 "Photo: FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador")
Texas Tech defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill remembers the Alamo.
It was in 2001 when the Red Raiders played Iowa at the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. The game ended in a close 19-16 loss to the Hawkeyes, who boasted talent such as the NFL’s Dallas Clark (Indianapolis Colts), Ladell Betts (Washington Redskins) and Bob Sanders (Colts).
McNeill said the game served as a valuable learning experience and confidence booster in regards to postseason football.
“That was a time I thought that we started turning the corner as far as bowl preparation and bowl mentality,” McNeill said.
Since that loss, Tech has gone 5-2 in bowl games, and now the Red Raiders are headed back to San Antonio.
It was announced in a press conference Sunday that Tech will play in the Valero Alamo Bowl at 8 p.m. on Jan. 2 in San Antonio. The game will be televised on ESPN.
The Red Raiders (8-4, 5-3 in Big 12 Conference play) will play Michigan State from the Big Ten Conference.
“What comes to mind is just a hard-nose, physical Big Ten football team that’s really good at the fundamentals,” Tech coach Mike Leach said. “I think it will definitely be a good challenge, and I think it’ll be exciting to see the two teams play.”
Michigan State (6-6, 4-4 in Big Ten Conference play) began the season with a 1-3 record before winning the next three games.
But the Spartans went 2-3 down the stretch before ending the season with a distraction stemming from an on-campus fight between football players and a fraternity.
Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio kicked two players off the team and suspended eight others for their involvement in the Nov. 22 fight.
Players suspended include defensive back Chris L. Rucker and wide receivers Mark Dell and B.J. Cunningham, who was second on the team in receptions (48) and receiving yards (641). Dell was third with 26 catches for 449 yards.
“The majority of our football team is intact,” Dantonio said. “Actually, we only lose two starters, the other one was a part-time starter. Provides opportunities for others. Usually when things of this nature happen, somebody’s going to step to the forefront.”
It’s the 16th-straight season Tech has been bowl eligible — a Big 12 record — and the 19th time it has played in the state of Texas for a bowl, which McNeill said has its benefits.
“It’s a great bowl site, great bowl festivities, awesome arena and environment to play our last football game in,” he said. “What’s most important, our fans and our support of Red Raider Nation will be very strong in San Antonio just like it was our last time down.”
Tech’s game against Iowa in 2001 drew 65,232 fans — the second-highest attendance in bowl history at that time.
And based on what McNeill saw in a neutral-site, bowl-game environment contest against Baylor two weeks ago at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, he said players should be
prepared for Michigan State.
And fans should travel just as well — there were more than 70,000 to watch Tech beat Baylor in the regular season finale.
“I’m sure it’ll be the same way in San Antonio,” he said. “I thought the kids handled the Dallas game very well. It was a bowl-type atmosphere. It gave us a little taste of that.”
The last time Tech got a taste of the Big Ten Conference was a 35-point comeback victory against Minnesota in the 2006 Insight Bowl.
So when it comes to criticism of the prestige of the Big Ten, McNeill said players and coaches don’t see it that way.
“They always have a strong conference from top to bottom,” he said. “We know they face top competition day-in and day-out, week-in and week-out like we do in the Big 12. We know we’re facing a tough opponent in Michigan State regardless of where they fell within the conference, but we know we’re facing a tough opponent.”
The Spartans are tops in their conference in passing efficiency, sacks allowed and passing offense. However, Dantonio’s team is 10th in opponent passing efficiency and last in turnovers gained (12) and passing defense. The Spartans allow 251 yards per game through the air, which ranks 103rd nationally.
McNeill said the Red Raiders, who have practiced four times since the Baylor game, won’t start game planning for the Spartans until later.
According to the Alamo Bowl Web site, ticket prices range from $25 to $70 and are available on all levels.
11 comments
Both you and Leonidas obviously haven't been watching TTU football the past few years...and don't realize what mess the Spartans are getting themselves into come game time next month...