Friday night’s Texas Tech-Houston thriller offered Baylor a clear preview of what’s coming later this season: two Big XII offenses with plenty of weapons, a few game-breaking plays, and a couple of matchups the Bears will need to handle cleanly if they want to beat both teams.
The Red Raiders and Cougars played a tight, high-level game, one that featured several jaw-dropping catches from both sides. A handful of those highlight grabs came from players wearing No. 2 - Houston’s Jalen Mayo and Koby Young, along with Texas Tech’s Kenny Johnson.
Baylor will see both teams on its schedule soon enough. The Bears open Big XII play next week, September 25th, to close out their three-game home stand against head coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes. Texas Tech comes to Waco on November 21st for Baylor’s final home game of the year, and Houston is the season finale on November 28, when the Bears travel to face the Cougars.
For Baylor, the Texas Tech tape points straight to the run game. Jacoby Williams didn’t get much work in the first half, but he broke loose for two explosive runs on the Red Raiders’ first drive after halftime, finishing the second one with a touchdown. He lined up both in the backfield and in the slot, which means Baylor will have to track him as both a runner and a decoy.
Cameron Dickey gives Texas Tech another layer. He can line up at running back or take the Wildcat snap, and he scored what became the deciding touchdown early in the fourth quarter against Houston. That kind of flexibility gives the Red Raiders plenty of ways to attack a defense.
If Baylor wants to beat Texas Tech in Waco, the path is clear: force quarterback Will Hammond to throw by shutting down the run as efficiently as possible. The defensive line has to do its part so the cornerbacks and safeties can focus on the passing game. Hammond has receivers to work with, but if Baylor can take away the ground game too, that makes the air attack far less dangerous.
Houston presents a different challenge, but the same basic principle applies. Conner Weigman finished with a strong stat line - 27 of 38 for 282 yards and three touchdowns - but Texas Tech’s crowd seemed to bother him late. After the Red Raiders had scored and taken a 28-20 lead, Houston stalled on a quick three-and-out that included three straight overthrown incompletions before punting it back.
That’s the template for Baylor against the Cougars: pressure Weigman and keep it coming. It sounds simple, but if the contact and disruption aren’t constant, he’ll have time to carve up a defense or make plays with his legs. Baylor will need defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman to put together some of his best schemes and packages for that one.
In Other News...
Texas Tech Fans Unleashed After Ranked Comeback Win
Texas Techs first Big 12 game of the season carried a little extra weight because Houston was the only ranked opponent on the Red Raiders regular-season schedule, and the matchup turned into exactly the kind of test that can tell a team something about itself. Falling behind 10-0 early did not help the mood, but Texas Tech settled in and answered with 28 points the rest of the way to leave with a 28-26 road win and an early conference victory.
The result gives the Red Raiders a welcome boost at 1-0 in Big 12 play and, just as important, a ranked win they will be able to point to all season. What comes next will say plenty about whether this was simply a spirited comeback or the start of something sturdier, but for one afternoon Texas Tech handled the kind of game that can shape a seasons tone. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Just Delivered The Kind Of Win Fans Crave
Texas Tech gave its home crowd exactly the kind of September finish that can set a tone for the rest of the season, edging Houston 28-26 in Lubbock to stay unbeaten and move to 3-0. In a game that drew plenty of reactions from players, media and the teams own accounts afterward, the Red Raiders found a way to turn a tight finish into another early-season checkpoint worth celebrating.
For a program trying to build momentum, wins like this tend to matter beyond the box score. The scoreline was close enough to keep everyone honest, and the setting made it feel like one of those games fans remember when they talk about the start of a promising run, even as the broader questions about what this team can become still linger. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Just Gave Fans A Real Reason To Debate This Team
Texas Tech had to work for it in Lubbock, but the Red Raiders found enough offense and enough poise to get past Houston 28-26 in a Big 12 opener that played out like a referendum on where this team is headed. After falling behind early, Texas Tech got key snaps from quarterbacks Thomas Castellanos and Will Hammond, while JKoby Williams and Cameron Dickey each added touchdown runs to keep the offense moving and the crowd engaged.
Houston made the finish far less comfortable, trimming the margin late and forcing Texas Tech to sweat the final moments. The Cougars never quite finished the comeback, coming up short on a two-point conversion attempt, and the Red Raiders walked away 3-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play with a result that should fuel plenty of debate about how real this start might be. [Read more 🡒]