Texas Tech stayed unbeaten with a 28-26 victory over No. 22 Houston in its Big 12 opener, using a goal-line stop against quarterback Conner Weigman to secure the win. The No. 13 Red Raiders are now 3-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
Houston opened a 10-0 lead as Texas Tech struggled on both sides of the ball. The Red Raiders improved defensively after the early deficit and held on during several long Houston drives.
Defensive end Trey White played his first game for Texas Tech after transferring from San Diego State and recovering from a knee injury. He recorded a second-half sack of Weigman, while Adam Trick had two sacks and returning All-American A.J. Holmes Jr. added another.
Texas Tech also brought back veteran defensive back Brenden Jordan, who had missed the first two games because of an internal rules violation. McGuire said White and Jordan made a major difference as the team works to replace several defensive starters from last season who moved to the NFL.
White was not fully healthy, McGuire said, and may have played more snaps than expected. Asked whether this year's defense could match the 2025 unit, McGuire said, "Give me two more games," while pointing to the need for White to be completely healthy and Jordan to remain available. He also said the defense would "keep getting better and better" as the season continues.
