CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1979 Texas Tech

3–⁠6–⁠2 (2–⁠5–⁠1 Southwest Conference), coached by Rex Dockery.

Schedule and results

Texas Tech in 1979, game by game: lost vs. No. 1 USC 7–21; won vs. New Mexico 17–7; tied at Arizona 14–14; lost at Baylor 17–27; won vs. Texas A&M 21–20; lost vs. No. 12 Arkansas 6–20; won vs. Rice 30–7; lost at No. 8 Texas 6–14; tied vs. TCU 3–3; lost at SMU 10–35; lost at No. 9 Houston 10–14+23−25Lost 7–21 vs. No. 1 USC-14No. 1 USCWon 17–7 vs. New Mexico+10New MexicoTied 14–14 at Arizona0ArizonaLost 17–27 at Baylor-10BaylorWon 21–20 vs. Texas A&M+1Texas A&MLost 6–20 vs. No. 12 Arkansas-14No. 12 ArkansasWon 30–7 vs. Rice+23RiceLost 6–14 at No. 8 Texas-8No. 8 TexasTied 3–3 vs. TCU0TCULost 10–35 at SMU-25SMULost 10–14 at No. 9 Houston-4No. 9 Houston
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 8vs1USCL 7–⁠2139%
Sep 15vsNew MexicoW 17–⁠758%
Sep 22atArizonaT 14–⁠1446%
Sep 29atBaylorL 17–⁠2748%
Oct 6vsTexas A&MW 21–⁠2048%
Oct 13vs12ArkansasL 6–⁠2036%
Oct 20vsRiceW 30–⁠781%
Nov 3at8TexasL 6–⁠1420%
Nov 10vsTCUT 3–⁠378%
Nov 17atSMUL 10–⁠3547%
Nov 24at9HoustonL 10–⁠1418%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Lost to Houston 14–⁠10; unranked in the final AP poll; 7th in the Southwest Conference.

In program history: The 68th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 101 on file).

Record
3–⁠6–⁠2
Conference
2–⁠5–⁠1 7th in Southwest Conference
AP final
Unranked
Points
141–⁠182
Coach
Rex Dockery
Elo
1487 −73 this season
SP+ rating
7.5 No. 44 of 135; offense No. 93, defense No. 14
SRS
7.6 No. 39 of 140 in Division I-A
Recruiting class
—
Defensive coordinator
Sam Robertson
Offense
Option
Defense
4–⁠4

Drafted in 1980

The 1980 draft
Rd 3James Hadnot RBKansas City Chiefs
Rd 4Larry Flowers DBTampa Bay Buccaneers

All-Southwest Conference

2 first team

First team

From Wikipedia’s 1979 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1979 Southwest Conference standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Houston7–⁠111–⁠15
Arkansas7–⁠110–⁠28
Texas6–⁠29–⁠312
Baylor5–⁠38–⁠414
Texas A&M4–⁠46–⁠5
SMU3–⁠55–⁠6
Texas Tech2–⁠5–⁠13–⁠6–⁠2
TCU1–⁠6–⁠12–⁠8–⁠1
Rice0–⁠81–⁠10

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.