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Harrell to Crabtree lifts Texas over Texas Tech

Nov 2, 2008 - 3:54 AM LUBBOCK, Texas (Ticker) -- The biggest game in Texas Tech history went from improbable to impossible to implausible.

Graham Harrell found Michael Crabtree with a 28-yard touchdown pass with one second left to give fifth-ranked Texas Tech a 39-33 upset of top-ranked Texas in a Big 12 classic Saturday.

Harrell dropped back with eight seconds left and found Crabtree at the 6. The dynamic wide receiver escaped Curtis Brown's clutches and danced into the end zone.

"There is no man in the country who can man-up on Crabs," Harrell said amid a sea of frenetic fans on the field. "He is the best in the country.

"With our offense, 1:29 is too much time."

Heisman Trophy favorite Colt McCoy got up after being battered in the third quarter and led an 11-play, 80-yard drive that devoured 4:16 and was capped by Vondrell McGee's 4-yard TD run to make it 33-32 with 1:29 left.

McCoy went 20-of-34 for 294 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

Harrell then led the Red Raiders down the field to the Texas 28, setting the stage for Crabtree's heroics. Harrell finished 36-of-53 for 474 yards and two touchdowns.

"I don't want to say nothing but I dreamed it in my head and it really happened," the sensational Crabtree said. "We just had to do our job and go out and score."

Jordan Shipley had returned a punt 45 yards for a touchdown with 10:26 left in the third quarter to cut Texas' deficit to 22-13.

The Red Raiders (9-0, 5-0 Big 12) rebounded when McCoy tried to connect with Shipley but was picked by Daniel Charbonnet, who returned it 18 yards for a touchdown that made it 29-13. Earlier in the quarter, McCoy had been driven to the ground by a Texas Tech lineman and was attended to on the sideline.

On Texas' next drive, McCoy fired a quick slant to Malcolm Williams, who took it 37 yards for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 29-19. The Longhorns went for a two-point conversion, and a penalty flag for pass interference was thrown on the play. However, it was ruled the ball was tipped at the line, negating the penalty.

Texas Tech enjoyed a 399-203 advantage in total offense after three quarters. Harrell was 25-of-37 for 307 yards as opposed to McCoy's 15-of-28 for 166.

After Texas Tech's Matt Williams, the student who became the team's placekicker, had a field goal blocked, Texas struck again. McCoy found Williams streaking down the left sideline by himself for a 91-yard score that made it 29-26 with more than 11 minutes left.

Texas Tech then drove down the field and had a first-and-goal before being pushed back by penalties. Faced with a fourth down, coach Mike Leach switched to Donnie Carona, who knocked a 42-yard field goal through the uprights with 5:45 left to make it 32-26.

Texas (8-1, 4-1) had scored on Hunter Lawrence's field goal to cut the deficit to 22-6 on the last play of the first half. The remainder of the first 30 minutes belonged to the Red Raiders.

Harrell was 20-of-29 for 253 yards and a touchdown before intermission. Crabtree caught seven passes for 73 yards. Overall, Texas Tech enjoyed a 326-108 advantage in total offense and held the ball for nearly 20 minutes.

McCoy was sacked three times after being dropped only 13 times on the season coming into the game.

Texas Tech scored on the final play of the first quarter to go up, 12-0. Baron Batch's 3-yard run capped a 96-yard drive.