No. 22 Houston left Lubbock with the kind of loss that stings for a while: a 28-26 defeat to No. 13 Texas Tech that was decided by inches, not miles.
The Cougars had their shot at the end. Down 28-20 with a little more than two minutes left, Houston drove for a touchdown and then tried to tie it with a two-point conversion.
Senior quarterback Conner Weigman came up less than half a yard short, and that was that. Houston dropped to 2-1, while Texas Tech moved to 3-0.
For much of the night, though, Houston looked every bit like a team that belongs in the Big 12 race. The opening quarter was as clean and confident as it gets on the road.
The Cougars opened with a 62-yard march that chewed up 5:33 and ended in a field goal, then cashed in on their next chance after Will James intercepted Texas Tech on the Red Raiders’ first offensive snap. Weigman finished that drive with an 11-yard touchdown strike to senior receiver Amare Thomas, and Houston was suddenly up 10-0.
That first quarter belonged to the Cougars in every way. They outgained Texas Tech 125 to 30 and owned an 8-1 edge in first downs. For a stretch, Houston had the look of the more composed team in the building.
Texas Tech eventually settled in, and once it did, the Red Raiders found too many big plays. Houston’s defense had some important stops, but it couldn’t keep the explosive stuff in front of it after the opening period.
Texas Tech piled up 168 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including a 29-yard run from junior back J’Koby Williams, and Will Hammond hit junior receiver Kenny Johnson for a 35-yard score. The Red Raiders finished with more than seven yards per play and better than 15 yards per catch.
Still, Houston kept answering. One of the game’s signature moments came late in the second quarter when redshirt sophomore receiver Koby Young hauled in a stunning one-handed catch over his shoulder and Weigman dropped the ball right in the bucket for a 46-yard touchdown. That gave the Cougars a 17-14 halftime lead.
Houston got another jaw-dropper before the break, this time on defense. Fifth-year corner Jalen Mayo snatched a one-handed interception on Texas Tech’s next possession, his first pick at Houston, and sent the game to halftime with the Cougars still in front.
There were real positives for Houston beyond the highlight reel. The offensive line held up well against one of the Big 12’s better fronts, and the ground game produced 176 yards.
Senior running back Makhi Hughes led the way with 15 carries for 71 yards, while redshirt junior Re’Shaun Sanford II added five carries for 30 yards. Weigman also contributed on the ground, rushing for 56 yards on 13 attempts.
Houston’s third-down work mattered, too. The Cougars came into the game as one of the better third-down teams around, and they backed that up by going 7-for-10 in the first half and 9-for-15 overall.
On the final drive, they converted a third-and-five before Weigman found redshirt junior tight end Patrick Overmyer for a 10-yard touchdown. The drive covered 88 yards in 10 plays and took just 1:55, a sharp answer in a loud road setting.
In the end, Houston had the kind of performance that can travel - and the kind of finish that leaves no comfort. The Cougars were close enough to make the favorites sweat, and close enough to know exactly how little separated them from a statement win.
In Other News...
Texas Tech Exposed A Baylor Problem That Could Decide Two Games
Texas Techs win over Houston offered Baylor a useful preview of what the next stretch in the Big XII could look like, and it started with the Red Raiders ability to create problems all over the floor. Texas Tech showed how hard it can be to stay organized when a team keeps attacking from multiple spots, forcing defenses to sort out matchups while still trying to control the games pace. For Baylor, that means the upcoming meeting is less about one matchup and more about whether the Bears can keep their structure intact long enough to avoid getting dragged into a scramble.
Houston, meanwhile, provided a different kind of warning. Baylors defensive plan against the Cougars will need to put pressure on quarterback Conner Weigman and keep him from settling in, because giving him time only makes the assignment harder. The Bears have the pieces to make both games manageable, but the common thread is clear: defensive intensity cannot dip, and Baylor has to carry it from one opponent to the next if it wants these conference games to break its way. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Let A Statement Win Slip Away At Texas Tech
Houston built the kind of early edge that usually travels well in Big 12 road tests, forcing a pair of interceptions and grabbing control before Texas Tech settled in. For a while, the No. 22 Cougars looked like they were putting together a statement win, one that would have given their fast start even more weight against a ranked opponent.
Instead, the game turned once the Red Raiders found their rhythm and Houston could not get enough stops on pass defense or on third downs to close the door. The Cougars fell 28-26, dropped to 2-1, and now have to regroup quickly with Georgia Southern next on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Let A Winnable Road Game Expose Bigger Problems
Texas Tech did enough to turn a tight Big 12 road game into a loss for Houston, with Donovan Smith steering four touchdown drives and piling up 257 passing yards in a 28-26 finish. The Cougars had their own bright spots, but the kind of mistakes and missed opportunities that can decide games away from home were there throughout, and Texas Tech kept finding answers when Houston needed a stop.
Kenny Johnsons career-high 113 yards and a touchdown helped give the home side a needed lift, while Cam Dickey and JKoby Williams added balance on the ground. Houston also got Terrance Carter onto the field despite a lower leg injury, but his status is still uncertain, and the Cougars now have to sort out not just the result but what it says about where they are when winnable games start slipping away. [Read more 🡒]