Will Hammond passed for 257 yards and one touchdown and No. 13 Texas Tech stymied a last-minute two-point conversion to notch a 28-26 victory over No. 22 Houston in the Big 12 opener for both teams on Friday night in Lubbock, Texas.
J’Koby Williams and Cameron Dickey rushed for touchdowns as the Red Raiders (3-0) defeated the Cougars for the eighth straight time and 12th in the past 13 meetings. Backup quarterback Tommy Castellanos rushed for a score and Kenny Johnson had four receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown for Texas Tech.
Conner Weigman completed 27 of 38 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns for Houston (2-1). Patrick Overmyer, Amare Thomas and Koby Young caught touchdown passes for the Cougars, who scored the first 10 points of the game.
Hammond completed 17 of 27 passes with one interception for the Red Raiders.
Houston trailed by eight when it took over at its own 12-yard line with 2:46 left and drove 88 yards on 10 plays. Weigman threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Overmyer with 49 seconds left, leaving the Cougars in need of a tying two-point conversion.
Weigman dropped back to pass and couldn’t find a target. He took off running and was stopped by Texas Tech’s Austin Romaine and ruled down just short of the goal-line. The play was reviewed and the call was upheld.
Houston then attempted an unsuccessful onside kick. Texas Tech took over at the Houston 47 and Dickey put the game away with a 12-yard run on second down.
Earlier, Texas Tech took a 21-17 lead when Williams scored on a 29-yard burst with 12:41 left in the third quarter.
Houston moved within one when Jonathan Dimas kicked a 28-yard field goal with 5:31 remaining in the period.
The Red Raiders drove 87 yards on 11 plays in the final quarter with Dickey taking a direct snap and scoring from the 1 for a 28-20 lead with 7:36 to play.
Down 10-0, the Red Raiders perked up in the second quarter. Hammond tossed a 35-yard scoring pass to Johnson 52 seconds into the period and Castellanos scored on a 3-yard run with 3:39 left in the first half to give Texas Tech a 14-10 lead.
Weigman tossed a 46-yard touchdown pass to Young with 1:11 left. That play helped the Cougars lead 17-14 at the break.
Houston ran 22 of the first 23 plays and led 10-0 just 11:33 into the game.
Dimas capped a game-opening, 13-play drive with a 31-yard field goal. Then on Texas Tech’s first offensive play, Will James intercepted Castellanos, who took the first snap, at the Cougars’ 45.
Ten plays later, Weigman tossed an 11-yard scoring pass to Thomas to give Houston its 10-point lead.