In which DCist surveys the Saturday that was in college football.

Upsetting the Set-Up: In The Book of Samuel, David strikes Goliath with a stone from a sling before smiting him with a sword. Look, Goliath got off easy. Last night Texas Tech introduced a sports-watching nation to true asymmetrical wrath, with the insurgent #7 Red Raiders decapitating an unsuspecting, top-ranked Texas Longhorns squad.

The thing is, Texas most certainly did expect to face a tough game against Texas Tech. Since 2002, when Tech coach Mike Leach and then-quarterback Kliff Kingsbury first collaborated for a nine-win season won mostly on an incredible passing game, Texas Tech has proved itself in two ways. First, and foremost, as a spoiler. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride, Tech relishes the opportunity to punctuate the seasons of the Big XII South that are perpetual contenders. They’re no one’s rivals and everyone’s rivals, battling fiercely against teams like OU, OSU, and Texas when those teams were focused on one another.

Now Tech has finally come into its own, owing to that other notorious aspect of Texas Tech football: Its incredible aerial attack. Leach has built his own private air force in Lubbock, Texas, calling unusual shotgun lineups, deploying a host of wideouts, and forgoing the running game (as well as the fourth-down punt). Quarterback Graham Harrell’s had three seasons to develop his own command with the Tech offense, whereas his predecessors (after Kingsbury) captained their teams for just a single season.

That signature Tech offense? Nowhere to be found on game day. Tech ran the ball—hell, Tech established the running game. Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp never knew what hit him. And Texas fans could scarcely believe what they were watching: a powerful running game augmented by a successful passing game, built primarily around the screen. It sounds like, well, a Texas Longhorns offense.

Photo of Osmar Schindler’s 1888 lithograph by Hawkexpress