Red Raiders, 3-0 after holding off Coogs, welcome doubters while building chemistry
· Yahoo Sports
LUBBOCK — It was highly debated this week across the college football landscape whether No. 13 Texas Tech could pull out a victory over No. 22 Houston on Friday at Galaxy Stadium in Lubbock.
And Friday’s contest came down to the wire, with the Red Raiders holding on 28-26. Houston quarterback Conner Weigman delivered a 10-yard touchdown to Patrick Overmyer to pull the Cougars within two points with under a minute to go, but Houston came up inches short of tying the game on the ensuing 2-point conversion attempt on Weigman’s lunging attempt to reach the ball to the goal line.
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Following Tech’s first AP Top-25 victory of the season, head coach Joey McGuire encouraged the Red Raiders’ doubters to continue fueling his program’s fire to win. He even mentioned several college football media personalities who picked against Tech earlier in the week.
“I’d like to thank Josh Pate,” McGuire said. “Keep it up, Pate. He’s my buddy and everything but keep picking against us man. I appreciate that he’s watched us the last couple weeks and [said] we don’t look the same. We don’t look the same, but we’re 3-0.”
McGuire’s team started the game with a 10-0 deficit but didn’t let the Cougars’ fast start hinder their morale, fighting back to only be down 17-14 at the half.
Houston’s halftime lead would be their last, as Tech came out of halftime and punched in a 29-yard rushing touchdown from J’Koby Williams on the opening drive. The Red Raiders scored one more touchdown in the second half before coming away victorious.
McGuire said President and CEO of the UFC, Dana White, paid the Red Raiders a visit on Thursday prior to facing the Cougars due to Power Slap 23 being held at the United Supermarkets Arena the same night. He said White’s message sparked the team to embrace the role of being disbelieved in.
“We love being doubted,” McGuire said. “Dana White said to the team, ‘There’s nothing better than being doubted.’ I’m not going to quote exactly what he said because I’ll get in trouble, but there’s nothing like being doubted and coming back and winning a football game.”
Tech quarterback Will Hammond has also been doubted, with some debating whether he should be starting. The Austin native finished with 257 passing yards on 17-of-27 passing with a touchdown and an interception.
Hammond started to find a groove at the end of the first half, even delivering a 35-yard strike to Kenny Johnson down the sideline in the right side of the end zone.
“I’ve said it from the time that we’ve started going through everything we’re going through that we’re so lucky to have Will Hammond,” McGuire said. “All he cares about is winning. I think some of it really drives him. Little fiery redhead that wants to prove me wrong a little bit, too.”
A position controversy can be hard as players are trying to prove themselves on a weekly basis. McGuire said Hammond's only focus is coming away week in and week out with a victory.
“The best thing about this team is everyone is always ready,” Hammond said. “We always have that next-up mentality. I always tell the young guys: be ready for your opportunity. Whether I got the first play or not, we won the game and that’s all that matters.”
McGuire said getting on the same page as a team in all facets is still a work-in-progress, but he believes it will build throughout the season as the team continues to progress.
“I do still truly believe we’re trying to find ourselves,” McGuire said. “Getting a quarterback to have confidence in himself and play like he played tonight, that's still a work-in-progress. And the more he just gets snaps under his belt, and the more we play together, then we're just going to keep getting better as a team.”
Tech’s next matchup will come against Sam Houston at 11 a.m. Sept. 26 at Galaxy Stadium in Lubbock.
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