TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS NOTES:
RED RAIDERS SET FOR 40TH BOWL GAME
Texas Tech will take part in its 40th bowl appearance in program history Dec. 28 when the Red Raiders face Ole Miss in the TaxAct Texas Bowl hosted at NRG Stadium in Houston. This is the fifth time in program history the Red Raiders have participated in the Texas Bowl and the sixth time for a bowl game in the city of Houston.
The Red Raiders will have plenty of support backing them in Houston as Texas Tech quickly sold out of its allotment of 6,000 tickets for the game. The city is home to several prominent Red Raiders, including Tony Bradford Jr., Adrian Frye, Dennis Wilburn, Mason Tharp and Trey Wolff.
TECH, OLE MISS FAMILIAR BOWL FOES
There is not a more-familiar bowl opponent for the Red Raiders historically than Ole Miss as the Texas Bowl will mark the fourth time the two schools have met in the postseason. The Rebels are one of only four schools in program history Texas Tech has faced multiple times in its now
40 all-time bowl appearances.
The Red Raiders will be facing a school from the state of Mississippi in a bowl for a second-straight season as Texas Tech previously routed Mississippi State, 34-7, to close the 2021 campaign to improve to 15-23-1 all-time in bowl games.
BUILDING OFF SUCCESSFUL DEBUT YEAR
Texas Tech will look to build off a successful first season under Joey McGuire in the Texas Bowl as the Red Raiders will be searching for their first eight-win season since 2013. Texas Tech is one of only two power-five programs in the state of Texas returning to a bowl in consecutive years.
The Red Raiders wrapped Big 12 play at 5-4 record, marking their most wins against conference opponents since 2009 and the first time Texas Tech has defeated both Texas and Oklahoma in the same season. The successful debut made McGuire the first head coach since David McWilliams in 1986 to post an above-.500 conference record.
TEAM NOTEBOOK SERIES HISTORY
RED RAIDERS, REBELS MEET FOR SEVENTH TIME
Texas Tech and Ole Miss will face each other for the seventh time in history at the TaxAct Texas Bowl as the Rebels control a 4-2 all-time record versus the Red Raiders, including a perfect 3-0 mark in bowl games. The two schools previously met in the 1986 and 1998 Independence Bowls as well as the 2009 Cotton Bowl.
Texas Tech’s two victories all-time in the series versus the Rebels came in a home-and-home agreement during the 2002-03 seasons. The Red Raiders topped Ole Miss, 42-28, behind 270 passing yards and two touchdowns from Kliff Kingsbury to defeat a Rebels team quarterbacked by Eli Manning at the time in Lubbock. B.J. Symons followed a year later with 661 passing yards – a Texas Tech and Big 12 record at the time – and six touchdowns to lead the Red Raiders past Manning and the Rebels again in Oxford.
This will be a rematch of the 2018 AdvoCare Texas Kickoff that started the 2018 season at NRG Stadium in Houston. The Rebels topped the Red Raiders that afternoon, 47-27, to improve to 4-0 in neutral-site games between the two schools.
Adrian Frye is the only Red Raider remaining on the roster who participated in the 2018 contest against Ole Miss. Frye, who was making his collegiate debut versus the Rebels as only a true freshman, went on to earn Freshman All-America accolades that season by the FWAA as well as All-Big 12 first team honors.
TEXAS TECH ALL-TIME VERSUS THE SEC
Texas Tech will be facing an opponent from the Southeastern Conference in a bowl for a second-consecutive season after routing Mississippi State, 34-7, a year ago in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. It will be only the 13th time the Red Raiders have faced an SEC opponent since becoming a Big 12 Conference member in 1996.
The Red Raiders are 7-17-2 all-time against members of the SEC, excluding former Big 12 Conference members Missouri and Texas A&M, who both departed the league following the 2011 season. Missouri faced the Red Raiders only one time as non-conference foes – a 41-14 rout for Texas Tech early in the 1995 season – before joining the Big 12 prior to the 1996 campaign. Texas A&M and Texas Tech, meanwhile, were longtime Southwest Conference and Big 12 rivals from 1960 up until the Aggies departed for the Big 12 in 2011.
