As the Texas Tech Red Raiders head to Tempe, Arizona to meet up with the reigning Big 12 champs, it looks like the Arizona State Sun Devils will be facing off against Texas Tech’s backup quarterback. Joey McGuire and the Red Raiders are reportedly trusting Will Hammond to take control of the offense for Texas Tech today.
This is huge.
For Texas Tech, Hammond has represented the future of the program for a little bit now. The athleticism that he brings to the table (along with the fact that he’s also a pretty solid passer) makes the offense a ton of fun to watch (Mack Leftwich’s offense is really exciting and should take full advantage of Hammond’s skill set).
College football fans weigh in as the Texas Tech Red Raiders turn to Will Hammond at quarterback vs. Arizona State
Some Arizona State fans seem a little eager for this to be the situation that they’re getting. And they’re also focused a bit on gambling, which is a bit odd.
Put the house on ASU🔱🔱 https://t.co/yIBgmaxbQU
— James Huston (@james_huston23) October 17, 2025
With their backup QB on the road vs the reigning Big 12 champs who’ve won 9 straight home games, Tech is still favored by a TD. Take the points and hammer ASU +7.5 ya’ll
— colt (@TheOGcolt) October 17, 2025
And then there are folks who aren’t exactly as enthusiastic about this whole arrangement.
We can’t beat them, backup or not. This ASU team stinks!
— Donald R. Elder (@DonaldRElder) October 17, 2025
We just can't get a break. Rather see Morton https://t.co/LlSaLt7ljV
— LoBoJangles (@LoBoJangles) October 17, 2025
Of course, there are some neutral parties who seem to believe that the Red Raiders won’t be able to beat Arizona State, despite the fact that Arizona State just hasn’t looked all that impressive all season long.
Arizona St winning https://t.co/qcD7Phe8kz
— Alfred Matthews (@A_Matthews713) October 17, 2025
ASU should have a solid chance to win this game with a freshman QB starting on the road. Going to be interesting. https://t.co/4b6TcrvAJs
— Jason Scheer (@jasonscheer) October 17, 2025
No quarterback, no tortillas… do the B12 a favor and finish them tomorrow
— Dr. Buddy Rydell (@_KnowBuddyCares) October 17, 2025
With the Red Raiders squaring up against the Sun Devils, it’s worth noting that Texas Tech seems to be a much more well rounded team than what Arizona State has this season. Texas Tech sits at the top of the Big 12 in both scoring offense and scoring defense. Arizona State is basically in the middle of the pack in both of those stats.
So, even if the Red Raider offense takes a bit of a step back in this game because of the change on offense, this is still a game that Texas Tech could conceivably win. Will Hammond just needs to play a decent game.