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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22. 2008
HOMECOMING SECTION
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Senior linebacker Joe Mortensen gets a hit on FIU quarterback Paul McCall during Saturday's game at Memorial Stadium. A Memorial Stadium record crowd saw Kansas defeit FIU 40-10. The Hawkeye defense held the Panthers to 139 yards of total offense for the game.
Jon Goerina/KANSAN
Texas & M&M running back Mike Goodson, left, is tackled by Texas Tech safety Darcel McBath during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008, in College Station, Texas.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The history of the Jayhawks and Red Raiders Kansas will face Texas Tech this weekend...
BY HALLIE MANN
hmann@kansan.com
Everything is bigger in Texas, especially football. This weekend Kansas will face off against Texas Tech University for our homecoming game. Like all colleges, the Red Raiders have their own superstitions and rituals for football games. But will this be enough to beat the Jayhawks this Saturday?
A BRIEF HISTORY OF TEXAS TECH...
According the Texas Tech University Web site, the University was originally founded as Texas Technical College was founded in Lubbock, Texas, in 1923 with a class of 914 students. Currently it has about 28,000 students in its eleven colleges and graduate school. Texas Tech is home to the Red Raiders, which have been represented by the Masked Rider and Raider Red, will surely be in their scarlet and black apparel at the game this weekend. Texas Tech is the only campus in the state of Texas that is home to a major university, a law school and a medical school on the same campus.
TEXAS TECH
TRADITIONS VS.
KANSAS TRADITIONS...
Both teams have their own pregame superstitions and one of the more private traditions of the football team is the Double T saddle. A statue dedicated to Double T, one of the many horses ridden by the Masked Rider, is found just outside the locker room. For luck, the Red
Raider football players will touch the statue on their way out to the game.
The Texas Tech mascot, Raider Red, was created in 1972 by one of the members of the Saddle Tramps, a student group that supports men's athletics. Raider Red was created to replace the Masked Rider who would burst into the stadium on his trusty black steel during each game. Like Baby Jay and Big Jay, Raider Red's identity is a secret. While Raider Red has his two 12 gauge shotguns Big Jay and Baby Jay should not be afraid. In a two on one brawl, they could easily take down Raider Red and his oversized cowboy hat.
If the Red Raider mascot isn't enough to get Texas Tech pumped for a game, then the Goin' Band from RaiderLand might be able to do the trick. Originally when the band was formed in 1925 it only had 21 members. Today the 400-member band in their black matador style costumes will be seen at Memorial Stadium this weekend to support their team. The Jayhawk Marching Band will play throughout the game and during halftime to show the Red Raiders how it's done.
The Red Raiders are also known for the infamous 'Guns Up' hand gesture. The 'Guns Up' signal was also created in 1972 by a Texas Tech graduate who was attending law school. The idea is that Texas Tech will shoot their opponents down. The gesture is used by Red Raider fans and students as a greeting or after a victory at a football game. Hopefully KU fans will not have to see this gesture at Saturday's game.
The Jayhawks might not have a hand signal to rival the Red Raiders but they'll get the message when Kansas fans shake their keys telling them to pack it up and go home after the Jayhawks score.
Before each home football game, students can party at RaiderGate, Texas Tech's official student tailgating section. Free food and live music are just part of the largest party on campus. Kansas also has a huge tailgating area on Campanile Hill where Jayhawks can get ready for the game. There may be a turf war for tailgating spots on the hill if Texas Tech fans plan to come out for the game.
THE GAME...
Even when it's not homecoming for Texas Tech, fans and alumni cheer on the Red Raiders. Wichita sophomore Kevin Neslage was born in Lubbock and his father is a Texas Tech graduate.
"It's going to be a good game," Neslage said. As a college football fan, Neslage has always watched Texas Tech on television. "Lubbock is just different from where most people come from." Neslage said, "there's no big cities in west Texas and it just has a different feel than Kansas." Neslage and his father will be attending the game on Saturday with Neslage in blue cheering for the Jayhawks and his father will be in scarlet for the Red Raiders.
The game itself will be close for Kansas. According to ESPN, Texas Tech is ranked eighth by the Bowl Selection Committee. While Kansas had a great performance last year at the Orange Bowl we are going to have to pick it up if we want to see another bowl game.
Texas Tech is 3-0 on the road and 3-0 in conference play giving them a substantial boost coming into the game this weekend.
Ryan Diehl, Hays freshman,
thinks the game against Texas Tech
will be tough for the Jayhawks
who are coming off of a loss this
weekend. Diehl doesn't think that
because it's homecoming the game
is any different. "This game is pretty
important since we lost at home
this last weekend," Diehl said. " (Texas Tech) can throw the ball pretty well," Diehl said, "but Kansas has worked out some the problems they have with their offense and defense." Diehl is predicting a victory for the jayhawks.
While KU students will be celebrating all of this week for homecoming, the true test of the Jayhawks will be at the game on Saturday. When those boys from
Lubbock step on to the field, they mean business. With one of the best wide receivers in the nation the Jayhawks will really have to step up and play their best to beat the Red Raiders.
With the support of all of the KU students and fans, the wave of blue shirts and waving wheat will show the Red Raiders the spirit and tradition that we hold so dearly at Kansas.