PREVIOUS COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF ENTRIES: 50 | 49 | 48 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 44 | 43 | 42
41 | 40 | 39 | 38 | 37 | 36 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 |
21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8
Texas Tech's 2016 football season will begin in exactly seven days with a Sept. 3 kickoff against Stephen F. Austin.
Today, we continue our Countdown to Kickoff series with a notable way the number seven relates to Red Raider football.
7: Steven Sheffield threw seven touchdowns in his first career start, a 66-14 rout of Kansas State.
If everything had gone according to plan, Steven Sheffield never would have started a single game for Texas Tech. He entered the 2009 season as Taylor Potts' backup and it had been a decade since a Red Raider quarterback missed a start.
Then Potts sustained a concussion in the team's non-conference finale against New Mexico, sparking one of the most remarkable and unlikely runs in program history.
Sheffield started the following week against Kansas State. He was flawless, completing 33-of-41 passes for 490 yards, seven touchdowns and an one interception. Texas Tech led 38-0 at halftime and never looked back; its 739 yards of total offense was at the time the third-highest in program history.
The Austin, Texas product started the following week against Nebraska and led the Red Raiders to a 31-10 victory in Lincoln. Unfortunately, Sheffield sustained an injury late in the game that limited him for the rest of the 2009 season.
Tomorrow: 6 - The most prolific, most decorated and winningest quarterback in Texas Tech history.
