Texas Tech got the kind of injury news it was hoping for after Saturday night’s 29-7 win over Colorado.
Running back Cameron Dickey, who exited with what looked like a serious ankle injury, appears to have avoided a catastrophic setback. Head coach Joey McGuire said the Red Raiders got X-rays on Dickey after the game because of where the pain was, and those tests came back negative.
"We did get X-rays because we were worried with where the pain was," he said. X-rays came back negative, so usually when you're having an X-ray, you're probably looking at a high ankle sprain, you know, which, it all depends on the guy. But it's always hard playing with a high ankle sprain with a running back."
That’s a relief for Texas Tech, especially with the timing. The Red Raiders are heading into an open week, and Dickey’s status now becomes one of the biggest questions before the team returns to action against Arizona State in Lubbock on October 7.
Dickey left in the first half after picking up just 15 yards on four carries, but his value to the offense goes far beyond raw rushing totals. He has been Texas Tech’s best short-yardage back this season and has also handled the wildcat quarterback role, where the Red Raiders have leaned on him to grind out tough yards and punch in scores.
Without him on Saturday, Tech tried to use the wildcat on three short-yardage plays in the first half and got nowhere each time, as Colorado shut them down. McGuire said J'Koby Williams and Quenten Joyner had not practiced that look as much as Dickey had, which is why the staff went away from it after halftime.
The misses drew plenty of frustration from fans, but McGuire made it clear the play isn’t going anywhere. He said Texas Tech has had strong success with it this season and suggested tight end Terrance Carter could step in as the wildcat quarterback if necessary.
Dickey has been one of the most dependable pieces in an offense that has had its ups and downs. He has 57 carries for 242 yards and a team-high four touchdowns in 2026, averaging 4.2 yards per attempt while serving as the Red Raiders’ top option on the tough inside runs.
If he needs more time, Joyner is the next man up. After missing all of last season with a knee injury, he has produced 152 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries this year. Against Colorado, he took over after Dickey went down and finished with 63 yards on 10 rushes, including a 30-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.
Joyner has shown he can handle the load, and Texas Tech’s backfield depth gives the offense some breathing room. Even so, there’s no mistaking Dickey’s importance.
If the Red Raiders want to be at their best running the ball, they need him on the field. For now, the key news is that the worst-case scenario seems to have been avoided.
In Other News...
Texas Tech Fans Stumbled Onto A Colorado Mystery Before Kickoff
Texas Tech supporters got an unexpected glimpse behind the curtain before kickoff when a 25-page Colorado game plan playbook was reportedly found at the Buffaloes' team hotel. The document appeared authentic and, according to the report, lined up with plays Colorado actually used in the game, turning what might have been a routine pregame footnote into a curious subplot around the matchup.
The game itself only deepened the intrigue for the Red Raiders, who watched Colorado struggle through a 29-7 loss marked by turnovers and interceptions. After a third straight defeat, Deion Sanders pointed to problems inside the program and said the Buffaloes will open up the quarterback competition during the bye week, leaving plenty of questions for a team trying to steady itself. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Defense Just Turned A Nervy Start Into A Statement Win
Texas Tech walked into Boulder facing a tricky setup and spent the first half looking like a team trying to find its footing. Colorado had the early edge, but the Red Raiders kept hanging around long enough for the defense to start tilting the game their way, and once the takeaways started coming, the whole mood of the night changed.
John Curry, Brice Pollock and Malik Esquerra each came away with interceptions as Texas Tech turned a halftime deficit into a 29-7 win. Will Hammond threw for 134 yards and a touchdown, while J'Koby Williams and Quinten Joyner also found the end zone, giving the Red Raiders a road victory that felt a lot cleaner by the finish than it did when it began. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Just Entered A Much Bigger Ranking Conversation
Texas Techs convincing 29-7 win over Colorado did more than just keep the momentum rolling, it pushed the Red Raiders up the national board in a way that starts to change the conversation around them. The latest polls rewarded the performance, with Tech moving to No. 11 in the AP Poll and No. 9 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, a climb that reflects how firmly this team has settled into the upper tier of the rankings.
The larger picture around the AP Top 25 only sharpens the context, with Texas holding No. 1 for a fourth straight week and Missouri making a notable leap to No. 14 after beating Florida. Pittsburgh also found its way into the poll at No. 25, while Kentucky fell out, but for the Red Raiders the bigger question now is how long they can keep climbing before the schedule forces a tougher test of just how real this ranking surge is. [Read more 🡒]