The road was not kind to Texas Tech early in head coach Joey McGuire’s tenure, but the Red Raiders have turned things around.
No. 12 Texas Tech began the McGuire era 4-10 in true road games but has won seven of the last eight, which includes a 4-1 mark in 2025. The Red Raiders won at Oregon State in their only road game this season and will try to make it 2-0 when they visit struggling Colorado on Saturday night in Boulder, Colo.
Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) comes off a solid 49-14 win over Sam Houston last Saturday, a game in which linebacker Austin Romaine stole the day — literally. Romaine returned interceptions for touchdowns on back-to-back snaps to give the Red Raiders some breathing room in the second quarter.
“I was in disbelief that I did it twice in a row,” Romaine said. “It was crazy.”
Romaine’s heroics helped mask a few issues Texas Tech needs to address heading into its first conference road game. Quarterback Will Hammond threw interceptions on three consecutive second-quarter possessions, which helped keep it a 21-14 game at halftime. Texas Tech also lost a fumble in the fourth quarter.
The Red Raiders know they have to clean those up against a Colorado team hungry to get a win.
“I’m excited about being 4-0. I’m proud of these guys, how they came out in the second half,” McGuire said. “But it happened again. We’ve got way too many self-inflicted wounds in the first half. That’s why we’re playing close games. That’s why we’re allowing people to be in the game or why we are allowing it to be a closer game than it should be.”
The Buffaloes (2-2, 0-1) have lost two straight, including last week’s Big 12 opener 23-13 at Baylor. Head coach Deion Sanders gave the team a spark when he replaced starting quarterback Julian Lewis with backup Isaac Wilson after halftime.
Lewis has started all four games, but struggled to move the offense other than a four-touchdown day in a 52-21 win over FCS foe Weber State. After Lewis threw for 75 yards in the first half while leading the Buffaloes to three points, Wilson finished 12-for-25 for 156 yards and a touchdown in relief.
Sanders said Tuesday he has not decided who will start at quarterback against Texas Tech and wanted to see “how practice plays out this week” before naming a starter.
It is uncertain whether Lewis or Wilson will have second-leading receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. to throw to Saturday. Moore left the Baylor game with a head injury after taking a big hit and didn’t return.
Moore has 15 receptions for 200 yards and a touchdown this season.
Linebacker Tyler Martinez also was hurt against the Bears and his injury looked more significant as he was wearing a walking boot later that day. On Tuesday, Sanders said he isn’t certain whether the injury is season-ending.
Even with the injuries, Sanders is confident his team can bounce back.
“We’re so much better, especially the coaching staff, so much better than what we’re producing right now,” Sanders said. “We’ve got to do better.”
–Field Level Media
