This is the fifth of a week-long series of posts sponsored by EA Sports NCAA Football 2011. Prior Posts:
First and foremost, much thanks to merrik's FanPost where he detailed the top 10 games in the Mike Leach Era, which is essentially my wheelhouse as well. He did a fantastic job and I'll just be adding my own two cents about my top three memorable moments of my fandom. Keep in mind that this list is my own personal memorable moments and I'd love to hear about your own memorable moments.
Memorable Moment #3: Insight Bowl : December 29, 2006 : Texas Tech 44, Minnesota 41 :: This one is personal. DTN was in its very early stages and the night of this game, there were some awful storms in and around the DFW area that had blacked-out my satellite for a good part of the first quarter. Obviously, I was incredibly disgusted for most of the first half and as detailed in the DTN Open Thread (as an aside, 65 comments was a lot of comments back in the day) and was letting all of my frustrations out with Will McDonald of Royals Review, Peter Bean of Burnt Orange Nation and Jon Johnston of Corn Nation, who had this to say (I think at halftime):
If you want hope, a couple years ago, my wife and I were at the Michigan game in which Minnesota gave up something like 38 points in the fourth quarter. It was friggin' heart-breaking.
Video and so much more after the jump.
I love this video and to be honest, that first half was essentially me kicking my dogs, yet giddy as a school girl in the second half. It was a roller-coaster ride for sure.
Memorable Moment #2 : November 1, 2008 : Texas Tech 39, Texas 33 :: Sure, this moment has been talked about quite a bit this week, especially as this was my favorite team of all-time. The lasting memory that I'll take from this game is that I watched it at my brother-in-law's house with said brother-in-law and a couple of other good Red Raiders. I distinctly remember, sitting on the couch, essentially be hunched over, stressing over each and every play. I remember wanting to punch someone after the Shipley punt return without the penalty for the block in the back. I remember almost getting sick after the almost-interception. I remember going completely berserk after Harrell connected with Crabtree. I remember expressing myself through alcohol quite a bit the rest of the night. It was a tremendous moment.
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Memorable Moment #1 : October 7, 1995 : Texas A&M 7, Texas Tech 14 :: This was the moment that defined my fandom. This was when I was in school at Texas Tech and I was at this incredible game. I've talked about the 1995 season before and it's such a blur. I have an awful memory when it comes to games, and it applies to this game as well. There's no no doubt that I remember Zach Thomas stepping in front Texas A&M's Corey Pullig pass with 30 seconds left to lead Texas Tech to a 14-7 win over the Aggies. This game was a defensive struggle and I remember LeeLand McElroy being incredibly hyped as a player (he was really good from what I remember despite not doing much in the NFL), but Zach Thomas and the Red Raider defense held McElroy to only 80 yards rushing on 27 carries and 1 touchdown.
This game was significant on a couple of levels. This was then head coach Spike Dykes first win over a top 10 team (TAMU was ranked #8 at the time) and it snapped TAMU's SWC non-losing streak at 29 straight.
Of course, it would seem that the 2008 Harrell to Crabtree catch would be at the top of my list, but the reason this ranks as my most memorable moment was because this is really what set me off as a fan for the Red Raiders. Of course, the moment I stepped foot on campus, I was a Red Raider, but at the time, this was as big as the 2008 game against Texas, but that's the best thing about lists, it's that lists are personal and they mean something to each person.
I've given my top three moments, let's hear your memorable moments in the comments.