The Red Raiders are 4-8 against SEC members since joining the Big 12 with two of those three victories coming against Ole Miss. Texas Tech swept a home-and-home agreement with the Rebels during the 2002 and 2003 seasons and then topped Arkansas in Fayetteville early in the 2015 campaign as well as Mississippi State in the 2021 AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
This will be the 11th time in history where the Red Raiders have faced an SEC opponent in a bowl as Texas Tech is 3-6-1 all-time in those games. In addition to its win over Mississippi State, Texas Tech topped No. 17 Auburn in the 1953 Gator Bowl and No. 20 Tennessee in the 1973 Gator Bowl.
THE LAST MEETING…
OLE MISS 47, TEXAS TECH 27
Date: Sept. 1, 2018
Location: Houston, Texas | Attendance: 40,333
Recap: Texas Tech suffered its first season-opening loss since 2002 when the Red Raiders faced Ole Miss last to start the 2018 season at the Texas Kickoff in NRG Stadium. Ole Miss led 24-7 after one quarter and never looked back as Texas Tech was unable to cut the deficit to any lower than 10 points from there.
RUSHING: Ole Miss-S. Phillips 16-204; Jordan Ta’amu 6-7; Isaiah Woullard 4-2; Tylan Knight 1-minus 1; TEAM 1-minus 2.
Texas Tech-Ward, Da’Leon 17-90; King, Tre 13-31; Bowman, Alan 3-19; Carter, McLane 3-13; Carter, KeSean 1-10; Bowman, De’Quan 1-4;
TEAM 1-minus 3.
PASSING: Ole Miss-Jordan Ta’amu 22-32-0-336. Texas Tech-Bowman, Alan 29-49-0-273; Carter, McLane 4-7-0-49.
RECEIVING: Ole Miss-A.J. Brown 7-93; DaMarkus Lodge 6-96; D.K. Metcalf 4-81; Braylon Sanders 4-60; Dawson Knox 1-6.
Texas Tech-Wesley, Antoine 6-65; Vasher, T.J. 4-66; High, Ja’Deion 4-62; Carter, KeSean 4-35; King, Tre 4-23; Austin, Zach 3-27; Rigdon, Dalton 2-19; Ward, Da’Leon 2-5; Felton, Dem. 1-8; Collins, Seth 1-7; Ezukanma, Erik 1-4; Henry, Ta’Zhawn 1-1.
RED RAIDERS AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON
The Texas Bowl was a welcome selection for many members of Texas Tech’s roster as there are 14 Red Raiders who hail from the Houston area. That list includes regulars such as defensive back Adrian Frye (Houston), linebacker Tyrique Matthews (Houston), place kicker Trey Wolff (Spring), offensive lineman Dennis Wilburn (Humble), tight end Mason Tharp (Klein) and defensive lineman Tony Bradford Jr. (Houston).
This will be Texas Tech’s 10th trip to the city of Houston since joining the Big 12 Conference in 1996 as the Red Raiders are 5-4 in those games. It will be the Red Raiders’ fifth visit to the city in an eight-year span. Texas Tech will soon become a steady traveler to the city as the University of Houston will become a Big 12 member starting in July 2023.
For offensive coordinator Zach Kittley, he returns to the city of Houston where he spent three seasons in a similar role at Houston Christian (previously Houston Baptist). Kittley was the Huskies’ offensive coordinator from 2018-20, his first fulltime role after serving as a graduate assistant and student assistant at Texas Tech for the previous five seasons under head coach Kliff Kingsbury. While there, Kittley mentored future NFL Draft selection and the NCAA single-season passing leader Bailey Zappe before the two later went to Western Kentucky together.
Texas Tech associate head coach Kenny Perry is a graduate of the University of Houston where he was a four-year letter-winner from 1988-91 as a defensive back. He began his coaching career with the Cougars shortly after as a graduate assistant for his alma mater during the 1992-94 seasons.
