Throwback Thursday: Harrell and Crabtree lift Texas Tech past Texas in 2008

Looking back at one of the most memorable finishes in the history of Texas vs. Texas Tech rivalry for this week’s Throwback Thursday column.

The Longhorns meet the Red Raiders this week in a battle of in-state rivals. While this year’s game does not measure up to classic battles these teams have had over the years, it has been a decade since one of the most memorable games happened. Ten years ago, a Red Raider legend was born and left viewers of that game with one of the most iconic moments in college football history. Let’s go back to 2008 for this week’s Throwback Thursday.

Back in 2008, Mack Brown was on the hunt for another national championship after leading the Longhorns to a title just two years earlier. This Texas team was loaded with NFL talent. Colt McCoy was quickly becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the country and they had a dominant defense led by the likes of Earl Thomas, and Brian Orakpo just to name a few future pros.

Texas began the season ranked No. 11 in the preseason polls but quickly moved up in the rankings after a 4-0 non-conference start. The Longhorns moved up to fifth in the polls and after upsetting top-ranked Oklahoma, they became the number one team in the country. Two more wins over Missouri and Oklahoma State had Texas sitting at 8-0 heading into the Texas Tech with national championship aspirations.

In Lubbock, the Red Raiders were led by the “mad genius” known as Mike Leach. With talented quarterback Graham Harrell and a true superstar receiver in Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech was looking to claim the Big 12 title for their own. They also had a solid running game led by running back Baron Batch and Louis Vasquez, who would go on to have a successful NFL career.

Ranked just one spot behind rival Texas at No. 12 in the preseason polls, the Red Raiders came out of the gates strong. An undefeated record in non-conference and four straight Big 12 wins highlighted by a victory over No. 19 Kansas, yes that Kansas, gave the Red Raiders an 8-0 record heading home for their biggest test of the year.

College Gameday made the trip to the South Plains and fans were in for a treat Saturday night on ABC.

Most viewers expected Texas to come out swinging first, but the opposite happened in the first quarter. Texas Tech scored their first points on a safety and followed that up with a field goal and touchdown to grab an early 12-0 lead. Harrell threw his first touchdown pass in the second quarter while the Longhorns could only muster two field goals, leading to a 22-6 first-half lead for the Red Raiders.

Jordan Shipley returned a punt for a touchdown at the start of the third quarter, but an interception return for a touchdown by Tech put the Longhorns behind double-digits again. However, after McCoy hit Malcolm Williams twice for touchdowns, Texas was within three in the fourth quarter. A touchdown run by the Longhorns finally gave them the lead 33-32 with less than a minute and a half to play, but then one of the most iconic plays in the game’s history happened.

Harrell marched the Red Raider offense down the field and with eight seconds left, had one more shot at the end zone. With the game on the line, Harrell lofted a pass down the right sideline to Michael Crabtree. Despite Curtis Brown being draped all over him, Crabtree pulled down the catch and ran in for the game-winning touchdown.

The win gave the Red Raiders a legitimate shot at the Big 12 title. After beating Oklahoma State, Tech was ranked No. 2 in the country. Unfortunately, a blowout loss to Oklahoma knocked them out of the title hunt and they finished 11-1. While the season ended with a disappointing Cotton Bowl loss to Ole Miss, it is still regarded as the best in program history.

Texas recovered from the loss and won their last three to finish 11-1 also. With the Big 12 South having a three-way tie at the end, Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech were all named co-champions of the division. However, Oklahoma got the nod for the championship game. Texas would beat Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl 24-21 to end their season.

This game is one of the most memorable in college football history and is recognized as the main reason the Big 12 standings ended the way they did that season. While Texas is ranked and Texas Tech is not this year, no one will forget this meeting ten seasons ago.