No. 13 Texas Tech is 3-0 after beating No. 22 Houston, 28-26, in the teams’ Big 12 opener. The Red Raiders are 1-0 in conference play after stopping quarterback Conner Weigman and the Cougars near the goal line on a late possession. Houston had taken a 10-0 lead before Texas Tech rallied, and the Red Raiders’ defense improved after halftime despite several long Houston drives.
Texas Tech’s four sacks included two by Adam Trick, one from Trey White and another by returning All-American A.J. Holmes Jr. White played his first game for the Red Raiders after joining the program from San Diego State and recovering from a knee injury. Veteran defensive back Brenden Jordan also returned after sitting out the opening two games for violating internal team rules.
Coach Joey McGuire said White and Jordan were important contributors as Texas Tech replaces multiple defensive starters who went to the NFL. McGuire said White was not fully healthy and may have played more than planned.
Asked if the defense could equal the 2025 unit, he said, “Give me two more games,” adding that White needs to get healthy, Jordan must keep playing and the team is “still finding ourselves.” Texas Tech plays Sam Houston next week in its last nonconference game and gets an extra recovery day after the Friday-night contest. The report was published Sept. 20, 2026.