Texas Tech’s win over No. 22 Houston gave Red Raiders fans exactly what they wanted most: a chance to laugh at the doubters.
The chatter around the game had leaned toward the Cougars despite Texas Tech being at home, favored by more than a touchdown and carrying the higher ranking. That made the 28-26 result in Lubbock feel like more than just a conference win. It was a clean rebuttal to a lot of outside confidence in Houston.
Tech also came within a whisker of making the night even sweeter. On the final drive, running back Cam Dickey gave himself up instead of scoring a touchdown, a decision that kept the Red Raiders from covering the spread. Even so, the home team still left Friday night at 1-0 in Big 12 play after erasing an early 10-0 deficit.
Houston jumped out fast, but Texas Tech took control after that and outscored the Cougars 28-16 the rest of the way. That part of the story may get buried under the drama of the finish, but it mattered just as much in how the game unfolded.
The bigger picture is hard to ignore, too. This was the only ranked opponent Texas Tech is scheduled to face in the regular season, and Joey McGuire’s team got past it. However it happened - even if it was by literally an inch - it was a significant step toward another Big 12 Championship Game berth.
Once the final whistle sounded, Texas Tech fans let loose on X. The tone was equal parts smug, playful and relentless, with posts mocking the preseason and in-game skepticism, celebrating the comeback and taking shots at Houston.
“Mood,” one fan wrote. Another went with “.
@OldTakesExposed”. “Never a doubt” appeared more than once in the aftermath, along with lines like “You lost to this” and “Fixed your wiki @UHCougarFB.”
Some fans leaned into the moment with even sharper jabs. One post read, “Back to the slums of Houston.
Next.” Another simply declared, “Total sea of red.”
There was also plenty of praise for Will Hammond, including one fan who wrote, “Maybe just maybe this team will just get stronger and stronger as the year goes on . One thing I do know Will Hammond got some surliness to him and i sure as hell love it .”
The jokes kept rolling from there. One fan posted, “Rest of the game must’ve been dreadful,” while another echoed the late-game frustration with, “Castellanos throw it out of bounds!” And one of the more memorable reactions summed up the mood in a darkly comic way: “Daughter: Is he sleeping, daddy?
Me: No sweetie, he’s dead.
Daughter: What happened?!
Me: A man named Will Hammond killed him.”
In Other News...
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 Exposed A Baylor Problem That Could Decide Two Games
Texas Techs latest matchup offered a useful reminder of why Baylor cannot treat the Red Raiders as a one-man scouting report. The article points to Texas Techs ability to create problems from multiple spots on the floor, the kind of versatility that forces a defense to stay connected possession after possession. For Baylor, that matters because the Bears are staring at two Big XII games that will demand discipline, communication and a plan sturdy enough to handle more than one threat at once.
Houston brings a different challenge, but the demand on Baylors defense is the same. The Cougars will ask the Bears to keep constant heat on quarterback Conner Weigman, and the bigger concern is whether Baylor can carry that intensity from one game to the next without losing sharpness. If the Bears are going to come out of this stretch in good shape, the margin for error on defense looks thin. [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 🡒]