Texas Tech's 2016 football season will begin in exactly 42 days with a Sept. 3 kickoff against Stephen F. Austin.
Today, we continue our Countdown to Kickoff series with a notable way the number 42 relates to Red Raider football.
42: Taylor Potts completed 42 passes in Texas Tech's 2010Â victory over Baylor.
Taylor Potts occupies an interesting place in Texas Tech's quarterback history. He was Graham Harrell's immediate successor, became embroiled in a mid-season quarterback controversy in 2009 that never really ended and bridged the gap between the Mike Leach and Tommy Tuberville eras. It was this collection of circumstances that led Potts to become a lightning rod of sorts, fairly or unfairly, for fan criticism.
That criticism was reaching a boiling point four games into Potts' senior season, Tuberville's first on the South Plains. The Red Raiders had managed just one offensive touchdown in an early-season showdown with Texas, and followed up that performance with an embarrassing 52-38 loss to Iowa State.
Potts responded with perhaps his best game in a Texas Tech uniform.
The Red Raiders were just a two-point favorite over Baylor in 2010. Led by Robert Griffin III, the Bears were 4-1 and well on their way to breaking the program's lengthy postseason drought. Texas Tech looked ripe for the picking.
In a back-and-forth 45-38 shootout victory, Potts outdueled the future Heisman Trophy winner, completing 42-of-59 passes (71.2 percent) for a career-high 462 yards and four touchdowns. The Red Raider offense piled up 635 yards, ran 95 plays and logged a season-high 35 first downs.
Tomorrow: 41 - We look back at the most decorated football player in Texas Tech history.
