Texas Tech takes on the Houston Cougars in the Texas Kickoff

Texas Tech football fans rejoice! It is finally game week as the Red Raiders travel to Houston to take on the Houston Cougars.

Tech is starting new man under center in Tyler Shough, but he is no stranger to starting big games. Shough, the former Oregon QB is ready to shine for Tech and will get his first opportunity in primetime against the Cougs.

Game Notes: Houston

Houston is coming off a 3-5 Covid season that saw them go 3-3 in the American. Led by former Tech assistant Dana Holgorsen, you have to think that he will have the Cougars ready for a fight. Houston is obviously coming off a less than desirable season, but is not a team the Red Raiders should take lightly.

Led by returning QB Clayton Tune, Houston will be bringing an experienced offense that actually includes a couple former Red Raiders. Former Tech running back Ta’Zhawn Henry and former Tech wide receiver KeSean Carter could play some big roles for the Houston offense. Henry and Carter were never big contributors for Tech’s offense, but you have to think they’ll be playing with a chip on their shoulder.

Key Stats

Houstons offense was wildly inconsistent last season. While they did average over 30 points per game, that average is insanely misleading. Houston was 0-5 last season when they didn’t score at least 37 points, but was 3-0 when they did.

Quarterback Clayton Tune was a serviceable QB for Houston last season, but turnovers really killed a lot of drives for the Cougars. Tune will need to be a lot better passing the ball and a lot more efficient for the Cougs to have a solid season.

Defensively, Houston is returning a large part of their defense from last season. The Cougars defense was second in the conference in total sacks. Losing leading tackler Grant Stuard and leading sack getter Payton Turner are going to hurt the Cougs, but they have enough returning pieces to fill those losses.

Final Thoughts

Houston isn’t going to be a pushover for Tech. They’re gonna need to come ready to play, in a season that could be make or break for Head Coach Matt Wells. I think Tech will come ready to make a statement and ready to start a bounce back season.

Final Prediction: Tech 45 - Houston 27