King #24. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

No. 1: The 1974 white on red one white

The best uniforms Tech has ever worn were ironically worn for just one season.  Fortunately, they’ve recently been brought back into the throwback rotation.

There’s nothing special about the 1974 Texas Tech football team, except their uniforms.  That team went just 6-4-2 for head coach Jim Carlen, who left for South Carolina after the season.  But the uniform concept he left behind has to be one of his best gifts to the program.

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These uniforms are special.  With the white helmets that feature the old-school Double T, perfect red and black striping down the middle, and stars next to the logo, they give the lids some extra pizzazz.  Normally, I’m not a fan of white helmets but in this case, that shade is the perfect canvas for the red and black stickers that give the helmets their flare.

Those stickers tie in perfectly to the red jerseys, which tie back into the white helmets with white numbers and lettering.  Then, the white pants have the same striping down the sides as the helmets have down the middle to bring the uniform full-circle.

This look is clean because of the prevalence of white.  But it is also modern given how popular traditional looks have become.

Wen Carlen departed, he implemented a similar look at South Carolina and Tech went to a new uniform combo under his successor Steve Sloan.  It’s a shame that the 1973 team didn’t have the same brilliant uniforms as they went 11-1 and captured the Gator Bowl on national television in what was the first introduction to Texas Tech football for many Americans outside of Texas. But while the 1973 uniforms were similar to the 1974 versions, they had a gray facemask that simply dulled the entire look.

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Carlen took Tech to back to back bowl games in 1972-73 and had winning seasons in four of his five years in Lubbock.  He was also the architect of one of the best seasons in program history.  But perhaps the most lasting legacy he left was the fantastic uniforms that his team wore in his final season.  Thankfully, they’ve come back into the rotation and are once again part of the Texas Tech football team’s uniform rotation.

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