The 2016 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season as members of the Big 12 Conference. Kliff Kingsbury led the Red Raiders in his fourth season as the program's fifteenth head coach. The Red Raiders played their home games on the university's campus in Lubbock, Texas at Jones AT&T Stadium. They finished the season 5–7, 3–6 in Big 12 play.
Texas Tech announced their 2016 football schedule on November 24, 2015. The 2016 schedule consisted of 6 home games, 5 away games and, 1 neutral site game in the regular season. The Red Raiders hosted Big 12 foes Kansas, West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Texas and traveled to Kansas State, TCU, Oklahoma State, and Iowa State. Texas Tech played Baylor in Arlington, Texas at AT&T Stadium for the 75th meeting in their rivalry.[1]
The Red Raiders hosted two non-conference games against Stephen F. Austin and Louisiana Tech and traveled to their other non-conference foe Arizona State in Tempe, AZ.
Game weather: Temperature: 83 °F (28 °C) • Weather: Partly cloudy • Wind: S 16 MPH
Game attendance: 60,454
Referee: Referee: Cal McNeil, Umpire: Mark Warner, Linesman: Todd Allen, Line judge: Bret Bascue, Back judge: Brian Wisniewsk, Field judge: Scotty Melancon, Side judge: Keith Claiborne, Center judge: Henry Howard
The Red Raiders opened their 2016 season at home against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks. Texas Tech's defense looked very improved compared to the previous two seasons, holding the Lumberjacks to only 370 total yards (with just 58 rushing yards), 24 first downs, and forcing 3 turnovers.[4] With the win, the Red Raiders started a season 1-0 for the 12th year in a row.
Game weather: Temperature: 101 °F (38 °C) • Weather: Mostly clear • Wind: W 4 MPH
Game attendance: 44,511
Referee: Referee: Scott Campbell, Umpire: Joel Ballinger, Linesman: Doug Moore, Line judge: Keith Garmond, Back judge: Joel Wetzel, Field judge: Randy Smith, Side judge: Corey Luxner, Center judge: Stacy Hardin
TTU – Patrick Mahomes 38/53, 540 yards, 5 TD, 2 INT
ASU – Manny Wilkins 28/37, 351 yards, 2 TD
Leading Rushers
TTU – Patrick Mahomes 11 carries, 44 yards, TD
ASU – Kalen Ballage 13 carries, 137 yards, 7 TD
Leading Receivers
TTU – Cameron Batson 9 receptions, 148 yards, TD
ASU – N'Keal Harry 6 receptions, 72 yards, TD
Texas Tech's defense fell apart against Arizona State, allowing the Sun Devils' Kalen Ballage to score 8 touchdowns (7 rushing, 1 receiving), tied for the NCAA record for most touchdowns in a game by a single player.[6]
Referee: Referee: Reggie Smith, Umpire: Tab Slaughter, Linesman: Mike Moeleer, Line judge: Mark Stewart, Back judge: Lyndon Nixon, Field judge: Matt Mills, Side judge: Tim Murray, Center judge: Dan Scanlan
TTU – Jonathan Giles 6 receptions, 186 yards, 3 TDs
Teas Tech completely dominated in the first quarter, with the offense scoring a touchdown on all of their drives and the defense holding Louisiana Tech to only a field goal. Fortune started to smile upon the Bulldogs late in the 2nd quarter, with Clayton Hatfield missing a 40-yard field goal with 2:18 left in the half. Following Hatfield's missed kick, Louisiana Tech went 78 yards to score a touchdown on Jarred Craft's 1 yard run. Gaining the ball back with 0:09 seconds left in the half, the Red Raiders took a knee to lead 35–17 at halftime.
The momentum continued for Louisiana Tech into the 3rd quarter, with the Bulldogs scoring on their opening possession of the half. The Red Raiders responded on their next drive with Patrick Mahomes finding Cameron Batson for a 4-yard touchdown pass. With Clayton Hatfield making the extra point, Texas Tech extended their lead to 42–24. Louisiana Tech quickly responded on their next possession with Ryan Higgins throwing a 54-yard touchdown pass to Carlos Henderson, Higgins's first touchdown pass of the night. The Red Raiders responded slowly on their next drive and suffered from several offensive holding penalties. The drive was capped off early in the 4th quarter with Demarcus Felton's 8 yard run for a touchdown. With Hatfield making the extra point, Texas Tech extended their lead to 49–31 with 14:21 left to play. Louisiana Tech came up short on the next drive, with the Bulldogs turning it over on downs, which eventually resulted in a 24-yard field goal from Hatfield. Louisiana Tech quickly scored on their next drive with Higgins finding Trent Taylor for a 76-yard touchdown reception. On the ensuing kickoff, the Bulldogs tried for an onside kick that was recovered by the Red Raiders. Louisiana Tech's Jordan Bradford was ejected late in the game for throwing a punch following Texas Tech's eighth touchdown of the game.
