Texas Tech University Athletics
Postgame Notes: Houston at Texas Tech
September 18, 2026 | Football
Texas Tech Football Postgame Notes
The Red Raiders defeated the Cougars, 28-26, Saturday evening
Date: Sept. 18, 2026 (Friday)
Kickoff: 7:05 p.m. Central
Location: Galaxy Stadium; Lubbock, Texas
Weather: 89°, sunny
Attendance: 60,229 (sellout)
Final Score: No. 13/12 Texas Tech 28, No. 22/23 Houston 26
- Friday was the 37th meeting between the Red Raiders and the Cougars; the two programs met for the third time as Big 12 foes since Houston joined the league. The series dates back to the Southwest Conference, where the Red Raiders were only 7-12-1 against the Cougars in that era.
- Friday's win marked the Red Raiders' eighth consecutive win against Houston. Texas Tech's recent success, including Friday's win, has knotted the all-time series, 18-18-1.
- Tonight marked the first regular-season home football game on a Friday the Red Raiders have played in Lubbock since Oct. 24, 1941, when hosting New Mexico (W, 36-0).
- Texas Tech won its 10th consecutive home game. The Red Raiders' best streak in recent history for consecutive home wins is 12, set in games played from 2007-09.
- Over Joey McGuire's first 42 career games as head coach at Texas Tech, none were ranked-vs.-ranked matchups. Since then, five of the last 14 games the Red Raiders have played have been ranked-vs.-ranked matchups. Friday's win improved McGuire to 4-1 in those games.
- Texas Tech fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter. The Red Raiders had not trailed in a home game since Nov. 9, 2024, when they fell to Colorado, 41-27.
- Texas Tech recorded its first double-digit comeback win against a ranked opponent since defeating Texas, 37-34, in overtime in 2022.
- Houston had won its last 12 games when holding a double-digit lead and won its last 12 games when leading at halftime. Both streaks were snapped by the Red Raiders.
- Texas Tech has started 3-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since a three-season run between 2011-13.
- Texas Tech is now 14-5 under Joey McGuire in one-possession games, as it was the first game for the Red Raiders to be determined by eight or fewer points since Oct. 18, 2025, at Arizona State. Texas Tech's .737 winning percentage in one-possession games leads all Big 12 programs and now ranks sixth in the FBS since 2022.
- Texas Tech has now scored at least 27 points in each of the last 15 games against Houston. It is now the longest active streak of 27-plus points against a current conference opponent in the FBS.
- Will Hammond had six passes of 20 yards or more. His previous career high was four. He finished with 257 passing yards.
- Kenny Johnson had Texas Tech's first 100-yard receiving game since Caleb Douglas recorded 127 yards on five catches at West Virginia on Nov. 29, 2025. Johnson finished with 113 yards on four catches with one touchdown.
- Kenny Johnson is the first Tech player with four 20-plus-yard catches in a single game since Josh Kelly versus West Virginia on Nov. 30, 2024.
- His 35-yard touchdown reception was Kenny Johnson's longest TD catch of his career (previous high was 31).
- Since the beginning of the 2025 season, J'Koby Williams has 13 games with multiple receptions, tied for the most in the FBS in that span.
- After a 38-yard touchdown run last week, J'Koby Williams had another explosive rush for a score as he burst for a 29-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. The two TD runs over the last two weeks are his third- and fourth-longest TD rushes of his career.
- Tonight's game marked senior captain center Sheridan Wilson's 30th consecutive start. He only trails his captain counterpart, linebacker Ben Roberts, who started his 42nd consecutive game on Friday night.
- Quarterback Thomas Castellanos picked up his first start for the Red Raiders.
- Thomas Castellanos entered Friday with 1,999 career rushing yards. His first rush pushed him over 2,000 career rushing yards, scoring from three yards out. It was his second touchdown as a Red Raider and 26th rushing score of his career.
- In his first game action this season, Brenden Jordan had a career-high 10 tackles, which tied for the team lead with Ben Roberts.
- Ben Roberts entered Friday's game needing five tackles to reach 300 career tackles. He had six tackles at the break, passing that milestone. He finished with 10 tackles, his 12th career double-digit tackles game.
- Austin Romaine entered Friday's game needing four tackles to reach 200 career tackles. He surpassed that mark as he finished with six stops Friday night.
- Adam Trick's strip-sack in the second quarter marked the 10th straight game in which Texas Tech has forced a turnover. The last time the Red Raiders' defense failed to produce a takeaway was when it visited Arizona State last season on Oct. 18, 2025.
- After allowing 205 first-half yards versus Oregon State last week — the most yards allowed in the first half by a Red Raider defense since the 2024 Liberty Bowl (Arkansas, 341 yards) — Houston registered 258 first-half yards against the Red Raiders on Friday night.
- Trey White got his first start for the Red Raiders. The reigning Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year from San Diego State missed the first two games due to injury. His sack in the fourth quarter gives him 20.5 for his career now, which is second among active FBS players.
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