Throwback Thursday: My Favorite Oklahoma State-Texas Tech Game Ever

Jon Holland.

A mere footnote in the history of Oklahoma State football. He was also the author of the play that capped one of my favorite Oklahoma State-Texas Tech games ever (and there have been a lot of them). The Pokes took the Raiders 51-49 in 2003 despite an absurd day from my least-favorite of all of Mike Leach’s QBs: B.J. Symons.

Here’s the AP with the recap.

The teams combined for 1,334 total yards. Oklahoma State was third in the nation in scoring coming in, averaging 40.6 points. Texas Tech had averaged 46.8.

Symons actually still holds the single-season NCAA record for total yards with 5,976 that year. He also holds the records for most passes in a season (719) and most 400-yard games (11!) Look at these numbers from the OSU game.

Wes Welker had 10 catches for 129 yards and a pair of TDs. OSU countered with 28 carries and 238 yards plus three TDs from Tatum Bell. The Woods bros added nine catches for 217 yards.

“The offense came out quickly with big plays by Tatum Bell and Rashaun Woods,” Les Miles told the AP. “It gave us the opportunity to score and score repeatedly. We understood that this would be a four-quarter game. The clock just doesn’t seem to run when you play Texas Tech.”

But the biggest catch of the day definitely came from Holland.

Here is the scoring drive chart which is just completely ludicrous (especially at the time).

And the full highlights. The Holland pick, which is fabulous, comes at the 12:15 mark.

Symons, by the way, lives in Houston now. And looks exactly like I remembered him.

Happy New Year!! Wishing everyone a blessed 2013 #LetsRide pic.twitter.com/fOzFKBD5

— BJ Symons (@BJSymons) January 1, 2013