TTU – Patrick Mahomes 27/34, 277 yards, 4 TDs, INT
Leading rushers
KU – Ke'aun Kinner 9 carries, 45 yards
TTU – Demarcus Felton 11 carries, 48 yards
Leading receivers
KU – Ben Johnson 5 receptions, 86 yards
TTU – Jonathan Giles 12 receptions, 219 yards, 2 TDs
The Texas Tech Red Raiders opened conference play at home against the Kansas Jayhawks. Texas Tech starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes was injured midway through the third quarter with Nic Shimonek coming in as quarterback. Schimonek almost matched Mahomes's efficiency, throwing 15–of–21 for 271 yards and four touchdowns. The Red Raiders' offense scored 8 touchdowns in the game, with two different quarterbacks and six different receivers.
Week Six: Texas Tech Red Raiders at Kansas State Wildcats – Game summary
1
2
3
4
Total
Red Raiders
14
14
3
7
38
Wildcats
14
17
0
13
44
at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, KS
Date: October 8
Game time: 6:00 PM
Game weather: Temperature: 68 °F (20 °C) • Weather: clear • Wind: S 11 MPH
Game attendance: 51,540
Referee: Referee: Eddy Shelton, Umpire: Rick Podraza, Linesman: Rick Smith, Line judge: Scott Reilly, Back judge: Terry White, Field judge: Nick Lave, Side judge: Richard Corona, Center judge: Mike Cuttone
KSU 14:07 – Charles Jones 2 yard run (Matthew McCrane kick), KSU 38–31
KSU 6:05 – Matthew McCrane 25 yard field goal, KSU 41–31
KSU 1:56 – Matthew McCrane 42 yard field goal, KSU 44–31
TTU 0:05 – Cameron Batson 15 yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Clayton Hatfield kick), KSU 44–38
Leading Passers
TTU – Patrick Mahomes 45/62, 504 yards, 2 TD, INT
KSU – Jesse Ertz 10/20, 104 yards, TD
Leading Rushers
TTU – Demarcus Felton 14 carries, 66 yards
KSU – Charles Jones 19 carries, 128 yards, TD
Leading Receivers
TTU – Keke Coutee5 receptions, 130 yards, TD
KSU – Isaiah Zuber 3 receptions, 35 yards, TD
Despite leaving last week's game with a shoulder injury, Patrick Mahomes started as quarterback for the Red Raiders. Texas Tech had several miscues during the first half as a Mahomes pass was intercepted by D. J. Reed and returned 35 yards for a pick six touchdown. Later in the second quarter, Kansas State's Byron Pringle returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown to give the Wildcats a 31–28 lead going into the half. Both teams slowed down in the third quarter, with the only score of the quarter coming from a 34-yard Clayton Hatfield field goal to tie the game 31–31. Kansas State opened the game up during the fourth, leading 44–31 with just under 2 minutes to go. Despite trailing by 13 with little time left, the Red Raiders refused to give up. Texas Tech scored a touchdown with 5 seconds left and trailed 38–44. The Red Raiders recovered an onside kick with the hope of a comeback still alive, but Mahomes was sacked on the next play to end the game.
Week Eight: #16 Oklahoma Sooners at Texas Tech Red Raiders – Game summary
1
2
3
4
Total
#16 Sooners
13
17
21
15
66
Red Raiders
10
14
14
21
59
at Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, TX
Date: October 22
Game time: 7:00 PM
Game weather: Temperature: 72 °F (22 °C) • Weather: clear • Wind: S 9 MPH
Game attendance: 60,478
Referee: Referee:Cooper Castleberry, Umpire: Jim Adams, Linesman: Carl McNeil, Line Judge: Mark Stewart, Back Judge: Donnie Aultman, Field Judge: Scott Gaines, Side Judge: Anthony Fleming
TV announcers (FOX): Joe Davis (Play-By-Play) , Brady Quinn (Color) & Bruce Feldman (Sideline)
The Red Raiders and Sooners broke the NCAA record for combined offensive yards in a single game with a total of 1,708 yards, with each team having 854 yards. Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes tied the record for most passing yards in a single game with 734 yards, while the combined 125 points is the second most points in a game involving a ranked team.[10]
Game weather: Temperature: 85 °F (29 °C) • weather: sunny with some clouds • wind: S 14 MPH
Game attendance: 45,619
Referee: Referee: Dan Romeo, Umpire: Scott Teifer, Linesman: Andy Warner, Line Judge: Marc Brovos, Back Judge: Terry White, Field Judge: Nick Lave, Side Judge: Jim Murphy, Center Judge: Ken Ray
Texas Tech came into Amon G. Carter Stadium looking to break a 3-game losing streak on the season. The Red Raiders received the opening kickoff, but came up short when a pass by Patrick Mahomes was intercepted by Nick Orr at the TCU 1 yard line. The Horned Frogs capitalized on the turnover with a 2-yard touchdown run from Derrick Green. With Brandon Hatfield making the extra point, TCU led 7–0 with 4:40 in the 1st quarter. Tech's offensive struggles continued on their next possession when Mahomes was sacked at and fumbled the ball at the Texas Tech 23 yard line. The Red Raiders caught a break when TCU kicker Brandon Hatfield missed a 37-yard field goal.
