• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Virginia looks for 10th win against Texas Tech

Jan 1, 2008 - 2:27 PM Texas Tech (8-4) vs. No. 20 Virginia (9-3) 1:00 pm EST Gator Bowl January 1

JACKSONVILLE, Florida (Ticker) -- If Virginia comes close to matching its effort in its previous visit to Florida, the Cavaliers have a good chance to come away with a 10th victory.

Coming off only the fourth nine-win regular season in school history, the 21st-ranked Cavaliers face Texas Tech in the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day.

On November 10, Virginia earned its first victory ever in the "Sunshine State" with a 48-0 drubbing of Miami in the Hurricanes' final game at the Orange Bowl. The Cavaliers were 0-15 in their previous visits to Florida.

While Virginia blew out Miami, its overall success this season was based on an ability to win close games.

The Cavaliers set an NCAA record by winning five games by two points or less, while six of their wins came by six points or less.

With a win over Texas Tech, Virginia Tech will tie a school record for wins in a season set in 1989 (10-3).

This game shapes up as a classic contrast in styles as Virginia relies on its defense and Texas Tech's boasts a pass-happy attack.

The Cavaliers rank 13th in scoring defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision, allowing 18.8 points per game, while the Red Raiders are sixth in scoring, averaging 41.8 points per outing.

Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell paced the FBS in passing yards (5,298) and touchdowns (45).

Harrell joined Brigham Young's Ty Detmer (3), Marshall's Byron Leftwich (2) and the Hawaii duo of Timmy Chang (3) and Colt Brennan (2) as the only quarterbacks in FBS history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in multiple seasons.

The Red Raiders had two players with more than 100 catches and 1,000 receiving yards. Michael Crabtree, the Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation's top receiver, caught 125 passes for 1,861 yards with 21 touchdowns, while Danny Amendola finished with 103 receptions for 1,177 yards and seven scores.

Crabtree needs 199 receiving yards to match the NCAA single-season record of 2,060, set by Nevada's Trevor Insley in 1999.

Texas Tech's approach under coach Mike Leach is to outscore its opponents, as the Red Raiders surrendered at least 31 points in all four of their losses this season.

Texas Tech has not won a New Year's Day bowl game since a 1954 Gator Bowl victory over Auburn.