TEXAS TECH ALL-TIME IN BOWL GAMES
The Red Raiders advanced to a bowl game for the 40th time in school history after closing the regular season with three-consecutive wins over the likes of Kansas, Iowa State and Oklahoma. Texas Tech ranks tied for 21st among NCAA FBS teams with its Texas Bowl opponent Ole Miss as well as BYU and Notre Dame for the most bowl appearances in history.
Among Big 12 programs, Texas Tech is now in sole possession of third place in all-time bowl appearances, trailing only Texas (58) and Oklahoma (55). The Red Raiders will enter the 2023 football season tied for third place with incoming Big 12 member BYU for the most all-time bowl appearances.
Texas Tech is 15-23-1 all-time in bowl games with wins in 10 of its last 14 contests. The Red Raiders are making consecutive bowl appearances for the first time since the 2012-13 seasons when Texas Tech took part in the Meineke Car Care Bowl (2012) and the Holiday Bowl (2013), both victories.
The Red Raiders are no stranger to bowl games in the state of Texas as this will be Texas Tech’s 33rd all-time bowl appearance inside the Lone Star State, including its fifth at the TaxAct Texas Bowl. The Red Raiders are 5-17 all-time in bowl games held in the state of Texas, which includes a 2-2 record at the Texas Bowl.
Texas Tech’s two wins all-time in the Texas Bowl came in 2003 with a 38-14 rout of Navy in the formerly named Houston Bowl as well as a 34-31 victory over Minnesota in the 2012 Meineke Car Care Bowl. The Red Raiders made their first-ever appearance in the Texas Bowl in 2000, falling to East Carolina, 40-27, in what was called the GalleryFurniture.com Bowl at the time. Texas Tech’s last visit to the Texas Bowl came in 2015 in a 56-27 loss to No. 22 LSU.
Among its all-time bowl destinations, Texas Tech’s now five trips to the Texas Bowl ranks second only behind its nine appearances in the Sun/John Hancock Bowl. The Red Raiders have also made four appearnces in their history at both the Gator Bowl and Cotton Bowl.
While this will be Texas Tech’s fifth all-time appearance in the Texas Bowl, it will be its sixth bowl trip to the city of Houston as the Red Raiders faced No. 9 Nebraska in the 1976 Bluebonnet Bowl held in the Astrodome. Nebraska edged the Red Raiders, 27-24, in that game to end one of Texas Tech’s most memorable seasons at 10-2 overall.
Ole Miss is Texas Tech’s most frequent bowl opponent in program history as this will be the fourth bowl game between the two schools. Texas Tech has only faced three other schools – Minnesota, Iowa and Georgia Tech – multiple times in a bowl game in its history.
Texas Tech will be facing an SEC opponent in a bowl game for the third time in its last four bowl trips and for the 11th time in program history. The Red Raiders are 3-6-1 all-time in bowl games versus SEC schools.
THERE’S SOME HISTORY WITH THE TEXAS BOWL
Joey McGuire will be making his second trip to the Texas Bowl as he was part of the Baylor staff that traveled to Houston in 2018. The Bears defeated Vanderbilt, 45-38, in what was McGuire’s first bowl experience at the collegiate level after joining the Baylor staff in 2017 from Cedar Hill High School.
This will be Dimitri Moore’s second career trip to the Texas Bowl as he was on the opposite sideline of McGuire with Vanderbilt for the 2018 contest. Moore, who played for McGuire at Cedar Hill High School, recorded five tackles in the loss, including one tackle for a loss.
Tim DeRuyter will be taking part in a bowl game for the 19th time in his coaching career, which includes his second career trip to the Texas Bowl. In his last visit to Houston, DeRuyter was the interim head coach for Texas A&M, leading the Aggies to a 33-22 victory over Northwestern. It was his final game with the Aggies prior to beginning a five-year run as the head coach at Fresno State.
