Texas Tech football: The 5 defining moments of Graham Harrell’s career

No. 5: 6 TDs vs OK State in 2008

It’s easy to forget about the Red Raiders’ win over No. 9 Oklahoma State in 2008.  That’s because it came just one week after Tech’s dramatic last-second victory over No. 1 Texas.

Thus, fans likely don’t remember how special of a performance Harrell put up against the Cowboys.  Equaling a career-high with six TDs, Harrell threw for 456 yards and no picks in the 56-20 blowout.

That night in Lubbock, the home team scored 14 points in every quarter.  But the first drive of the game ended in disaster.

Making what was perhaps his only mistake of the evening, Harrell lost a fumble while being sacked at the 42.  Three plays later, the Cowboys would score to take a 7-0 lead over the No. 2 Red Raiders.

Fortunately, Harrell would heat up in a hurry throwing a TD pass on each of the next three drives.  First, it was a 16-yard strike to Ed Britton.  Then he found Eric Morris for a 4-yard score.  And when he hit Michael Crabtree for a 9-yard TD, the rout was on.

Another TD to Crabtree, this one 8-yards in length, put Tech up 35-14 in the third quarter.  Then, a 1-yard TD to Crabtree extended the lead by seven more points.  Finally, he wrapped up his portion of the win with a 13-yard TD pass to Shannon Woods for a 49-20 edge.

Four times in his career, Harrell had six TD passes in a game.  But this one stands out because it came against the No. 9 Cowboys in what was Tech’s second-straight win in a top-10 showdown on national television.