Texas Tech Pulls Off Stunning Comeback

Texas Tech's Alex Trlica (30) celebrates with teammates Jake Ratliff (98) and Alex Reyes, obscured, after Trlica kicked the game-tying field goal against Minnesota in the fourth quarter of the Insight Bowl football game, Friday, Dec. 29, 2006 in Tempe, Ariz.. Texas Tech won 44-41 in overtime. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) (Ross D. Franklin - AP)

-- Texas Tech's stunning comeback and Oregon State's gutsy gamble put some major excitement in a day filled with minor bowls.

At the Insight Bowl, Minnesota built a 31-point lead before Texas Tech rallied for a 44-41 overtime victory on Friday night, the biggest comeback in Division I-A bowl history.

Joel Monroe kicked a 32-yard field goal to put Minnesota up 41-38 in overtime, but Shannon Woods scored on a 3-yard run to win it for the Red Raiders in Tempe, Ariz.

The previous record for a bowl comeback was 30 points, set by Marshall against East Carolina in the 2001 GMAC Bowl.

"We talked at halftime that we had a great opportunity to make history, and the reason people come to Texas Tech is to play all 60 minutes," Red Raiders coach Mike Leach said.

At the Sun Bowl, Oregon State trailed by 14 in the fourth quarter, but Joe Newton's 14-yard touchdown catch with 22 seconds left cut the deficit to 38-37.

Missouri called a timeout to freeze kicker Alexis Serna before the extra point. Instead, it gave the Beavers time to persuade coach Mike Riley to go for the win. And the gamble paid off when Yvenson Bernard barely pushed into the end zone for a 2-point conversion run and a 39-38 victory.

"Like in a card game at the end, we were all-in," Riley said. "We put all of our chips on the table. These guys made it happen."

In other bowl games, it was South Carolina 44, Houston 36 in the Liberty Bowl; Maryland 24, Purdue 7 in the Champs Sports Bowl and Kentucky 28, Clemson 20 in the Music City Bowl.

Texas Tech (8-6) appeared finished after Minnesota (6-7) took a 38-7 lead with 7:47 to go in the third quarter. But the Red Raiders mounted a furious comeback, scoring 31 unanswered points in less than 20 minutes.

Tech's comeback began with 4:58 to go in the third, when Graham Harrell hit Joel Filani for a 43-yard score to cut the lead to 38-14. That touchdown started an avalanche that buried Minnesota.

Trailing 38-35 with no timeouts, the Red Raiders took over at their own 11 with 1:06 remaining. Eight plays later, Alex Trlica tied it with a 52-yard field goal as time expired.