In addition to McGuire, tight ends coach Josh Cochran and offensive analyst Kirk Bryant were both offensive graduate assistants for Baylor’s 2018 appearance in the Texas Bowl.
Texas Tech’s last appearance in the Texas Bowl, meanwhile, featured a few current members of the Red Raiders’ staff, including offensive coordinator Zach Kittley (graduate assistant), offensive line coach Stephen Hamby (graduate assistant) and passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach Emmett Jones (director of player development).
NEWS & NOTES HEADING INTO BOWL WEEK
The victory over Oklahoma improved the Red Raiders to 6-1 at home this season, marking their most wins at Jones AT&T Stadium since Texas Tech had a similar record in front of its fans in 2009. It is the 11th time in program history Texas Tech has won six or more home games in a season and the fifth time as a Big 12 member (2000, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2022).
Texas Tech closed the regular season with three-consecutive victories for the first time since 1995 as the Red Raiders topped Kansas, Iowa State and Oklahoma. The Red Raiders closed that 1995 season with four-straight wins after a 55-41 victory over Air Force in the Copper Bowl.
Texas Tech closed the regular season with its third-consecutive Big 12 victory, its longest streak since opening the 2013 conference slate with four-straight wins.
With a win over Ole Miss, Texas Tech will secure its first eight-win season since 2013, which marked the debut season of then head coach Kliff Kingsbury. It would mark Texas Tech’s 12th season as a Big 12 member with eight or more wins.
Texas Tech’s win over Oklahoma to close the regular season helped the Red Raiders lock in consecutive winning seasons for the first time since the 2012-13 campaigns. The Red Raiders will enter 2023 looking to extend that streak to three-straight years, which would mark Texas Tech’s longest successful run since boasting a .500 or better record over 18-consecutive seasons from 1993-2011.
Texas Tech has become a regular at NFL stadiums, especially in the state of Texas, as this will be Texas Tech’s sixth visit to NRG Stadium. The Red Raiders have made 14 visits to NFL stadiums since 2009 alone as Texas Tech previously faced Baylor nine times at AT&T Stadium in Arlington from 2009-18 as well as Arizona State at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego for the 2013 Holiday Bowl.
Texas Tech closed the regular season having played nine bowl teams this season, including two in non-conference play in Houston and N.C. State. The Red Raiders were 4-5 in those games with wins over Houston, Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma.
Texas Tech has had 42 different players start a game this season, which currently ranks tied for 10th nationally in the FBS and fourth among power-five schools. Of the 11 schools with at least 42 different starters this year, the Red Raiders are joined with SMU and BYU as the only schools with at least seven wins entering bowl season.
Texas Tech has only had two true freshmen play more than four games this season in defensive lineman Joseph Adedire and linebacker Wesley Smith. Adedire has appeared in 11 of 12 games, recording 17 tackles, including 3.0 for a loss, while Smith has been inserted into six games, normally on special teams. Fellow true freshmen Bryson Donnell, Coy Eakin and Ty Kana have played in three games each.
MIDDLE EIGHT GOING THE RED RAIDERS’ WAY
One of the key components of Joey’s McGuire’s official “Plan to Win” at Texas Tech is for the Red Raiders to win the middle eight minutes (last four of second half, first four of third quarter). The Red Raiders were successful in doing so during the regular season, especially during the final minute before halftime where Texas Tech found the end zone twice and took advantage of four Trey Wolff field goals, including three as time expired.
The Red Raiders scored a touchdown heading into the half in five different games – Murray State, Houston, N.C. State, Kansas State and Oklahoma (twice). Texas Tech rallied form an 18-point deficit against Oklahoma thanks in part to its efforts prior to halftime as the Red Raiders used touchdown runs from SaRodorick Thompson and Donovan Smith before a Wolff field goal as time expired. The touchdowns versus both Houston and N.C. State came with less than a minute remaining and were the result of explosive plays from Myles Price, who went 54 yards to the end zone against the Cougars and 24 yards versus the Wolfpack.
