Houston, TX— Behren Morton threw for 345 yards and a touchdown, J’Koby Williams scored twice on the ground, and No. 11 Texas Tech rolled past previously unbeaten Houston 35–11 on Saturday night to stay perfect on the season.
The Red Raiders (5–0, 2–0 Big 12) have now opened a season 5–0 for the first time since 2013 and just the eighth time in program history. They’ve been dominant in doing so, outscoring opponents 243–56 and winning every game by at least 24 points.
“I felt like we could have scored more,” head coach Joey McGuire said. “But at the end of the day, there were a lot of good teams that went on the road this weekend and didn’t handle adversity. Our guys did.”
Morton’s efficiency and Texas Tech’s balance once again set the tone. He completed 25 of 36 passes while spreading the ball around to 10 different receivers. Caleb Johnson led the way with seven catches for a season-high 114 yards, and Coy Eakin added 10 receptions for 81 yards.
Williams rushed for 107 yards on 18 carries, and Cameron Dickey added 98 on the ground plus a highlight touchdown catch — a 69-yard score in the first quarter where he juked two defenders and sprinted untouched into the end zone to make it 15–3.
Texas Tech’s defense, led by linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, was equally sharp. Rodriguez intercepted Houston quarterback Conner Weigman early in the second quarter and returned it to the Cougars’ 25, setting up Williams’ 5-yard touchdown run that pushed the lead to 22–3. Rodriguez also finished with two tackles for loss and two pass breakups.
“Everybody up front made it easy,” Rodriguez said. “They created the lanes, and I just attacked.”
Weigman’s night ended late in the second quarter after an apparent injury. He went 8 of 14 for 71 yards and an interception before being replaced by Zeon Chriss-Gremillion, who immediately provided a spark. On his second snap, Chriss-Gremillion connected with Amare Thomas for a 64-yard touchdown and later hit Stephon Johnson on a two-point conversion to pull Houston within 25–11 before halftime.
But that was as close as the Cougars (4–1, 1–1) would get. Their offense stalled in the second half, and Texas Tech continued to pull away. Gino Garcia’s 29-yard field goal extended the lead to 28–11 in the third, and Williams’ second touchdown — a 1-yard plunge early in the fourth — sealed the win.
Chriss-Gremillion finished with 93 yards passing, one touchdown, one interception, and a team-high 59 rushing yards.
“We’ve got to play much better offensively,” Houston coach Willie Fritz said. “We moved the ball at times, but we just couldn’t sustain drives — and when you turn it over, you make it nearly impossible to win.”
Despite some missed field goals and red-zone miscues, Texas Tech’s dominance was clear in the stat sheet. The Red Raiders outgained Houston 552–208 and controlled possession from start to finish.
Morton credited the energy from the large contingent of Red Raider fans who made the trip to Houston.
“It never felt like an away game tonight,” he said. “Our fans were incredible.”
McGuire agreed. “Our players were blown away by the support,” he said. “It was an awesome environment.”
Up Next:
Texas Tech returns home to host Kansas next Saturday night.
Houston heads to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State.
