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Texas Tech football: Red Raiders hold off TCU thanks to late INT

By Matthew Conner

Texas Tech's defensive back Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (1) holds up the Saddle Trophy after the team's win against TCU, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Texas Tech's defensive back Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (1) holds up the Saddle Trophy after the team's win against TCU, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, at Jones AT&T Stadium. /
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Texas Tech’s head coach Joey McGuire holds up the Saddle Trophy after the team’s win against TCU, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Texas Tech’s head coach Joey McGuire holds up the Saddle Trophy after the team’s win against TCU, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, at Jones AT&T Stadium. /

McGuire continues to beat teams that Texas Tech fans care about

There is no question that TCU isn’t a good team.  They are now just 4-5 on the year and they are a far cry from being what they were a year ago.

However, this was still an important win for Tech because it is another in-state team that Red Raider fans care about beating.  Those types of wins have become staples of the McGuire era.

In just his two years on the job in Lubbock, McGuire has beaten Texas, Houston, Baylor, and TCU.  Those in-state conference wins carry more weight with the fan base than wins over Iowa State or Kansas, for instance.

When you throw in last season’s win over Oklahoma, McGuire has now picked up five conference wins over teams either from Texas or teams that are considered marquee programs in the nation.  Don’t overlook the importance of that.

Far too often, McGuire’s predecessors weren’t able to beat the teams the fan base desperately wants to have bragging rights over.  Matt Wells never beat Texas, TCU, or OU while only beating Baylor once.

Kingsbury only beat Texas twice in six tries and never beat OU.  What’s more, he beat TCU and Baylor only four times in total out of 12 tries.

McGuire doesn’t have a sterling record as Tech’s head coach.  He’s now just 12-10 overall and 10-10 against FBS opponents.

However, he’s making his wins count by ensuring they come against programs that this fan base cares about beating.  Mike Leach and Spike Dykes became legends in Lubbock because they beat Texas A&M with consistency and they scored the occasional dramatic win over Texas.

Since then, Tech’s head coaches have spit the bit in important series, and that caused each to eventually lose favor with the fan base.  McGuire still has a ways to go to become the next Dykes or Leach but he is winning games against programs that are satisfying to beat.  Getting Tech back into the win column against TCU was another example of his ability to give the Red Raiders some wins that are worth crowing about.

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