Texas Tech went into the half feeling good at Kansas State after 10 quick points before the clock ran out as Nehemiah Martinez caught a six-yard touchdown pass with 1:24 remaining and Trey Wolff nailed a 51-yard field goal as time expired. The field goal from Wolff marked the longest of his career.
Points isn’t the only thing that matters in McGuire’s metrics as Texas Tech’s ability to force turnovers helped the Red Raiders pull away from West Virginia. Texas Tech went into the half rolling after a Dadrion Taylor-Demerson interception with 13 seconds remaining and proceeded to pick off another after the break thanks to a Malik Dunlap interception of his own. That led to an Xavier White 55-yard touchdown strike from Behren Morton just two plays later to give the Red Raiders a 24-3 lead with 13:14 remaining in the quarter. Taylor-Demerson added another interception to pull Texas Tech even closer before the half against Oklahoma as well.
KEEP THOSE FLAGS IN YOUR POCKET
Texas Tech has, for the most part, avoided hurting itself with penalties this season as the Red Raiders have been flagged 71 times for 561 yards entering the Texas Bowl. That marks the second-lowest number of penalties and resulting yardage in a season dating back to 2000, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season that was limited to only 10 games. The Red Raiders’ current numbers trail only the 59 flags for 492 yards the Red Raiders were penalized with a year ago.
It is quite the improvement for a Red Raider football program that ranked no higher than 101st in the FBS from 2011-18 and then 73rd in 2019 and 90th in 2020 for fewest penalties per game. The Red Raiders also ranked in triple digits over six-consecutive seasons from 2004-09 as well as 94th in 2003.
The Red Raiders enter bowl season ranked 38th in the FBS for fewest penalty yards per game (46.8) and 61st in fewest penalties per game (5.6). If the season ended today, Texas Tech’s 46.8 penalty yards per game would rank as its third-best finish since the NCAA began tracking penalties in its national rankings in 2000.
Texas Tech’s one penalty against Iowa State matched the school record that had been previously set five times in program history. The Red Raiders previously had only one penalty in 1988 versus Arkansas, 1991 versus Rice, 1992 versus Texas A&M, 2016 at TCU and 2021 at Kansas.
FOURTH DOWN SUCCESS
Much has been said about Joey McGuire’s aggressive approach to fourth downs this season as Texas Tech is 28-of-46 on conversion attempts already this season. The philosophy is one he gained an appreciation for while at Baylor last season as the Bears were among the most aggressive teams in college football, going 22-of-35 on fourth down attempts en route to a run to the Big 12 title. Baylor closed the 2021 season ranked tied for 10th nationally in most successful fourth-down conversions, which resulted in 86 points compared to only 17 points allowed for failed attempts.
Texas Tech enters bowl season as the FBS leader with 28 successful fourth-down conversions as the Red Raiders lead Baylor with 27, Navy with 23 and then the trio of Buffalo, Tennessee and West Virginia with 22. The Red Raiders’ 46 attempts this season are easily the most in the FBS, five more than Baylor and six ahead of Northwestern.
Texas Tech’s 28 successful fourth down conversions are already the highest total during the Big 12 era (1996-present). Texas Tech previously moved the sticks 25 times on fourth down in 2002 when the Red Raiders were 25-of-40 overall.
Texas Tech has converted 60.9 percent of its fourth down tries, resulting in 106 points. Failed fourth downs have only resulted in 51 points for opponents thus far, with seven of those not being the fault of the Red Raider defense as N.C. State took a fourth down interception back for a touchdown.
McGuire’s aggressive nature was a key reason for Texas Tech’s victory in its Big 12 opener against Texas as the Red Raiders were 6-of-8 on fourth downs, marking their most conversions in a game dating back to 2000. The Red Raiders matched that total by going 6-for-7 on fourth downs against West Virginia, which were all in the first half.
