No. 13 Texas Tech improved to 3-0 with a 28-26 victory over No. 22 Houston, opening Big 12 play at 1-0. The Red Raiders secured the result by stopping quarterback Conner Weigman and the Cougars near the goal line on a late possession.
Houston built a 10-0 advantage while Texas Tech struggled on both sides of the ball. The Red Raiders responded after halftime despite several long Houston drives, and their defense produced four sacks. Trey White, making his Texas Tech debut after transferring from San Diego State and recovering from a knee injury, recorded one against Weigman.
Adam Trick had two, and returning All-American A.J. Holmes Jr. had another.
Brenden Jordan also returned after sitting out the first two games for an internal rules violation. Coach Joey McGuire said White and Jordan provided significant help as Texas Tech replaces multiple defensive starters who moved to the NFL. McGuire said White was not fully healthy and might have played more snaps than planned.
Asked if the defense could equal the 2025 unit, he said, "Give me two more games," and said the team was "still finding ourselves." He expects improvement as the season continues.
