While a lot of folks don’t exactly focus on what he accomplished in 1995 because his 1996 season was so spectacular (we’ll get there soon enough, don’t worry), Byron Hanspard was able to really showcase some impressive potential 30 years ago.
During the 1995 season, we’re talking about a season that was full of 100+ yard rushing games from Hanspard. Time and time again, the fifth Red Raider to ever run for more than 1000 yards in a single season happened to have truly remarkable performances for the Texas Tech football team.
Throughout the regular season and on into Texas Tech’s bowl game, the Red Raiders got an incredible effort from Hanspard all season long. And of course, he was able to prove to the world that Byron Morris wasn’t the only “Byron” who could run for absurd amounts of yards for Texas Tech. And I think that matters a bit.
Texas Tech football history: Byron Hanspard became the 5th in Texas Tech history to run for more than 1000 yards in a single season
When you count all 12 games that Hanspard played for the Red Raiders in 1995, you’ll find that he managed to run for a grand total of 1634 yards on 272 carries. In the process, Hanspard also scored 15 touchdowns for Texas Tech.
Throughout the season, Hanspard had seven games where he ran for at least 100 yards, including a remarkable showing where he gained 260 yards on 24 carries and scored four touchdowns against Air Force.
Hanspard also managed to run for 117 yards against the Missouri Tigers, 180 yards vs. Arkansas State, 122 yards at New Mexico, 109 yards against Texas in Austin, 126 yards vs. the TCU Horned Frogs, 180 yards in Dallas against SMU, and then 228 yards at Houston.
And all of those great performances helped build momentum towards what was an incredible, record setting sort of season in 1996. And again, we’ll get there soon enough.