Dating back to 2013 when the NCAA began tracking single-game highs for fourth down conversions, Texas Tech is the only school to successfully move the sticks six times on fourth downs in two separate games in a season. Only UTEP, South Alabama and UCF have converted the same number of fourth downs in an FBS game this year as the Miners were also 6-of-8 on Oct. 8 against Louisiana Tech. South Alabama was a perfect 6-for-6 on fourth down attempts Nov. 12 in its victory over Texas State, while UCF was 7-for-10 on Dec. 3 against Tulane.
Texas Tech turned its six successful fourth down conversions into a season-high 27 points against the Longhorns, while its two failures did not hurt the Red Raiders as Texas was unable to convert into scoring drives of its own. The Red Raiders were 4-for-6 on fourth down tries in the second half of that game, which led to 20 key points down the stretch leading into an overtime victory.
Texas Tech is 7-1 this season when it is tied or leading the plus/ minus scale on its fourth-down decisions with the lone loss coming at Oklahoma State. That loss came despite the Red Raiders gaining 24 points on drives continued via a successful fourth down with only seven points against due to an inability to convert. The plus-17 advantage marked Texas Tech’s second-highest clip this season.
MISSISSIPI REBELS NOTES:
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• Ole Miss is making its third straight bowl appearance under Lane Kiffin.
• The Rebels are 12-3 in its last 15 bowl games on the field dating back to the 1992 Liberty Bowl.
• This will be the seventh meeting between Ole Miss and Texas Tech … Ole Miss leads the all-time series 4-2.
• The Texas Bowl will mark the fourth time the Rebels and Red Raiders have met in a bowl game … Ole Miss is 3-0 vs. Texas Tech in bowl games.
• The Rebels lead the SEC and rank No. 6 in the FBS with 82 plays of 20 yards or more.
• Ole Miss ranks top 20 nationally in total rushing yards (3,139), rushing attempts (571), yards per rush (5.5) and rushing TDs (31).
• The Rebels average 491.3 total yards per game, the fifth-best single-season mark in school history … Three of the top five offensive seasons in program history have all come under Kiffin.
• The Rebels are second in the SEC and No. 11 nationally converting on third downs 47.7 percent of the time.
• RB Quinshon Judkins earned numerous postseason awards including CBS National Freshman of the Year and SEC Newcomer of the Year … Judkins is also a finalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award.
• Judkins leads all SEC running backs in both rushing yards (1,476) and rushing touchdowns (16).
• Zach Evans ranks seventh in the SEC in rushing yards (899).
• WRs Jonathan Mingo and Malik Heath are only the second set of Rebel teammates to both surpass 800 yards receiving in the same season.
• OL Jeremy James has started every game for the Rebels and hasn’t allowed a sack in 387 pass blocks.
• K Jonathan Cruz is 15-for-17 on field goal attempts and ranks second in the SEC in field goal percentage (.882).
SERIES HISTORY
Series Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ole Miss leads 4-2
In Bowl Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ole Miss leads 3-0
In Regular Season . . . . . . . . . Texas Tech leads 2-1
At Neutral/Other Site . . . . . . . . Ole Miss leads 4-0
In Oxford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Texas Tech leads 1-0
In Lubbock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Texas Tech leads 1-0
Last Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2018, in Houston
First Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1986, in Shreveport
Largest Win . . . OM: 35-18, 1998 | TT: 42-28, 2002
Longest Win Streak . . . . . . . . . . . . . OM: 2 | TT: 2
LAST FIVE GAMES AGAINST TEXAS TECH
9/1/18 • Houston, Texas • Ole Miss 47, Texas Tech 27:
It took just 33 seconds for Ole Miss to score its first points of the 2018 season, and from there, the Rebels were off to the races, mounting a 24-7 lead in the first quarter to cruise to victory in the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff at NRG Stadium in Houston. Scottie Phillips ran for 204 yards, while Jordan Ta’amu racked up 336 through the air in the blowout Rebel win.
