Texas Tech survived Houston 28-26 behind Kenny Johnson’s big-play night and a balanced rushing attack to open Big 12 play with a statement win.
No. 13 Texas Tech didn’t dominate Houston on Friday night. It did something more important... It survived.
The Red Raiders escaped No. 22 Houston with a 28-26 win in their Big 12 opener, moving to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play after a game that exposed flaws, demanded patience and ultimately came down to finishing drives.
Texas Tech quarterback Will Hammond completed 17 of 27 passes for 257 yards and one touchdown, while wide receiver Kenny Johnson provided the biggest vertical threat of the night.
Johnson finished with four catches for 113 yards and a touchdown, averaging 28.3 yards per reception.
The Red Raiders also leaned on the ground game when they needed it most.
Cameron Dickey rushed 16 times for 65 yards and a touchdown, while J’Koby Williams added 62 yards and another score on just seven carries.
Williams’ 29-yard touchdown run in the third quarter helped Texas Tech seize control before Dickey’s 1-yard score in the fourth pushed the lead to 28-20.
Houston refused to go quietly.
Quarterback Conner Weigman completed 27 of 38 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns without an interception.
The Cougars finished with 458 total yards, 27 first downs and more than 33 minutes of possession.
Texas Tech, meanwhile, finished with 425 yards and committed two turnovers.
That makes the final result even more revealing.
The Red Raiders didn’t win the box score. They won the moments that mattered.
Defensively, Brenden Jordan made an immediate impact in his return, tying Ben Roberts for the team lead with 10 tackles.
Texas Tech also recorded three sacks, with Adam Trick and A.J. Holmes Jr. among those getting to Weigman.
Houston still made one final push, scoring with 49 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to two, but Texas Tech held on.
For Joey McGuire’s team, the victory provides both confidence and plenty of teaching material.
The secondary has now surrendered substantial passing production in consecutive weeks, and two interceptions thrown by the offense are the kind of mistakes that can eventually turn close wins into losses.
But McGuire has consistently emphasized finding ways to win conference games, and Texas Tech did exactly that Friday.
The Red Raiders weren’t flawless... They were resilient. And at 3-0, that’s enough to keep every major goal still sitting directly in front of them.
Up next, the Red Raiders host Sam Houston on Saturday.
