Sports
Legendary Red Raiders return to Lubbock as ACU coaches, Wildcats fall 33-10 to Texas Tech - BigCountryHomepage.com
Graham Harrell and Joel Filani came back to Lubbock on Saturday, this time wearing purple as ACU coaches instead of the scarlet and black they made famous as Red Raiders, and Texas Tech handed their Wildcats a 33-10 loss. The two former Red Raiders are now on the ACU coaching staff under head coach Keith Patterson, who acknowledged the awkward homecoming earlier in the week.
The two former Red Raiders are now on the ACU coaching staff under head coach Keith Patterson, who acknowledged the awkward homecoming earlier in the week. "Well, they're not going to be as popular as they used to be wearing purple, probably," Patterson said. The game marked ACU's return to Raiderland just two seasons after one of the wilder finishes in recent memory between the programs, a 52-51 overtime loss for the Wildcats.
Both programs came in carrying momentum. Texas Tech had recently ended a long Big 12 Championship drought, and ACU entered the season as back-to-back conference champions. Saturday settled the bragging rights question pretty cleanly, with the Red Raiders winning by 23.
For fans who remember Harrell slinging it across Jones AT&T Stadium and Filani hauling in passes as one of the best receivers to come through Lubbock, seeing them on the opposite sideline had to feel at least a little strange, no matter the final score.
Common questions
Why are Graham Harrell and Joel Filani coaching for ACU?
- Both former Red Raiders are now on the ACU coaching staff under head coach Keith Patterson. They returned to Lubbock wearing purple instead of the scarlet and black they wore as players, which Patterson joked made them a little less popular around Raiderland.
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