Texas Tech overcame a 10-0 first-quarter deficit to beat Houston 28-26 on Friday night, surviving a last-minute rally attempt to win its Big 12 Conference opener in front of 60,229 fans in Lubbock, Texas. The result, confirmed in the official box score, dropped Houston to 3-1 and moved Texas Tech to 4-0 on the season.
Houston struck first, with quarterback Conner Weigman throwing an 11-yard touchdown pass to Amare Thomas early in the first quarter to make it 10-0. Texas Tech answered before halftime, getting a 35-yard touchdown catch from Kenny Johnson and a short touchdown run to cut into the lead, only for Houston to respond with a 46-yard touchdown strike from Weigman to Koby Young that put the Cougars back in front, 17-14, at the break.
Tech takes control in the second half
The Red Raiders seized the lead for good in the third quarter on a 29-yard touchdown run, added a field goal, then pushed the margin to two scores early in the fourth quarter on a short touchdown run that made it 28-20. Houston was not finished. With 49 seconds left, Weigman found Patrick Overmyer for a 10-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to two, but his two-point conversion attempt on the ensuing run was ruled short before the ball crossed the goal line, preserving the Texas Tech win.
Weigman finished 27 of 38 passing for 282 yards and three touchdowns in the loss. Texas Tech countered with a balanced attack: quarterback Will Hammond threw for 257 yards and a touchdown, Cameron Dickey ran for 65 yards and a score, and Johnson caught four passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. Texas Tech out-rushed Houston 168-176 yards on the ground in a game that saw both offenses top 400 total yards, according to NCAA.com's official game summary.
A measuring-stick win for the Red Raiders
The game carried extra weight as the conference opener for both ranked programs, with Texas Tech entering the week at No. 13 and Houston at No. 22 in the Associated Press poll. A win kept Texas Tech unbeaten heading into the heart of its Big 12 schedule, while Houston's loss ended its perfect start to the season.
It just shows the resilience of this team and the belief they have in each other. There was never a time that those guys got down.
Joey McGuire, Texas Tech head coach
Houston coach Willie Fritz was direct in assessing the result.
We came here to win. And we didn't win.
Willie Fritz, Houston head coach
Texas Tech's defense also forced two turnovers, including a fumble recovery that helped limit Houston's chances to extend drives in the second half, even as the Cougars piled up 458 total yards for the game, more than Texas Tech's 425, per the box score.
Both teams turn quickly to their next conference tests. Texas Tech stays home next week to continue Big 12 play, while Houston looks to regroup and get back in the win column as league games intensify through October. The result also figures into early positioning for the Big 12 championship race, with both teams still very much in contention despite Friday's outcome.
