Will Hammond called his three-interception first half his worst game yet as No. 12 Texas Tech prepares for its Big 12 road opener at Colorado.
The Red Raiders improved to 4-0 with a 49-14 win, but Hammond threw three interceptions in the final 5½ minutes of the first half, turning an otherwise comfortable afternoon into something much messier than Texas Tech wanted.
He finished 17-of-29 for 224 yards with one touchdown before adding a 23-yard rushing score in the second half.
Now, as No. 12 Texas Tech heads to Boulder for its Big 12 road opener against Colorado, Hammond is treating that performance as a warning.
“That was the worst football game I’ve ever played, especially that first half,” Hammond said. “The turnovers can’t ever happen, especially in that magnitude.”
The encouraging part for Texas Tech is what happened after halftime.
Hammond settled down, the offense stopped giving the ball away and the Red Raiders pulled away with 28 unanswered second-half points.
The response helped preserve an unbeaten start and gave Hammond a chance to learn from a game that could’ve become much more costly.
The Colorado trip also carries extra meaning for offensive lineman Cash Cleveland, who began his college career with the Buffaloes before transferring to Texas Tech.
Cleveland said his time at Colorado isn’t driving some revenge narrative.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about us,” Cleveland said. “I’m really just focused on us and doing the best we can to be successful on the field.”
He also acknowledged his own mistakes, including recent penalties, and said his goal this week is simple: “zero penalties.”
That mentality fits what head coach Joey McGuire has been emphasizing. After the Sam Houston win, McGuire praised his team for reaching 4-0 but pointed directly at the “self-inflicted wounds” that kept the game unnecessarily close early.
Texas Tech won’t have the same margin for error in Boulder.
Colorado represents the Red Raiders’ first conference road test, and kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday on FOX.
For Hammond, the message entering Big 12 play is clear: stay aggressive, but stop giving opponents free chances.