1/2/09 • Dallas, Texas. • #20 Ole Miss 47, #8 Texas Tech 34:
Jevan Snead threw for three touchdowns, and the dominant running back duo of Dexter McCluster and Brandon Bolden did the rest in the Rebels’ upset victory in the Cotton Bowl. McCluster amassed a combined 180 yards rushing and receiving to go along with two touchdowns. Bolden matched
those two scores and added 114 yards from scrimmage to create a one-two punch that the Red Raiders simply couldn’t match. The Rebels overcame an early deficit and left Dallas with a decisive Cotton Bowl victory.
9/27/03 • Oxford, Miss. • Texas Tech 49, Ole Miss 45:
Eli Manning passed for more than 400 yards, and the Rebels scored on seven of eight drives, but couldn’t hold off a late Texas Tech rally. The Rebels led 45-34 with 8:01 left in the game when Texas Tech quarterback B.J. Symons led his team on two solid scoring drives to seal the deal.
8/14/02 • Lubbock, Texas • Texas Tech 42, Ole Miss 28:
Texas Tech scored touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams en route to a 42-28 win over Ole Miss in the first-ever regular-season meeting between the two teams. The loss was also the Rebels’ first in 25 regular-season games against non-conference opponents. Eli Manning engineered two Rebel TD drives in the fourth quarter to pull within seven, but the Red Raiders iced the game with a touchdown with 3:21 left.
12/29/98 • Shreveport, La. • Ole Miss 35, Texas Tech 18:
In Matt Luke’s final game in a Rebel uniform, Ole Miss cruised to a 35-18 win over Texas Tech in head coach David Cutcliffe’s coaching debut. RB Deuce McAllister scored a touchdown rushing, receiving and on a kickoff return. McAllister put the Rebels up for good when he took a Romaro Miller pass 32 yards for a score to break a 7-7 tie in the second quarter.
RED RAIDERS SCOUTING REPORT
Entering their TaxAct Texas Bowl matchup with the Rebels with a record of 7-5 overall and a 5-4 mark in Big 12 play this season, Texas Tech will look to their pass-heavy offensive playbook to navigate the Ole Miss secondary. Leading the Red Raider offense will be senior quarterback Tyler Shough, the team’s opening day starter who missed most of the season with a shoulder injury but returned late in the year to lead the team to a 3-0 record in the final three games of the year. Shough will aim to connect with Texas Tech’s leading receiver and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honoree Jerand Bradley, who enters the team’s bowl game matchup with 656 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns on the year. The Red Raider defense is anchored by the presence of first team All-American (FWAA) Tyree Wilson, with the senior outside linebacker leading Texas Tech and ranking third in the Big 12 in total sacks on the year with seven. A projected top 10 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, Wilson also leads the Red Raiders and the Big 12 with 14 TFLs this season. Wilson is accompanied by senior defensive back and Second-Team All-Big 12 selection Malik Dunlap, who ranks the best in the conference with 11 pass breakups in the 2022 season.
TEXAS TECH SERIES HISTORY
• This marks the seventh all-time meeting between Ole Miss and Texas Tech, with the Rebels leading 4-2 overall.
• This will be the fourth bowl meeting between the Rebels and Red Raiders … Ole Miss leads 3-0 with bowl wins in the 1986 Independence Bowl (20-17), the 1998 Independence Bowl (35-18) and the 2009 Cotton Bowl (47-34).
• The last meeting between Ole Miss and Texas Tech actually came at NRG Stadium to open the 2018 season, where the Rebels prevailed 47-27 in the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff
OLE MISS BOWL HISTORY
The 2022 TaxAct Texas Bowl will be Ole Miss’ 40th bowl appearance in program history, as well as the first ever appearance in the Texas Bowl. The Rebels’ all-time bowl record stands at 24-14, excluding a vacated victory in the 2013 BBVA Compass Bowl. The Rebels lead the SEC and rank third in the NCAA in bowl win percentage at .632. Elsewhere in the bowl record book, Ole Miss is 15th nationally in bowl wins and 25th in bowl appearances. Ole Miss is 12-3 in its last 15 bowl games, including a streak of six straight victories from 2002 to 2013. The 2022 Texas Bowl will also mark the 16th time the Rebels will take on a current Big 12 opponent in their bowl history.
