Texas Tech’s first injury report of the week brought an immediate jolt of concern to the Red Raiders’ backfield.
After last week’s 53-48 win over West Virginia turned into a bruising Big 12 shootout, Texas Tech heads to Oklahoma State with both of J’Koby Williams’ top backups showing up on Wednesday’s initial availability report. Quinten Joyner is listed as “Out” for Saturday night, while Cam Dickey is listed as “Questionable” against the Cowboys.
Both backs were hurt against West Virginia, with ankle injuries limiting them. Dickey has also been working through a high ankle sprain since the Colorado game on October 3. That left Williams as the only healthy running back available to finish the game.
Williams ended up carrying the load in a big way. He ran the ball 19 times, the third-most rushing attempts he’s had in a college game, and his 22 total touches - with three catches added in - matched his career high. Even so, he looked like he was running out of gas as the game went on and wasn’t nearly as explosive in the fourth quarter.
That’s where the concern really starts to build for Texas Tech. Williams weighs just 180 pounds, and he’s not built to absorb a steady diet of inside runs against loaded boxes. But with Joyner out and Dickey uncertain, that may be exactly what the Red Raiders need from him this week.
If Dickey can’t go, Texas Tech may have to lean on true freshman Ashton “Ace” Rowden. The Texarkana, Texas, native is 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, so he’s built more for the physical side of the job. He was a 4-star signee in Texas Tech’s most recent recruiting class and ranked as the No. 21 high school running back in America when he signed.
Still, the Red Raiders didn’t plan on forcing him into meaningful snaps this season. Through 2026, Rowden has carried the ball just seven times for 18 yards, and he’s only appeared in the Sam Houston, Colorado and Arizona State games.
The bigger question with a freshman back isn’t necessarily whether he can handle the ball. It’s whether he can be trusted in pass protection when defenses bring extra rushers. That’s the part that gets tricky with an inexperienced player.
Thomas Castellanos can help mask some of that with his mobility. He’s quick and elusive enough to escape trouble in the pocket. But Texas Tech can’t ask him to play escape artist all night.
If Dickey can’t suit up, Rowden may be asked to provide real snaps in a game where Texas Tech can’t afford many mistakes.
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 🡒]
Texas Tech Has Momentum Building In More Than Just Football
Momentum around Texas Tech is showing up in more places than just the football field. The Lady Raiders rolled past Lamar 78-28 behind Stephanie Okechukwus 21 points, five rebounds and three blocks, while the soccer team kept its postseason push alive with a 2-0 win over UCF to reach the Big 12 Tournament semifinals. Gianna Gregorie and Kaitlyn Giametta supplied the goals in a result that kept the Red Raiders fall sports slate moving in the right direction.
The football program is doing its part, too, with Thomas Castellanos earning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors after a strong outing and A.J. Holmes landing among the semifinalists for the Bednarik Award. Even the future is starting to take shape, with softball set to join the 2027 Shriners Childrens Clearwater Invitational. For a program that wants to be relevant across the board, it has been a good stretch to have on the calendar. [Read more 🡒]