Texas Tech Stops Houston on Final Play to Win Tight Battle

Red Raiders Hold On in Lubbock

No. 13 Texas Tech secured a tight 28-26 victory over No. 22 Houston on Friday night. The game came down to the final minute when Houston quarterback Conner Weigman fell just short on a two point conversion attempt.

With 49 seconds remaining, Weigman threw a 10 yard touchdown pass to Patrick Overmyer to bring the Cougars within two points. On the tying attempt, Weigman ran to the left and lunged for the goal line. Replay officials reviewed the play and determined his knee touched the ground before the ball crossed the plane.

"There's no moral victories," Houston coach Willie Fritz said. "We came here to win. And we didn't win."

Texas Tech Overcomes Slow Start

The Red Raiders fell behind 10-0 early in the game and had run only one offensive play by the middle of the first quarter. This was Texas Tech's first Friday home game since 1941.

Texas Tech quarterback Will Hammond finished the night with 17 of 27 passing for 257 yards and one touchdown. Hammond, who recovered from an ACL injury suffered last October, helped spark the offense. He connected with Kenny Johnson for a 35 yard touchdown in the second quarter. Johnson finished the game with four catches for 113 yards.

Coach Joey McGuire praised his team's focus. "It just shows the resilience of this team and the belief they have in each other," McGuire said.

Running Game Secures the Win

Texas Tech took control in the second half thanks to its ground game. J'Koby Williams, who had only two carries in the first half, broke loose for runs of 19, 5, and 29 yards on consecutive plays. His 29 yard touchdown run put the Red Raiders ahead 21-17 early in the third quarter.

Cameron Dickey added a one yard touchdown run with 7:36 left in the fourth quarter to extend the lead.

Backup quarterback Tommy Castellanos also made an impact. After throwing an interception on his first drive, Castellanos later scored on a three yard touchdown run in the second quarter. McGuire confirmed after the game that Hammond remains the starting quarterback, but the team will continue to use special packages for Castellanos.

The victory marks Texas Tech's 10th straight home win. It is the longest home winning streak for the program since they won 12 in a row between 2007 and 2009.