Leachless Red Raiders Win Alamo Bowl: Tech Fans Confident About Future

Amongst all the allegations, the affidavits, and the controversy, many forgot that Texas Tech had a pretty big game coming up. 

The Red Raiders rolled into San Antonio, Adam James in tow, ready to rally around interim coach Ruffin McNeill and take care of business against Big Ten opponent Michigan State.

For the record, Adam James had as much to do with the outcome of the game as Mike Leach—zero!

Of course ESPN, the employer of Craig James, Adam’s father, took every opportunity to show James standing on the sideline mingling with teammates.

They also took every opportunity to talk about Leach, mostly in a one-sided biased form favoring James.

But again, in the background of the Leach talks, a great football game took place. 

Everyone expected to see the high powered Tech offense in the Alamo Dome, but not many expected to see the Red Raider’s defense step up and shut down the power running of the Spartans.

A hard fought game on both sides, the Spartans gave Tech all they could handle, constantly coming back to answer the offensive thwarts of Taylor Potts and the Tech passing game.

The Red Raider offense, always potent with a season average of 460 yards per game passing, seemed to turn it up a notch despite the absence of their normal leader, Mike Leach, as they threw for over 500 yards.

Potts was remarkable, moving the Tech offense up and down the field with precision, playing fairly mistake-free ball before leaving the game after going to the locker room for x-rays on his non-throwing hand.

Potts was replaced by Steven Sheffield with 8:00 remaining in the fourth quarter and down by four points.

The Red Raiders did not miss a beat when Sheffield entered the game, converting a key third down that kept the game winning drive alive.  Sheffield then hit Detron Lewis on a 20 yard pass to the front corner of the end zone to take a 34-31 lead with 5:03 remaining.

Texas Tech’s defense stepped up following the ensuing kickoff and picked off Spartan quarterback Kirk Cousins. 

After two key fourth down conversions by Sheffield and a 15 yard touchdown run by Baron Batch, the Red Raiders secured the Alamo Bowl victory.

The win showed the Red Raider faithful a couple of things about their team’s future.

First, they actually have a defense!  Wow, who knew?

Second, as popular as Mike Leach was in Lubbock, it seems that the Red Raiders will be just fine without him. 

So now the search begins for Leach’s replacement.  Ruffin McNeill made a strong case for himself in the Alamo Bowl with gutsy calls in clutch time.

Whether it’s McNeill or an outside hire, Texas Tech offers great passion for its program and Leach and staff have assembled a highly talented ball club to pass on to their successors.

Spread offense coaches around the country have to be drooling at this job opening.