Texas Tech University Athletics
Friday, September 18
Lubbock, Texas
7 p.m. CT
Texas Tech Athletics
vs
Houston
No. 13 Texas Tech hosts No. 22 Houston Friday Night
September 14, 2026 | Football
#22 HOUSTON at #13 TEXAS TECH
Lubbock, Texas | Galaxy Stadium (60,229)
Sept. 18, 2026
FOX | 7 p.m. Central
GAME LINKS
- Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Texas Tech Game Notes (PDF) | Houston Game Notes (PDF)
- Texas Tech Media Center
The television broadcast will feature play-by-play commentator Tim Brando and analyst Devin Gardner in the booth, while Josh Sims will be reporting from the sideline. In addition to traditional outlets, fans can access the game from their mobile or streaming device by using the FOX Sports app.
Texas Tech Sports Network will also broadcast the game across more than 20 affiliates throughout the state of Texas and New Mexico, as Brian Jensen will have the call alongside analyst John Harris and sideline reporter Chris Level. The radio broadcast can also be heard on SiriusXM channel 84, as well as on the Varsity app.
BATTLE FOR DOMINANCE ON THE GROUND
- Friday's matchup will pit one of the nation's top rushing offenses in Houston against a Texas Tech defense that boasts the longest active streak with seven consecutive games of allowing less than 100 yards on the ground.
- The Cougars are averaging 308.0 rushing yards per game thus far this season, while the Red Raiders are giving up only 65.0 yards a game. Houston, meanwhile, leads the FBS after allowing only 10.0 yards per game over the first two weekends, while the Red Raiders are averaging an impressive 164.0 yards of their own.
- Texas Tech has been led through its first two games by J'Koby Williams, who has registered a team-high 187 rushing yards, spearheaded by his fourth-career 100-yard game last time out, racking up 116 yards on the road at Oregon State. Coincidentally, all four of Williams' 100-yard games have been away from Galaxy Stadium.
HOME WINNING STREAK ON THE LINE FRIDAY
- The Red Raiders enter Friday night's matchup with the Cougars riding a nine-game home winning streak inside Galaxy Stadium, their longest run at home since winning 12-consecutive games from 2007-09.
- The main consistency during that winning streak has been Texas Tech's defense as the Red Raiders have given up 18 or fewer points in each of their last nine home games, marking the longest such streak by a Big 12 team since Texas did so over 17-consecutive games from 1999-02.
RED RAIDERS IN THE POLLS
- Texas Tech moved back to No. 12 in the U.S. LBM coaches poll this week, the same spot the Red Raiders were selected to start the season. The Red Raiders remained at No. 13 in the Associated Press poll following their road win over Oregon State as Texas Tech is still the highest-ranked Big 12 program in both polls.
- Texas Tech's preseason ranking in both polls matches where the voters placed the Red Raiders in the Associated Press rankings prior to their memorable 2008 season. Texas Tech's highest-ever preseason ranking came in 1977 when the Red Raiders, coming off a 10-2 season under Steve Sloan, were No. 8 overall in the Associated Press poll.
- The Red Raiders wrapped the 2025 season at No. 7 overall in both the Associated Press and coaches polls, marking their highest final ranking in school history. Texas Tech moved to as high as No. 4 in the polls a year ago, ultimately earning the Red Raiders their first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff.
RED RAIDERS IN TOP-25 MATCHUPS
- Texas Tech will open Big 12 play in a battle of top-25 teams for a second consecutive season after the then-No. 17 Red Raiders went on the road to knock off No. 16 Utah, 34-10, to kick-start their Big 12 Championship run. The Red Raiders later played in a top-10 battle against No. 8 BYU with ESPN's College Gameday in attendance, delivering a statement 29-7 victory in the process.
- The Red Raiders are a combined 7-12 in top-25 matchups during Big 12 play over their tenure in the league. That record includes a 4-3 mark in home games despite having lost three-consecutive matchups prior to last season's victory over BYU.
- Last season's matchup with Utah marked the first time Texas Tech had ever opened Big 12 play in a battle of teams ranked in the Associated Press top-25 poll. The Red Raiders had begun league play as unranked, facing a top-25 team a total of 13 times in their history prior to that game.
- Texas Tech had not been involved in a top-25 conference matchup prior to last season since falling to No. 12 West Virginia early in the 2018 season when the Red Raiders were ranked No. 24 in the AP poll. That loss marked Texas Tech's seventh over an eight-game stretch in such matchups dating back to the end of the 2008 regular season.
- This will be the third time in the series where both Texas Tech and Houston have been ranked as the Cougars won both matchups in 1976 and again in 1989.
INSIDE THE HOUSTON SERIES
- This will be the 37th all-time meeting between the two former Southwest Conference members as Houston controls a narrow 18-17-1 advantage in the series despite dropping seven-consecutive games to the Red Raiders and 12 of the last 13 overall. Texas Tech's current seven-game winning streak matches the longest by either team in the series.
- Texas Tech and Houston will be meeting as Big 12 Conference members for the third time as the Red Raiders topped the Cougars, 49-28, in Lubbock early during Big 12 play in 2023 before delivering a 35-11 victory on the road a year ago. The Red Raiders will return to Houston during the 2027 season as part of the Big 12's four-year scheduling matrix. The 2023 victory marked the second consecutive season Texas Tech hosted Houston at Galaxy Stadium after the two schools concluded a four-game non-conference series against each other in 2022.
- The Red Raiders were only 7-12-1 against the Cougars during the SWC era with the final meeting being a 38-26 victory by Texas Tech in Houston during the conference's final season in 1995. Texas Tech closed its SWC tenure on a five-game winning streak against the Cougars.
- Following the SWC's closure, the two schools met six times as non-conference opponents with the Red Raiders going 5-1 in those games following wins at home in 2010 (35-20), in 2017 in Houston (27-24), in 2018 at home (63-49), in 2021 in the Texas Kickoff at NRG Stadium (38-21) and again in 2022 with a 33-30 victory at home in double overtime. Houston's lone win during that stretch came in the initial non-conference meeting in 2009 as the 17th-ranked Cougars edged the Red Raiders, 29-28, at Robertson Stadium in Houston.
THE LAST MATCHUP
- Behren Morton threw for 345 yards and a touchdown, while J'Koby Williams scored twice on the ground as No. 11 Texas Tech defeated previously unbeaten Houston, 35-11, to improve to 5-0, on October 4, 2025.
- The Red Raiders had opened 5-0 in 2025 for the first time since starting the 2013 season 7-0. Texas Tech had dominated its first five games, winning each by at least 24 points and outscoring opponents 243-56.
- Texas Tech took control after three early field goals, with Morton connecting with Cameron Dickey on a short pass that became a 69-yard touchdown. Jacob Rodriguez then intercepted Houston quarterback Conner Weigman, setting up Williams' 5-yard touchdown run for a 22-3 lead.
- Weigman left late in the second quarter with an apparent injury and did not return. Zeon Chriss-Gremillion replaced him and threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to Amare Thomas, but the Red Raiders pulled away in the second half behind a field goal and Williams' second touchdown, a 1-yard run.
Players Mentioned
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