Texas Tech came within a single yard of seeing its Big 12 title defense crash down on Friday night in Lubbock. No. 22 Houston, playing as the ranked underdog, came within one play of upsetting No. 13 Texas Tech. The Red Raiders barely survived with a 28-26 win after stopping Houston quarterback Conner Weigman short on a two-point try with 49 seconds left, avoiding a massive home loss.
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The Cougars entered the Week 3 matchup with a 2-0 record and outgained the Red Raiders (425 yards) with 458 yards while controlling the ball for nearly seven minutes. If Texas Tech had suffered a loss on Friday, it would have reshuffled the Big 12 picture, giving Houston an early tiebreaker. But the Red Raiders’ final two-point stop flipped the script, keeping Texas Tech at the top of the conference.
Houston was down 28-20 and needed one big drive to score big when quarterback Conner Weigman put together an 88-yard drive. After 10 plays, he found tight end Patrick Overmyer for a 10-yard touchdown, cutting Texas Tech’s lead to 28-26.
The Cougars went for two points to tie the game instead of kicking an extra point. Quarterback Conner Weigman rolled left looking to throw, but with every receiver covered, he tucked the ball and ran for the goal line.
Before the ball could break the plane, Texas Tech linebacker Austin Romaine tackled him, forcing Weigman’s knee to hit the turf short. Officials reviewed the replay and confirmed he was down before reaching the end zone, officially marking the rush attempt short and ending Houston’s comeback attempt.
Early on, the game started terribly for the Red Raiders. During the first quarter, Houston jumped to a 10-0 lead after Texas Tech backup Thomas Castellanos threw an interception on his first play, with cornerback Will James making the pick. The Cougars gained 125 yards in the opening quarter, while the Red Raiders managed just 33 yards.
Texas Tech rallied before halftime with touchdowns from Kenny Johnson and Castellanos. But Koby Young’s catch put Houston ahead 17-14 at the break. The Red Raiders then scored on their first two second-half drives to take a 28-20 lead before Houston made its last push for the win.
“Very first play of the game, get pressure, and we’ve got a wide-open Terrance Carter,” Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire said, per On3. “The play is drawn up to get it to Terrence Carter, and we whiff. All we need is half a second, and with the pressure right in Tommy’s face right from the get-go, it was fixing to be an explosive play. And then Tommy (Thomas Castellanos) didn’t get enough on it, throwing it out of bounds, and they intercepted the ball. That turned into seven points right there.”
The win keeps Texas Tech undefeated at 3-0 and protects their position at the top of the Big 12 standings. With no remaining ranked teams on their regular season schedule, this victory was their biggest barrier to reaching the conference championship game again and securing a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. A loss would have handed Houston an early head-to-head tiebreaker, completely disrupting Texas Tech’s postseason plans.
Joey McGuire points to Texas Tech’s biggest strength after narrow Houston win
Reflecting on the close call, McGuire pointed to the team’s first-quarter mistakes as crucial learning points, while praising how his squad found a way to win under pressure. He noted that key players like Trey White and Brenden Jordan are getting healthier, while praising the tackling of his young safeties and Will Hammond’s playmaking capability when stepping in.
“This team, we showed it last week,” McGuire said, according to L.Selph of On3. “Whenever we got down and played the last eight minutes, I think, as crazy as it sounds, we’re still finding ourselves. So we’re finding guys are going to step up, and then we’re also getting healthier.”
For Houston, this heartbreak drops them to 2-1, but the strong performance shows massive improvement from last year’s 35-11 loss to Texas Tech. Even with the loss, pushing a top-15 rival to the final seconds proves the Cougars are real contenders for a top-half Big 12 finish.
If they keep playing with this physical style, reaching six wins for bowl eligibility and competing for a quality bowl game is well within their reach this season.