This is what the Houston Cougars envisioned when they joined the Big 12. Sold-out stadium. Old rivalries vs. in-state opponents renewed. Ranked opponents strolling into town. Add the program’s first 4-0
start in nine years to the mix, and it was the perfect storm to create an electrifying atmosphere of 42,806 spectators at TDECU Stadium — 16 short of the venue’s record set in 2016.
However, No. 11 Texas Tech met the moment instead. The Red Raiders continued their assertive rampage through the 2025 season, upending Houston on the road 35-11 in wire-to-wire fashion.
Texas Tech built a reputation over the years of dynamic offenses and lackluster defenses, but the latter part of that stereotype has completely faded. In its first four outings, the Red Raider defense only allowed a combined three points before the fourth quarter, and the unit remained unshakeable again in Week 6. Texas Tech limited Houston to 267 yards of offense while forcing three turnovers — when the careful Cougar offense only coughed up one turnover through September.
After establishing a 3-0 lead on the opening possession, Texas Tech then set the tone by forcing a turnover on the Cougars’ first offensive snap. Conner Weigman swung a screen to running back Dean Connors, but the incompletion was ruled a backward lateral, and thus, a fumble. However, in what would be a recurring theme Saturday night, Houston’s defense performed best with its back against the wall and forced a field goal to make it 6-0. While the Red Raiders scored on all seven trips to the red zone (excluding victory formation), five of those trips resulted in short field goals — signifying Joey McGuire’s team left a litany of points on the board despite the 24-point victory.
There were four collective field goals in the opening quarter to concoct a 9-3 Red Raider lead, but the highest-ranked team in the Big 12 finally opened the lead late in the period. Quarterback Behren Morton perfectly read Houston’s aggressive third down blitz and lobbed the ball to running back Cameron Dickey. With no defender matched up on Dickey, the sophomore showcased his speed with a 69-yard house call to rewrite the score to 15-3.
Dickey’s explosive touchdown launched a 16-0 Texas Tech scoring run that sustained through the late second quarter. In the midst of the run, Houston suffered a brutal blow losing quarterback Conner Weigman to injury. The starter collided hard with the turf after releasing a pass to Tanner Koziol on a failed 4th and 7 attempt, and he was slow to get up. Weigman subsequently walked to the locker room and never reappeared on the sideline after halftime.
Zeon Chriss-Gremillion — the team’s 2024 starting quarterback — played the remainder of the matchup in place of Weigman. Chriss-Gremillion provided an immediate spark, rushing for an 11-yard gain on his first snap and then hitting a 64-yard deep shot to Amare Thomas on his second — marking the first touchdown surrendered by Texas Tech in a first half all season. Houston’s first end zone appearance sliced the halftime deficit to 25-11, needing a second half rally for the upset.
However, that rally never arrived. Instead, Texas Tech’s defense led by Jacob Rodriguez — who produced four tackles for loss, two pass breakups, and an interception — shut out the Cougars for the final 30 minutes of action, as Chriss finished 5-of-13 for 93 yards with a touchdown and interception. Meanwhile the Texas Tech offense generated 11 points after halftime thanks to a stellar outing from Morton and the running backs. The fifth-year senior finished with 345 passing yards and a touchdown while J’Koby Williams and Cameron Dickey generated 107 and 98 rushing yards, respectively.
Texas Tech (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) remains the class of the conference this year after manufacturing its first 5-0 start since 2013. The Red Raiders are the only FBS team to never trail all season, and they also hold status as the only team win every game by at least 24 points in 2025. Texas Tech hopes its dominance sustains next Saturday when hosting Kansas in Lubbock.
Houston (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) drops its first contest of the season after its fastest start in nearly a decade. The Cougars hope this loss does not derail that promising start, and they’ll take the road next week as presumptive favorites at Oklahoma State — looking to win a fifth game for the first time since 2022.
