Texas Tech had a little bit of everything this week: a freshman-ish-looking breakout in the post, a soccer team moving through the Big 12 Tournament, football hardware rolling in, and softball adding another piece to its 2027 slate.
The loudest statement came from the Lady Raiders, who stayed unbeaten at 2-0 by steamrolling Lamar 78-28 on Monday in Lubbock. The headline belonged to 7-foot-1 center Stephanie Okechukwu, who delivered a massive second collegiate game with 21 points, five rebounds and three blocks. She shot 10 of 17 from the field and gave Texas Tech a presence Lamar simply couldn’t handle.
The defense was just as suffocating. Tech never let Lamar get past eight points in any quarter and held the Cardinals to four in the fourth.
The 28 points allowed were the fewest the program has given up since 2010. The Lady Raiders are back home Friday at 6 p.m. against Auburn.
Monday night also belonged to Texas Tech soccer, which kept its Big 12 Tournament run alive with a 2-0 quarterfinal win over UCF. Gianna Gregorie got the Red Raiders on the board in the 31st minute for just her second goal of the season, and Kaitlyn Giametta added insurance with 17:52 left, scoring her sixth of the year.
The victory was a first for Texas Tech in five all-time meetings with UCF. Next up is Baylor in the semifinals tonight at 7 p.m. The Red Raiders already beat Baylor 1-0 in Lubbock earlier this year.
On the football side, Thomas Castellanos picked up Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors after his huge night in the win over West Virginia. He threw for 362 yards and five touchdowns while adding 102 yards on the ground, becoming the first Texas Tech quarterback to post more than 350 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in the same game. In his two games as the starter, Texas Tech is averaging 555 yards of offense per game, and the team has topped 50 points twice this season.
Texas Tech’s offensive line also earned recognition, taking home Big 12 Offensive Line of the Week after helping the Red Raiders rush for 276 yards against the Mountaineers.
Defensively, A.J. Holmes landed on the radar for a major national honor.
The senior defensive tackle was named a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award, given to the nation’s top defensive player. Holmes has 43 QB pressures, 30 tackles and 7.5 sacks this season, which leads the Big 12.
If he wins it, he’d make it back-to-back years with a Red Raider taking the award after Jacob Rodriguez won it last season.
And in softball, Texas Tech added another event to its 2027 schedule, announcing it will play in the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational in Florida from Thursday, February 18 through Sunday, February 21. The Red Raiders will face Clemson, Liberty, East Carolina and Washington, with the Clemson and Washington games set for ESPN2 and ESPN, respectively.
In Other News...
Texas Tech Faces A Huge Big 12 Test With One New Concern
Texas Tech heads into its Big 12 matchup with Oklahoma State carrying plenty of momentum and a national ranking to match, but the Cowboys have also arrived with an offense that has made this game feel bigger than a typical midseason conference test. Both teams have been putting up strong numbers lately, and the matchup brings together two ranked programs, with Texas Tech at No. 12 and Oklahoma State at No. 25, in a game that should say plenty about where each stands in the league race.
The spotlight figures to fall on the quarterbacks, with Oklahoma State leaning on Drew Mestemaker and Texas Tech turning to Thomas Castellanos to keep its attack rolling. Recent game results and coach comments have only added to the sense that this one could turn on execution and composure, especially with one new concern hanging over the Red Raiders as they prepare for a tougher-than-usual conference challenge. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Faces A Big 12 Test That Could Reshape Everything
Texas Tech heads to Boone Pickens Stadium on Nov. 14 for a Big 12 matchup that arrives with both teams still carrying plenty of weight in the conference race. The Red Raiders come in at 8-1, while Oklahoma State is 6-3, and the matchup has the feel of one of those late-season games that can shift how the rest of the league views both programs. Quarterbacks Thomas Castellanos and Drew Mestemaker are expected to be under center, giving the game a clear spotlight on the two offenses.
For Texas Tech, this is the kind of road test that can sharpen a strong season or expose the thin margin that still exists in conference play. Oklahoma State has enough on its rsum to make this more than a simple home date, and the prediction attached to the game leans toward the Cowboys, which only adds to the intrigue for a Red Raiders team trying to keep its momentum intact. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Has A Real Chance To Wreck Texas Techs Playoff Push
Saturday night brings a game Texas Tech cannot afford to treat like a routine stop on the schedule. ESPN analyst Greg McElroy pointed to the Red Raiders defense as a possible problem area, while also noting the kind of passing performance Oklahoma State can get from quarterback Drew Mestemaker. For a Texas Tech team still trying to hold its place in the Big 12 race, this is the sort of matchup that can either steady the playoff push or make the path a lot messier.
Joey McGuire has already framed the keys in the clearest terms possible, with Texas Tech needing its pass rush to create disruption and its running game to keep the offense on schedule. That combination has mattered all season, but the stakes are sharper now because the Red Raiders route to the Big 12 Championship Game still runs through games like this one. Oklahoma State may not be the flashiest obstacle left, but it is the kind that can expose a team if the focus slips for even a stretch. [Read more 🡒]