Shoutout to DeWitt Weaver, who was a head coach for the Texas Tech Red Raiders quite a while ago. Weaver is the man who found a way to finally get the Texas Tech football team a bowl win for the first time ever.
After five attempts and five losses in bowl games (and a few too many of said attempts and losses happening in El Paso with the Sun Bowl), Weaver was able to guide the Red Raiders to a 1952 Sun Bowl win over the Pacific Tigers.
Such an important moment for the Texas Tech football program that you’d think Weaver could continue to build off with the following season, right?
Uh, well, Texas Tech struggled to win three games the following season and simply didn’t get a chance at a bowl game with the conclusion of the 1952 TTU football season. However. That said, Weaver really thrived with Texas Tech in 1953.
We’re talking about a nearly unbeaten Texas Tech football team that punished many of the teams it faced, including the Auburn Tigers in the 1954 Gator Bowl.
Texas Tech football history: The Red Raiders absolutely dominated the Auburn Tigers in the January 1954 Gator Bowl
The 10-1 Texas Tech Red Raiders entered the game ranked No. 12 in the AP Poll while the 7-2-1 Auburn Tigers showed up with a No. 17 AP Poll ranking. You’d think this would be a close game between the two teams, right?
Uh, well, Texas Tech won by 22 points. Which is great! For Texas Tech fans. Auburn fans? Well, they probably didn’t enjoy seeing Weaver and the Red Raiders walk away with a 35-13 victory over Ralph Jordan (the legendary coach whose name makes up half of the stadium name for Auburn) and the Tigers.
And that probably is the best sort of way to cap off an incredible season where the only loss for Texas Tech happened to be against the Texas A&M Aggies early on in the season.