ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Kliff Kingsbury hopes to end his spectacular college career on a high note Monday night when he leads Texas Tech against Clemson in the Tangerine Bowl.
Kingsbury holds seven NCAA records and is fourth on the all-time passing yards list with 12,054. This season, he completed 447 of 669 passes for 4,642 yards and 42 touchdowns in leading the Red Raiders to an 8-5 record.
But Kingsbury has never won a bowl game, suffering a 40-27 loss to East Carolina in the 2000 Galleryfurniture.com Bowl and a 19-16 setback to Iowa in last year's Alamo Bowl.
He will try to get his postseason win against a Clemson club that tied for fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Kingsbury also is looking to bounce back from a rough outing in the regular season finale against Oklahoma. With a berth in the Big 12 Conference championship game on the line, he completed just 15 of 35 passes for a season-low 187 yards and was sacked six times in a 60-15 loss to the Sooners.
The week before, he passed for six touchdowns and a Big 12 Conference-record 473 yards in a 42-38 upset of Texas.
Texas Tech is seeking its first bowl victory since posting a 55-41 win over Air Force in the 1995 Cooper Bowl, also the last time the Red Raiders won nine games in a season.
Texas Tech is making its 25th bowl appearance, but is just 5-18-1 in the postseason.
The contests offers an interesting contrast as Clemson (7-5) ranks 17th in the nation against the pass, allowing only 175 yards per game.
The Tigers have two players ranked in the top 15 in interceptions. Justin Miller is seventh with seven and Brian Mance 15th with six. Clemson is the only team in the country to have two players with at least six picks.
Clemson could only split their first eight games, but went 3-1 down the stretch under freshman quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, who took over for the struggling Willie Simmons. Whitehurst completed 103 of 166 passes for 1,291 yards and nine touchdowns.
Clemson dropped to 13-12 all-time in bowl play with a 41-20 loss to Virginia Tech in last year's Gator Bowl.
Clemson and Texas Tech are meeting for the first time.
