Texas Tech left Corvallis with a win, but it didn’t look like a team playing up to its billing for much of the night. Against Oregon State in 2026, the Red Raiders were messy early, frustrating for long stretches, and staring at the kind of loss that could have punched a hole in a season loaded with expectations. Instead, they found enough late to pull away with a 35-24 victory.
That matters because this was the second straight uneven outing for a Texas Tech team being talked about as a darkhorse national title threat. Through two games, the Red Raiders have not matched that hype. They have, though, kept the record spotless, and every preseason objective is still sitting there in front of them.
The next step is a big one. Texas Tech now gets ranked Houston, and that matchup should say plenty about where this team really stands.
If the Red Raiders stumble again, the concerns that have built up from the Abilene Christian and Oregon State games will only grow louder. If they beat the Cougars, the slow start suddenly looks like something they survived rather than something that defined them.
And the way this group is built, a sharp response wouldn’t be a shock.
One thing that did become clear against Oregon State: J'Koby Williams is Texas Tech’s lead back. Cameron dickey fumbled on his first carry and followed that with another poor game, while Quentin Joyner’s main contribution was an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Williams was the one who gave the ground game life after it had been putrid. He ran for 116 yards on 5.8 yards per carry and scored on a 38-yard burst in the fourth quarter.
He also caught two passes for 16 yards. His pass protection still needs work, but he looks like the back who should be getting the bulk of the touches.
The quarterback picture remains unsettled, though Will Hammond at least gave Texas Tech something workable. He was far from perfect and spent much of the night throwing behind his receivers, but he was good enough to keep the offense moving and better as the game went on. He finished with 189 passing yards, threw the go-ahead touchdown to Coy Eakin in the fourth quarter, and avoided an interception.
Thomas Castellanos, the Florida State transfer, added a different element when he got on the field. Deep in the red zone, he was brought in and immediately rushed for a touchdown. Later, he started a series in Texas Tech territory in place of Hammond.
All of that leaves offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich looking like he is still figuring things out on the fly. Hammond still appears to have the starting job, but Castellanos’ role is less defined. The Oregon State game should give Leftwich more to work with, and more clarity on how to use both quarterbacks moving forward.
In Other News...
Texas Tech Fans Are Already Sounding The Alarm After Corvallis
Texas Techs first two games have left plenty of Red Raiders fans uneasy, and it is not hard to see why. A narrow win over Oregon State followed by a less convincing showing against Abilene Christian has already turned the early part of the season into a referendum on how sharp this team really is, with social media filling up quickly with complaints about penalties, play calling and the kind of execution that tends to separate a comfortable September from a tense one.
The frustration is less about one bad night than the feeling that the same concerns are showing up too early and too often. For a program that wanted cleaner football out of the gate, the online reaction has made clear that the leash is short and the patience is thinner, which means Texas Tech will have to answer some real questions on the field before the noise around Corvallis fades. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Techs First Road Test Will Answer One Big Defensive Question
Texas Techs first road trip of the season arrives with a chance to see how far this group has come, and it comes in a setting that usually tells on a team fast. The Red Raiders are headed to Reser Stadium in Corvallis to face Oregon State in a game that will air on CBS, and Joey McGuire made clear this is the kind of test he wants early. With Texas Tech sitting at 12-2 and Oregon State at 2-12, the record gap might look lopsided, but the value here is less about the matchup on paper and more about how the Red Raiders handle a different environment.
McGuire has talked about the importance of the road game and the standard he expects defensively, which is where the real interest lies for Texas Tech. Away from home, the Red Raiders will get a cleaner read on whether that side of the ball can travel and hold up when the surroundings change, the crowd gets louder, and the game asks for answers in tougher spots. For a team with bigger goals ahead, this is the kind of early-season trip that can confirm a lot without necessarily telling the whole story. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Techs 2-0 Start Just Put Its QB Situation In Focus
Texas Techs 35-24 win over Oregon State gave Joey McGuire plenty to like in the record column, but not nearly as much at quarterback. Will Hammond delivered a solid-enough stat line, hitting 20 of 27 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown, yet McGuire made it clear after the game that the Red Raiders need cleaner play from the position as the competition around him continues to take shape.
The concern was not just about the final numbers, either. McGuire pointed to turnovers, sacks and decision-making as the issues that need attention, while Florida State transfer Thomas Castellanos also saw snaps at quarterback. With Texas Tech off to a 2-0 start, the question now is less about whether the Red Raiders are winning and more about how settled their quarterback room really is. [Read more 🡒]