The No. 22 Houston Cougars visit the No. 13 Texas Tech Red Raiders on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026 at 8 p.m. ET from Galaxy Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. Both teams enter at 2-0, with Houston coming off wins over Oregon State (33-20) and Southern (77-6) and Texas Tech off wins over Abilene Christian (33-10) and Oregon State (35-24).
Houston’s offense has set the early pace. Conner Weigman has thrown for 425 yards and four touchdowns with one interception through two games, and the Cougars are averaging 55 points per game.
Texas Tech has answered with its own aerial production. Will Hammond has passed for 487 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, and the Red Raiders are completing 75.8% of their passes, 10th in FBS.
The Red Raiders are 7.5-point favorites over the Cougars at DraftKings, with a total of 52.5 and a moneyline of -306 for Texas Tech and +240 for Houston.
Below, we’ll give you all the details you need to know about how to watch this game.
How to Watch Houston vs. Texas Tech
- When: Friday, September 18, 2026 at 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Galaxy Stadium, Lubbock, TX
- TV: FOX
- Stream: Watch 3 days free on FOX One
Players to Watch
Texas Tech’s passing attack is humming at a 75.8 percent completion clip, 10th in FBS, and Hammond is the quarterback making that efficiency travel. Through two games he has thrown for 487 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception while the No. 13 Red Raiders sit at 2-0 entering Big 12 play.
Houston has allowed 251.5 passing yards per game so far, so Hammond’s job is to stay on schedule against a Cougars defense that has otherwise been stout. Clean intermediate throws and limited empty drives give Texas Tech its clearest path to controlling this Friday night opener at Galaxy Stadium.
When Houston loads up to slow the pass, Williams becomes the Red Raiders’ downhill answer. He leads Texas Tech with 187 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns through two games, giving Lubbock a second gear behind Hammond.
Houston is allowing only 10.0 rushing yards per game, the kind of run defense that will test every cutback. Williams winning early downs and forcing the Cougars out of light boxes opens the rest of Texas Tech’s playbook in a top-25 Big 12 kickoff.
Houston is averaging 55.0 points per game after two wins, and Weigman is the quarterback who has to keep that tempo alive on the road. He has thrown for 425 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception while the No. 22 Cougars open conference play at Texas Tech.
The Red Raiders are allowing 17.0 points and 268.0 passing yards per game, so the window is there if Weigman stays aggressive without feeding takeaways. Timing throws and finishing drives keep Houston from letting Texas Tech dictate a Friday night track meet.
Houston’s ground game is the clearest early identity on the roster, ranking fifth nationally with 31 rushing first downs and posting 308.0 rushing yards per game. Hughes leads that charge with 142 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns through two contests.
Texas Tech is allowing only 65.0 rushing yards per game, which makes every successful early-down run a statement. Hughes getting north-south and forcing the Red Raiders to crowd the box creates room for Weigman to work on the perimeter.
Houston vs. Texas Tech Odds
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