Tech took advantage of the missed field goal by scoring a touchdown on the following possession with Mahomes finding Reggie Davis for a 33-yard touchdown pass. With Clayton Hatfield making the kick, the Red Raiders tied the game at 7–7 with 13:23 left in the 2nd quarter. The Horned Frogs responded to Tech's touchdown on their next possession with a 23-yard field goal from Brandon Hatfield to lead 10–7. The Red Raiders responded on their next possession with a 41-yard field goal to tie the game 10–10 with 6:49 left in the half. The two teams traded punts before the first half ended with a 10–10 tie.
TCU quarterback Kenny Hill threw an interception on the Horned Frogs' second possession of the half and was pulled from the game in favor of Foster Sawyer.[12] TCU's defense forced a three and out after the interception and Texas Tech was forced to put, but on the ensuing punt, punter Michael Barden fumbled the ball and TCU recovered it at their own 15 yard line. The Horned Frogs capitalized on the fumble with a 1-yard touchdown run from Trevorris Johnson. With Brandon Hatfield making the extra point, TCU took a 17–10 lead with 14:37 left in regulation following a scoreless third quarter. Texas Tech was forced to punt on their next possession and TCU made it to the Texas Tech 15 and was forced to try a field goal, but Brandon Hatfield missed the 32 yard try. Like before, the Red Raiders scored a touchdown following the Horned Frogs' missed field goal. With 1:28 left in regulation, Mahomes found Dylan Cantrell for an 8-yard touchdown pass and Clayton Hatfield made the extra point to tie the game 17–17. On the final play of regulation, TCU tried a game–winning Hail Mary pass, but it fell incomplete.
The Red Raiders received the ball first in overtime and scored on a 15-yard touchdown run from Mahomes. With Clayton Hatfield making the extra point, Texas Tech led 24–17, their first lead of the game.[13] TCU responded on their try with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Foster Sawyer to Desmon White. With Brandon Hatfield making the extra point, the game entered into 2nd overtime tied at 24–24. The Horned Frogs had the ball first in 2nd overtime, but Brandon Hatfield missed a 39-yard field goal that fell short and was nowhere close to the goal posts.[14] Receiving the ball, the Red Raiders played conservatively and only gained 5 yards before Clayton Hatfield was brought on to try the game-winning field goal. Clayton Hatfield made a 37-yard field goal to upset TCU with a 27–24 victory in double overtime.
TCU's kicker Brandon Hatfield was 1/4 on field goals during the game, while the Texas Tech offense was held to a season low 345 yards.[15]
Week Ten:Texas Longhorns at Texas Tech Red Raiders – Game summary
1
2
3
4
Total
Longhorns
14
10
14
7
45
Red Raiders
16
7
7
7
37
at Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, TX
Date: November 5
Game time: 11:00 AM
Game weather: Temperature: 53 °F (12 °C) • Weather: fog/mist • Wind: E 10 MPH
Game attendance: 60,803
Referee: Referee: Brad van Vark, Umpire: Michael Cooper, Linesman: George Gusman, Line judge: Frank LeBlanc, Back judge: Brian Ernest, Field judge: Jason Ledet, Side judge: Gene Semko, Center judge: Brian Alos
Week Eleven:Texas Tech Red Raiders at Oklahoma State Cowboys – Game summary
1
2
3
4
Total
Red Raiders
7
21
7
9
44
#17 Cowboys
21
7
17
0
45
at Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK
Date: November 12
Game time: 2:30 PM
Game weather: Temperature: 63 °F (17 °C) • Weather: sunny, clear • Wind: NE 4 MPH
Game attendance: 54,288
Referee: Referee: Mike Defee, Umpire: Robert Richeson, Linesman: Al Green, Line judge: Derek Anderson, Back judge: Terry Jones, Field judge: Joe Blubaugh, Side judge: Lo van Pham, Center judge: Mike Contreraz
Despite suffering numerous injuries throughout the game on both offense and defense, the Red Raiders refused to go without a fight against the Cowboys. With 1:44 left in the game, Texas Tech fullback Quinton White, who was in the game as a running back, found the endzone on a 1-yard touchdown run, but Clayton Hatfield missed the game-tying extra point. With Hatfield missing the extra point, Texas Tech fell to Oklahoma State 44–45.
Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof stadium)
Game attendance: 41,656
Referee: Referee: Brad van Vark, Umpire: Michael Cooper, Linesman: George Gusman, Line Judge: Frank LeBlanc, Back Judge: Brian Ernest, Field Judge: Jason Ledet, Side Judge: Gene Semko, Center Judge: Brian Alos
