Texas Tech held off No. 22 Houston, 28-26, in its Big 12 opener after stopping the Cougars near the goal line. The No. 13 Red Raiders moved to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
Houston built a 10-0 lead early, while Texas Tech's offense and defense both took time to settle in. The Red Raiders responded with a stronger defensive performance in the second half and preserved the win despite Houston's long drives.
The defense received contributions from two players returning to the lineup. Defensive end Trey White made his Texas Tech debut after transferring from San Diego State and recovering from a knee injury. He recorded a sack of Houston quarterback Conner Weigman.
Veteran defensive back Brenden Jordan also returned after missing the first two games because of an internal rules violation. Coach Joey McGuire said White and Jordan had major effects on the game as Texas Tech works to replace defensive starters who moved to the NFL after last season.
Adam Trick, a transfer from Miami (Ohio), recorded two sacks, while returning All-American A.J. Holmes Jr. added another. McGuire said White was not fully healthy and may have played more snaps than the coaching staff expected.
Asked whether the current defense can match last year's unit, McGuire said he wanted two more games before answering and added, "I do, I just continue to believe that, as the season goes, we'll keep getting better and better."
