Texas Tech’s season opener came with a few warning signs, but there’s no need to panic after a 33-10 win over Abilene Christian.
The Red Raiders did not exactly come out blazing in the first half. They managed just 17 points before halftime, turned it over in the red zone, and finished the opening 30 minutes with 102 rushing yards.
Texas Tech also piled up four penalties for 45 lost yards and allowed Abilene Christian to move the chains seven times. Still, there were plenty of bright spots mixed in.
J’Koby Williams averaged 6.4 yards per carry and found the end zone, while Kenny Johnson, Williams, and Terrance Carter Jr. each averaged at least 15 yards per catch. Together, that trio accounted for 10 receptions and 109 receiving yards at the break.
Will Hammond also settled in through the air, completing 18 of 21 passes for 172 yards despite the interception.
The defense, meanwhile, held up fairly well in the first half without forcing a turnover, even if the Wildcats’ 12:53 of possession was a little more than expected.
Things shifted after halftime.
Texas Tech opened the third quarter on defense and immediately got a boost when John Curry picked off John David Black’s first pass of the half, setting the offense up deep in Wildcat territory. The Red Raiders couldn’t punch it in on that possession, but Stone Harrington added his second field goal of the day to stretch the lead to 20-3.
Abilene Christian’s next trip ended with a fumble that it recovered, followed by a sack that forced a punt. Texas Tech answered with a 28-yard completion from Hammond to move back into Wildcat territory, but the drive stalled in the red zone again, leading to Harrington’s third field goal.
The Wildcats then got into Red Raiders territory and lined up for a 51-yard field goal, but missed, keeping the score at 23-3. Before the third quarter ended, Texas Tech added another field goal to take a 26-3 lead into the fourth.
The Red Raiders finally found the end zone late in the game on a 64-yard touchdown pass, pushing the margin to 33-3. Abilene Christian answered with a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and that made the final score 33-10.
The main concern coming out of the opener is that Texas Tech’s offense may not be quite as explosive as some expected, at least not yet. That said, FCS matchups often come with a trimmed-down playbook, so the scoring output shouldn’t be overread.
The defense looked solid, if not quite as suffocating as last season’s group, and it never allowed a touchdown. The Wildcats’ only trip to the end zone came on special teams.
Hammond is the player fans will circle first. On the stat sheet, it’s one interception and one touchdown against an FCS opponent.
He also finished with under 300 passing yards and 11 rushing yards. But he didn’t play badly, and there’s still plenty of time to figure out exactly what kind of quarterback he’s going to be.
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Hammond finished 26 of 33 for 298 yards, a touchdown and an interception, numbers that underscore how productive the day was even without a flawless finish. The Red Raiders still had some red-zone issues to sort out, and that is the part Texas Tech will keep circling back to as the stakes rise. But for one afternoon, Hammond gave the fan base something valuable: the sense that the ceiling might be higher than it looked before he took over. [Read more 🡒]