Usually when Dirk West drew a mascot looking as scratched, mangled and beaten-up as the Red Raider is in this Oct. 22, 1973, cartoon, it meant the team had just been defeated - and often by a large margin.
But that isn't the case here. Texas Tech had beaten the 19th-ranked Arizona Wildcats 31-17 in a tough game in Tucson on Oct. 20. The Wildcats had led 17-16 at the beginning of the fourth-quarter.
The victory put Tech into the nation's Top 20, where it would remain for the rest of the season. Tech finished the 1973 season at No. 11 in the nation after a Gator Bowl victory.
Texas had just rebounded from a 52-13 drubbing by Oklahoma by beating Arkansas 34-6. Longhorn fullback Roosevelt Leaks carried 24 times for 209 yards and three touchdowns. Oklahoma was on NCAA probation and couldn't play in a bowl game.
The Aggie's remark needs two important pieces of background information to put it in context. First, local television stations at the time had public service messages just before their 10 p.m. news broadcasts that said, "Parents, it is 10 p.m. Do you know where your children are?" Second, Texas A&M's quarterback was freshman David Walker, who was only 17 years old.
The Boo Bird was right about the SMU game, and Tech won it 31-14.
Dirk directed most of his barbs at teams and coaches, but he also took on other targets, such as fans, local TV sportscasters, referees and even school bands. He zinged a radio broadcaster here.
