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By Joe Gulick
Avalanche-Journal
As Texas Tech prepares for a big game against Oklahoma next Saturday, here is Dirk West’s take on the very first meeting between the future Big 12 rivals.
The inaugural clash between the Sooners and Red Raiders was in Lubbock on Sept. 3, 1992. It was a nationally televised Thursday night game and the season opener for both teams.
Oklahoma, a member of the Big 8 Conference, was ranked 15th in the nation. Tech, a Southwest Conference team, was unranked and upset-minded.
The game was Oklahoma’s all the way. The Sooner defense clamped down on Tech, and the visitors took home a 34-9 victory. Dirk got the crowd he wanted, but Oklahoma silenced it early.
In this cartoon from Aug. 30, 1992, Dirk took the opportunity to kid Sooner fans. Take a close look at the comical rattletrap they are in, complete with hissing radiator, oil leaks, smoky exhaust and at least five pairs of eyes in the back seat.
Oklahoma started off 1992 well, with the Top 20 pre-season ranking and victory over Tech, but it wasn’t a good year for the Sooners. They finished with a 5-4-2 record, were not ranked and didn’t go to a bowl game.
It wasn’t a good year for Tech, either. The Red Raiders were 5-6 in 1992, which was Spike Dykes’ sixth of 13 seasons as Tech football coach.
But here is a positive footnote: 1992 marked a significant turning point for Tech football. It was the last losing season the Red Raiders have had.
Previous Dirk West Cartoons
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