No. 13 Texas Tech narrowly avoided an upset, edging No. 22 Houston 28-26 in their Big 12 opener Friday night in Lubbock. Houston’s Conner Weigman found tight end Patrick Overmyer for a 10-yard touchdown with 49 seconds left, but the Cougars came up one yard short on the ensuing two-point try when Weigman was stopped diving around the left end.
Officials reviewed the play; replay showed Weigman’s knee appeared to be down before he reached the pylon, and the on-field ruling stood because there wasn’t clear evidence to overturn it. Earlier, J’Koby Williams’ 29-yard touchdown in the third quarter had put Texas Tech ahead 21-17 as the Red Raiders rallied from an early 10-point hole at home in Galaxy Stadium.
Houston closed to 21-20 on a Jonathan Dimas field goal, but Texas Tech seized control with an 11-play, 87-yard drive in the fourth that chewed six minutes off the clock. Cameron Dickey capped the series with a 1-yard run and the extra point pushed the Red Raiders in front 28-20.
Houston opened with a field goal on its first possession and then benefited from a costly turnover on Texas Tech’s opening play: QB Thomas Castellanos, under pressure, rolled right and floated a pass that was intercepted by Will James. Head coach Joey McGuire said Castellanos had been scripted to run a few plays at the start, though Will Hammond remains the team’s starting quarterback.
Following the interception, the Cougars drove 55 yards in 10 plays and Weigman hit Amare Thomas for an 11-yard touchdown. After that score, Texas Tech returned Hammond to QB and, after a quick defensive stop, produced a 75-yard touchdown march of its own. On that drive Hammond converted a third-and-12 with a 28-yard pass to Kenny Johnson, then later hit Johnson again for a 35-yard score.
Weigman regained the lead for Houston before halftime with a 46-yard touchdown strike to Koby Young, who made an acrobatic catch at the pylon. Weigman finished 27-of-38 for 282 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, completing all six passes on Houston’s final drive. Overmyer had eight catches for 72 yards and a TD; Amare Thomas had seven catches for 75 yards and a score. Makhi Hughes rushed for 71 yards on 15 carries and Weigman added 56 yards on 13 attempts. Houston fell to 2-1.
For Texas Tech (3-0), Hammond was 17-of-27 for 257 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Kenny Johnson finished with four catches for 113 yards and a touchdown. Castellanos also scored on a short direct-snap run in the second quarter. Dickey gained 65 yards on 16 carries and Williams added a rushing TD, totaling 62 yards on seven attempts.
Fan Take: NFL observers should note Conner Weigman’s poise and accuracy against a solid Big 12 defense — consistent performances like this boost his draft profile and the league’s QB depth. Also, Texas Tech’s late-game drive and Houston’s failed two-point attempt highlight how college situational football can expose or sharpen NFL-caliber coaching and tackling fundamentals.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
