No. 13 Texas Tech remained unbeaten at 3-0 by defeating No. 22 Houston, 28-26, in the teams' Big 12 opener. The Red Raiders are now 1-0 in conference play after preventing quarterback Conner Weigman and the Cougars from scoring on a late possession near the goal line.
Texas Tech fell behind 10-0 as both its defense and offense struggled early. The defense improved after halftime, and the Red Raiders overcame Houston's lead and several extended drives to preserve the victory.
Health was a central part of coach Joey McGuire's assessment of the defense. Defensive end Trey White made his Texas Tech debut after transferring from San Diego State and returning from a knee injury. White recorded a sack of Weigman, while Adam Trick had two sacks and returning All-American A.J. Holmes Jr. added another.
The Red Raiders also brought veteran defensive back Brenden Jordan back into the lineup. Jordan had missed the first two games because of an internal rules violation. McGuire said White and Jordan made major contributions as Texas Tech works to replace several defensive starters from last year's unit who moved to the NFL.
McGuire said White was not completely healthy and may have played more snaps than the coaching staff expected. Asked whether this defense could match the 2025 team, McGuire said, "Give me two more games," while pointing to the need for White to become fully healthy and for Jordan to continue playing.
