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Texas Tech football: The top Red Raider from each season of the Big 12 era

By Matthew Conner

ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 25: Patrick Mahomes II #5 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders warming up before the game against the Baylor Bears on November 25, 2016 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Baylor 54-35. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 25: Patrick Mahomes II #5 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders warming up before the game against the Baylor Bears on November 25, 2016 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Baylor 54-35. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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RALEIGH, NC – SEPTEMBER 20: B.J. Symons #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders. (Photo by Craig Jones/Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC – SEPTEMBER 20: B.J. Symons #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders. (Photo by Craig Jones/Getty Images) /

2003: B.J. Symons

If Kingsbury set the bar for QB play at Tech in 2002, B.J. Symons cleared it with ease the following year.  In fact, he put together a season that no Red Raider QB since has been able to top (at least statistically).

His 5,833 yards passing was an NCAA record at the time and he led the nation in touchdown passes (48), passing yards per game (444.7), and total offense yards per game (456.3).  Along the way, he captured the Sammy Baugh Trophy as well.

What’s more, Symons set NCAA records in single-season total offense yards, consecutive games of 400-plus yards of total offense (9), most passing yards over four-consecutive games (2,239), most total offense yards over three-consecutive games (1,799) and most total offense yards over four-consecutive games (2,328).

It wasn’t as if Symons was just padding his stats in blowout wins.  Rather, the fact that Tech had six freshmen starting on defense meant that Tech had to engage in a number of shootouts that season.

In three of the Red Raiders’ eight wins, the opponent scored at least 28 points.  Meanwhile, in three of that season’s five losses, Tech put up 31 or more points.  And that offensive explosion started each week with Symons, who played the final six games of the year on a blown-out knee.

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