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Texas Tech football classics: “Sticks”, defense humble Nebraska in 2009

By Matthew Conner

Oct 30, 2010; College Station, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Steven Sheffield (1) throws a pass against the Texas A&M Aggies in the fourth quarter at Kyle Field. Texas A&M defeated Texas Tech 45-27. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2010; College Station, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Steven Sheffield (1) throws a pass against the Texas A&M Aggies in the fourth quarter at Kyle Field. Texas A&M defeated Texas Tech 45-27. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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LINCOLN, NE – NOVEMBER 16: General view of the stadium during the game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Wisconsin Badgers at Memorial Stadium on November 16, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE – NOVEMBER 16: General view of the stadium during the game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Wisconsin Badgers at Memorial Stadium on November 16, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /

Counting today, we have nine Saturdays to endure until the return of college football.  So to help scratch our football itch, let’s spend some time looking back at a classic Texas Tech football game from 2009.

Though by the time 2009 rolled around, much of the shine had come off of the Nebraska program, it was still no easy task playing in Lincoln at that time.  And when the Red Raiders arrived, they were greeted by the second-largest crowd to date in the storied history of Cornhusker football.

But though the No. 15 Huskers were heavily favored to beat the unranked Red Raiders, it was Tech that landed early haymakers to stun the home faithful.  In fact, the Red Raiders would jump out to a 21-0 lead by the middle of the second quarter to essentially put the game away by halftime when the Red Raiders led 24-3 on their way to an eventual 31-10 victory.

It was the fourth-straight win over Nebraska for Texas Tech.  That was the first time in the history of Nebraska football that they had suffered a 4-game losing streak to an opponent.

That streak started in 2004 when QB Sonny Cumbie led the Red Raiders to the historic 70-10 drubbing of the Huskers in Lubbock.  That was the first time Tech had ever beaten Nebraska.

A year later, Tech snuck out of Lincoln with an improbable 34-31 win.  That game was memorable for the late fourth-quarter Nebraska interception by defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith, who then fumbled the ball back to the Red Raiders as he inexplicably tried to return the ball instead of just falling on it.  A few plays later, Tech would score the game-winning TD on a pass from Cody Hodges to Joel Filani.

Then, in 2008, Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree would survive a scare from a feisty underdog Husker team.  Winning 37-31 in OT thanks to a Jamar Wall interception, Tech would remain undefeated and keep their top-10 ranking intact.

But in 2009, most expected Nebraska to handle the Red Raiders.  After all, the day began with Nebraska sitting at 4-1 on the year and holding the No. 15 ranking in the national polls.

Meanwhile, Tech was unranked thanks to losses at Texas and Houston early in the year.  But on this day, Tech would completely outclass Nebraska in every aspect of the game to stun the Huskers.

So let’s go inside this memorable Red Raider win.  And we’ll begin by looking at the job the Red Raider offense did against a vaunted Husker defense.

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