Fight Matadors For Tech, Songs of Love We Sing to Thee...

Let me tell you about one of the most fucking exhilarating experiences of my life!!!!!

It's Nov. 17, 2007. Day of the OU vs. Tech game at 7 p.m. at Jones Stadium.

The Texas Tech football team was coming home after three rough losses to Texas, Missouri and Colorado. Number 4 Oklahoma University was vying for the Big 12 championship, and a possible national championship.

The odds weren't looking good for Texas Tech, but then again, this is the same team that made the greatest comeback in bowl history last year. According to CBS sports online, Tech rallied from a 31 point deficit to win 44-41 in 2006 against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Em a junior advertising major from Texas said she thought it would be just another disappointing loss for Texas Tech.

"I was so confident we would lose that I didn't even go to the first quarter of the game," Em said. "But then I saw on TV that Tech was winning, and I rushed out my door toward the stadium."

Em said her friends and roommates had been at the game since 4 p.m. and were on the front row. She met them there.

It was a long game, one tech student estimated that the first quarter alone lasted over an hour. Yet, with Oklahoma University's starring quarterback out with a concussion, it was also a promising one for the Texas Tech team.

Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell scored the first touchdown, starting a wild fire for Tech. The half ended with a 27-7 tech lead.

During the fourth quarter, the OU offense began to show signs of life. This worried many Tech fans, they thought Tech might lose in the last few minutes.

With less than half a minute left in the game and the score 34-27, Tech recovered an onside kick for the win.

Soon after, Tech fans rushed the field, thrilled by the upset of the No. 4 team, OU.



I was in the front row!!! When there were about three minutes left in the game we all started to get pretty nervous because we knew we wanted to rush the field but the stadium sent a TON of state troopers and policemen out to line up around the field.

There were these hilarious guys behind us yelling to the cops things like:
"I can out-run all of you mother fuckers, so get ready!!!"
and
"All right get ready, we're going to have to run."

With about 30 seconds left in the game everyone started to swing their knees up over the railing. We were warned several times to get back, but once Graham Harrell took a knee, all hell broke loose.

1I swung over the railing and jumped down to the field and began to run. I felt someone grab my hoodie, but kicked it off and ran for my life to the center of the field. I was met by other Tech students, showering the football team with praises and high fives. At one point it felt just like you hear in the news, crowds get too packed together and someone gets crushed. My ribs felt like they were going to explode but I was so happy to be there with the team and all of the fans.

Some fans lifted Graham up into the air, where he gave everyone high fives. The band began to play The Matador Song and every single out of breath student began to bellow the words.

When this ended everyone began to walk back toward the stands, where people waited to help everyone up.

Things I found out later:

The cops were tackling people left and right, some even got beat up.

The person pulling on my shirt was Katy, she had fallen while jumping from the railing. I thought it was a cop and was like "Fuck you, I'm gone!"

Graham Harrell ate at Whataburger with us later that night. Goddamn, I will forever be able to say I ate dinner with him. (Side Story that I find culturally interesting: Clint was in line at Whataburger and saw that someone had cut in front of him. He turned around to be like "What the fuck asshole!?" and it was Graham Harrell, so he graciously let it slide.)

If I hadn't gone to the game, I would have shot myself.

This was the single best game I've ever been to in my life. Now if we could only beat Texas...