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Harrell, Crabtree stagger Oklahoma State

Nov 9, 2008 - 6:05 AM LUBBOCK, Texas (Ticker) -- The black and red of Texas Tech sent Oklahoma State back to Stillwater black and blue.

Michael Crabtree, Graham Harrell and the third-ranked Red Raiders completed leg two of their Big 12 gauntlet successfully, blasting No. 8 Oklahoma State, 56-20, on Saturday.

"We just came out and executed," said Harrell, who completed 40-of-50 passes for 456 yards and six touchdowns. "The offensive line gives me the time. The receivers make the plays. We have a pretty good offense."

Mike Leach thinks he has a pretty good quarterback, too.

"I thought he played really well, he was key," said Leach, whose team has a bye before heading to Norman for a meeting with Oklahoma on November 22. "The two fumbles I would like differently, but I thought he had a good day and played real well. The best thing he did was engineer the unit and the team. Not just the offense but the whole team draws from it, which is key and makes him the player that he is."

Crabtree took a slant pass from Harrell to make it 35-14 in the third quarter. The Red Raiders (10-0, 6-0 Big 12 South) drove 48 yards in eight plays, with Crabtree's TD covering the final 8 yards.

Oklahoma State countered with its own scoring drive. Kendall Hunter scored his second TD of the game on a 2-yard run to make it 35-20, but the extra point failed due to a bad snap.

Harrell and Crabtree made it six straight scoring drives for Texas Tech and three for the combo with a beautiful fade pattern from 1 yard to make it 42-20.

"I went in this game just doing my job," said Crabtree, who had eight catches for 89 yards and three touchdowns.

"It worked out real good."

Texas Tech picked off a pass by Zac Robinson deep in Red Raider territory. Harrell then led a 96-yard march that culminated in his sixth touchdown pass, a 13-yarder to Shannon Woods that made it 49-20 and effectively squashed any hopes the Cowboys (8-2, 4-2 Big 12 South) had for a comeback.

Texas Tech ran up 642 yards of total offense. Harrell was quick to praise the Red Raiders' offensive line.

"I feel very comfortable. I always feel comfortable behind those guys," he said. "They're the heart of this team and that's the truth. Those guys are unbelievable. Those guys are so big and they pass block well, they run well, and they block well. To be that size and move and protect like they do, it's just impressive to see."

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy felt the same way.

"They have tremendous protection and when you play a team that throws the ball as effective as they do it is hard to get to the quarterback and they find seams and move the football," Gundy said. "My guess is without getting to him and with him standing back there the seams started to open up and that is what he was hitting."

Gundy knew the Cowboys had been schooled.

"It was pretty obvious tonight that we got dominated in all three phases of the game and we lost the game as a group. I thought we were outcoached and outplayed," he said. "We never could slow down and we couldn't get them out of their rhythm. It is difficult to win on the road against a football team when you can't slow them down."

Oklahoma State took advantage of a fumble recovery and moved in to open the scoring when Hunter's 2-yard run capped a 31-yard drive.

But the Red Raiders struck back - three times.

Harrell threw TD strikes to Edward Britton (16 yards), Eric Morris (4) and Crabtree (9) to make it 21-7.

The Cowboys came within a TD at 21-14 after an 80-yard drive that ended with Keith Tolston's 2-yard run. Harrell then led a 72-yard march that Woods finished with a 3-yard run to make it 28-14.

The Red Raiders shut down Oklahoma State wideout Dez Bryant, who finished with just four catches for 85 yards.

Despite the romp, Crabtree knows there are still doubters.

"I feel like every week we have something to prove," the sophomore said. "Week after week they seem to come up with something about us not having a this or a that. So every time we come out we've got to play. That's what I put into everyone's head and that's what I'm going to do."