Texas Tech 35, Texas A&M 7

Oct. 13, 2007

LUBBOCK, Texas --Graham Harrell threw for 425 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score as Texas Tech beat Texas A&M 35-7 Saturday.

Harrell, who was 30-of-37, had TD passes of 12, 28 and 8 yards, and none went to Michael Crabtree, his favorite target this season.

Crabtree came into the game with a nation-leading 17 touchdown catches. Crabtree had at least two scores in each of the first six games.

Tech (6-1, 2-1) held the Aggies (5-2, 2-1 Big 12) scoreless the final three quarters.

Despite not catching a TD pass, Crabtree displayed his speed and agility on two catches on slants across the middle, one for 54 yards in the second quarter and a 47-yarder in the fourth quarter with Tech already up 28-7. He had eight catches for 170 yards, just off his per-game average of 179.

Tech's prolific offense started slowly, failing to score in the first quarter. The last time the Red Raiders didn't score until the second quarter was in their record-setting, 31-point comeback win (44-41) against Minnesota in last year's Insight Bowl.

A&M's ground game chewed up the clock on the Aggies' first two drives. On the first possession, A&M ran on all 10 plays of a 73-yard drive for a 7-0 lead. Jorvorskie Lane got his 11th touchdown on a 1-yard run.

The Aggies had some chances to keep it close, but they couldn't close drives. When the drives stalled, kicker Matt Szymanski struggled, missing field goals of 41 yards and 33 yards in the first half.

A&M also had a chance early in the third quarter. Cornerback Danny Gorrer had a clear path to the end zone when he stepped in front of a Harrell pass to Danny Amendola. But Gorrer juggled the ball, and Amendola pulled it in for a first down at the Tech 30.

NOTES...

• Running back Jorvorskie Lane's 1-yard touchdown plunge in the first quarter was the 40th touchdown of his career, which moved Lane into No. 3 tie with Leeland McElroy on the Aggies' all-time total touchdowns list. It was the 39th rushing TD of Lane's career, which already ranks No. 3 in school history (five behind school record holder Darren Lewis' 44 from 1987-90).
• The nation's only team with three players ranked among the nation's top 100 rushers, the Aggies' threesome of quarterback Stephen McGee and running backs Mike Goodson and Jorvorskie Lane combined to rush for 207 yards on 40 carries (five yards above their combined season average of 202.5 entering the game).
• Defensive tackle Red Bryant's third-quarter field goal block was the first of the Dennis Franchione era. It was the first FG block by the Aggies since Johnny Jolly batted down a Texas three-point try by Dusty Mangum in 2002. Bryant does have experience blocking kicks, however, with a game-winning block of an extra point against Oklahoma State in overtime last year.
• Tight end Martellus Bennett's 18-yard catch in the first quarter gives him 25 straight games with at least one reception, which is just one behind the school record of 26 set by A&M's all-time leading receiver Terrence Murphy from 2002-04.
• The Big Three of Jorvorskie Lane, Mike Goodson and Stephen McGee combined to gain 66 of the Aggies' 73 yards (on nine carries) on its opening drive for a touchdown.
• True freshman wide receiver Roger Holland had the first rush of his career on an 19-yard end-around in the first half.
• The Aggies fell to 0-2 in 2007 when having an even or minus turnover margin in a game. The Aggies are 5-0 with a turnover advantage in 2007. The Aggies and Red Raiders exchanged turnovers in the fourth quarter with A&M throwing an interception and then Tech fumbling it back.
• The Aggies' 12th Man was junior Nick LaMantia, a walkon fullback from Mission, Texas. LaMantia has served as the Aggies' 12th Man in every game this season, and 18 times during his career (school record is 23 by John Ray from 2003-05) +++ captains were Mark Dodge, Misi Tupe, Chris Harrington and Kerry Franks.