Texas Tech football to face California in Independence Bowl
The Texas Tech football team needed to make up ground in the final month of the season just to play in the postseason. That's a theme in Joey McGuire's first two years as the Tech head coach.
Last year, the Red Raiders rallied from a 4-5 record by winning their last three regular-season games and then bumping off heavily favored Mississippi in the Texas Bowl. This year, the Red Raiders rallied from 3-5 with another three-game win streak in November.
They'll play in the postseason, though probably not with the chance for a victory as energizing as one over a Southeastern Conference team that had been ranked for much of the season.
McGuire's second go-round with the Red Raiders will culminate with Texas Tech playing California in a clash of 6-6 teams at the Independence Bowl. The game is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. on Dec. 16, the first day for bowls involving FBS teams this season. It's the last of five games that day and will be televised by ESPN.
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The pairing officially was announced Sunday.
"On behalf of our entire program, we are excited to face a talented Cal program in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl," McGuire said in Tech's announcement. "This will be a tremendous opportunity for many of our players to play in one of the nation’s longest-running bowl games. We look forward to the trip to Shreveport and the opportunity to play in front of Red Raider nation one last time this season."
Tech has four players from Louisiana, including starting defensive Myles Cole.
Tech and Cal have met only once previously, but memorably for the Red Raiders. Sonny Cumbie threw for 520 yards as Tech upset No. 4 Cal and quarterback Aaron Rodgers 45-31 at the 2004 Holiday Bowl in San Diego.
The bowl appearance will be the 41st for Texas Tech, which is 16-23-1 in previous trips. Tech's been to the Independence Bowl twice before, losing to Ole Miss in 1986 and again in 1998.
Both games took place with one of the teams in the midst of a head-coaching change. In 1986, David McWilliams resigned to take the Texas job, and Spike Dykes' made his Tech head-coaching debut at the Independence Bowl. In 1998, Auburn hired Tommy Tuberville away from the Rebels, and David Cutcliffe made his Ole Miss head-coaching debut in Shreveport.
"Texas Tech is honored to accept an invitation to play in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl," athletics director Kirby Hocutt said in Tech's announcement. "We look forward to bringing Red Raider nation to the state of Louisiana for our first trip to Shreveport in more than two decades. We can't encourage our fans and alumni in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and East Texas areas enough to join us in Shreveport for a great matchup against Cal.”
An exclusive period for Red Raider Club members and football season-ticket holders to request bowl tickets runs through 5 p.m. Monday. If Tech has tickets left in its allotment after that, sales will begin to the general public at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Tech officials said requests will be taken online at TexasTech.com or by calling the Tech athletics ticket office at (806) 742-8324.
Tech student-seat tickets also will go on sale at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, but must be bought in person with a Tech ID at the athletics ticket office.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football to face California in Independence Bowl
