No. 13 Texas Tech survived its first major test of the 2026 season on Friday night, holding off No. 22 Houston 28-26 in a wild Big 12 showdown in Lubbock.
It certainly wasn’t easy.
Houston jumped out to a 10-0 first-quarter lead as Texas Tech’s offense struggled to find its footing. Thomas Castellanos got the start at quarterback for the Red Raiders, but his first possession ended with an interception, and Texas Tech eventually turned to Will Hammond.
That’s when the Red Raiders finally came alive.
Less than a minute into the second quarter, Hammond connected with Kenny Johnson for a 35-yard touchdown to cut Houston’s lead to 10-7.
Texas Tech then took advantage of a Houston fumble and eventually grabbed its first lead of the night late in the half. Hammond helped move the Red Raiders 65 yards before Castellanos returned to the game and scored on a three-yard touchdown run, putting Tech ahead 14-10 with 3:39 remaining.
But Houston had an answer.
Conner Weigman connected with Koby Young for a 46-yard touchdown with 1:11 left in the half, sending the Cougars into the locker room with a 17-14 advantage.
Texas Tech responded immediately after halftime. The Red Raiders went 75 yards in just 2:19 on the opening possession of the third quarter, capped by J’Koby Williams breaking loose for a 29-yard touchdown run to make it 21-17.
Houston answered with a long 13-play, 76-yard drive, but Texas Tech’s defense stiffened near the goal line. A false start on fourth-and-two forced the Cougars to settle for a field goal, cutting Tech’s lead to 21-20 with 5:31 remaining in the third.
That one-point advantage held into the fourth quarter, when Texas Tech put together its biggest drive of the night. The Red Raiders marched 87 yards on 11 plays before Cameron Dickey scored from one yard out to extend the lead to 28-20.
Houston refused to go away, pulling within 28-26 late and giving the Red Raiders one final scare. The Cougars’ two-point conversion attempt then came up inches short.
And Texas Tech survived.
It wasn’t always pretty, but after surviving Oregon State on the road last week, the Red Raiders found another way to win. Texas Tech improves to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in Big 12 play, while handing Houston its first loss of the season.