RECENT BOWL SUCCESS
• Ole Miss is 12-3 on the field in its last 15 bowl games dating back to a 13-0 win over Air Force in the 1992 Liberty Bowl.
• The Rebels had a streak of six straight bowl wins snapped at the 2014 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl with a loss to TCU.
• Ole Miss’ only other losses in the last 15 came during the 2000 Music City Bowl, falling 49-38 to West Virginia, and the 2022 Sugar Bowl, 21-7, to Baylor.
REBELS VERSUS BIG 12 OPPONENTS
• Ole Miss has a 15-13 record against current members of the Big 12 Conference.
• The Rebels will take on a current Big 12 school for the 16th time in their bowl history … Ole Miss is 10-5 in such games.
• Ole Miss is 3-0 against Texas Tech in bowl games, with wins over the Red Raiders in the 1986 Independence Bowl (20-17), the 1998 Independence Bowl (35-18) and the 2009 Cotton Bowl (47-34)
OFFENSE FLYING HIGH IN KIFFIN ERA
The Rebels under head coach Lane Kiffin have sported one of most dynamic offenses in the NCAA, as well as within the Ole Miss record book. Kiffin’s Ole Miss teams are each responsible for three of the five best offensive seasons in school history, led by 555.5 total yards per game (5,555 yards) by the 2020 squad that ended the season ranked No. 3 in total offense nationally. His 2021 team ranks fourth in school history at 492.5 yards per game (6,402 yards) and finished the season No. 6 in the FBS, and the 2022 Rebels currently rank fifth in school history and No. 8 in the FBS at 491.3 yards per game (5,895 yards). Impressively, Kiffin’s Ole Miss teams have done so with a balanced offensive attack, ranking seventh in the FBS in passing in 2020 (344.9 ypg) before shifting toward the running game in 2021 with the No. 12 ground game (217.6 ypg) and this season’s powerful 261.6 yards per game average that leads Power-5 and ranks No. 3 in all of the FBS.
POUND THE ROCK
Ole Miss isn’t just running the ball well, it’s running the ball a lot. The Rebels stand as one of two Power-5 teams with 5,000 yards of total offense (5,895, No. 16 FBS) and 3,000 yards rushing (3,139, No. 4 FBS) alongside Michigan. The Rebels’ No. 4 rushing attack only ranks behind the triple-option oriented service academies Air Force (3,971), Army (3,473) and then Michigan (3,159), which has played one more game due to the Big 10 Championship Game. Ole Miss also ranks tied for 16th among FBS schools in rushing touchdowns with 31. Removed one year from having one of the most feared passing attacks in college football, Ole Miss now sits as one of just two Power-5 programs (alongside Michigan) to have 5,000 yards of total offense with at least 50 percent of its yards coming on the ground. Ole Miss sits fourth among Power-5 schools in both rushing offense percentage (53.2 percent) and percentage of rushing plays against total plays (62.3 percent).
NO SACKS FOR YOU!
The Ole Miss offensive line ranks third in the SEC and 21st in FBS, yielding just 1.8 sacks per game. Only four opponents — Alabama, LSU, Arkansas and Mississippi State — have been able to get to the Rebel quarterback multiple times, doing so in Ole Miss’ lone losses of the season. The Rebel offensive line unit has been recognized as one of the top in college football as a member of the Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll for its efforts in protecting the quarterback.
SACKS APLENTY
Ole Miss ranks third in the SEC and No. 28 in the FBS with 2.8 sacks per game. DE Tavius Robinson leads with 6.0 sacks, including two games with multiple sacks against Auburn (2.0 for loss of 16 yards) and Mississippi State (2.0 for loss of 18 yards). LB Khari Coleman ranks second at 4.5, followed by DE Cedric Johnson’s 4.0 and Jared Ivey’s 3.5. A total of 12 different Rebels have at least 1.0 or more sacks for Ole Miss this year. Ole Miss has recorded at least three sacks in eight of the 12 games played this season, and at least two in nine of 12 contests.
