In 2000, Kliff Kingsbury helped make a bit of Texas Tech football history possible as he (under the guidance of Mike Leach and in Leach’s Air Raid offense) threw for more than 3000 yards.
According to the Texas Tech football record book, Kingsbury was the first Red Raider to ever make that happen. And of course, the young quarterback only got better as he continued to develop and learn Leach’s offense. Which means that in 2001, Kingsbury put up even better numbers in the Air Raid and he set another standard for the Red Raiders.
After he became the first Red Raider to throw for 3000 or more yards in a single season in 2000, Kingsbury one upped himself and then became the first Texas Tech quarterback to ever throw for 2000 or more yards in back-to-back seasons.
Which is just really impressive, if you think about it.
Texas Tech football history: Kliff Kingsbury did even better in 2001, thriving in Mike Leach’s offense
Kingsbury became more efficient and effective and avoided making quite as many mistakes in 2001 as he did in 2000. And in the 2001 season, Kingsbury managed to complete 394 passes (one more than he did in 2000) on 578 attempts. In the process, Kingsbury managed to toss 26 touchdown passes (again, one more than he did in 2000) and 12 interceptions (fewer than the year prior).
Oh! And the important number for the purpose of this deep dive. Kingsbury threw for 3,811 yards during the 2001 season.
He threw for 300 or more yards in seven different games (New Mexico, Kansas State, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Stephen F. Austin, and Iowa) and then threw for 400 or more yards in two different games (Kansas State and Oklahoma State).
This season was really impressive for the young Texas Tech quarterback. It showed he could improve a bit upon what he accomplished in that first season and he made fewer mistakes. People knew what he was going to do and he just kept throwing the ball around.