Texas Tech football fans must not overlook these positive developments from week two

There is no debating that the Texas Tech football team has not lived up to its self-created offseason hype through the first two games of the 2026 season. While the team has been far from dominant in either of its two wins, at least fans are complaining about victories instead of losses.

That's especially true following Saturday's 35-24 win at Oregon State. After all, in years past, Tech has lost several road games against supposedly inferior opponents that turned into unexpected fights for survival.

Few Red Raider fans will ever forget the 2023 opener when Tech lost at Wyoming despite being up 17-0 after the first quarter. In that game, Tech had no answers once the home team started to punch back, leading to a 35-33 overtime loss.

The next season, another nonconference trip west went south in a hurry as Tech fell to Washington State 37-16 in the second game of the year. That night, the Red Raiders were without star running back Tahj Brooks, and it showed as the offense was disjointed all night on its way to four turnovers.

Older fans can remember when the Red Raiders lost at New Mexico in the second game of 2004. That 27-24 debacle proved to be an anomaly in a season that saw QB Sonny Cumbie and his team go 8-4 and beat Aaron Rodgers and No. 4 Cal in the Holiday Bowl.

In other words, we should be thankful that Joey McGuire's team found a way to secure a win in a non-conference road game where an underdog put up a surprising amount of fight. That hasn't been the norm for this program throughout the years.

During that hard-fought victory, there were some positive developments that we must acknowledge, even if the overall mood of the Red Raider populace is still trending negative. And we'll start with the fact that Tech fixed its biggest issue from week one.

Texas Tech was perfect in the red zone

The narrative coming out of the week-one win over ACU was that Tech was only 2 for 5 when it came to scoring touchdowns in the red zone. That was a concern given the Red Raiders were one of the worst red-zone teams in the nation in 2025.

In Corvallis, that wasn't an issue. Tech was able to punch it in for seven points on all three of its red-zone trips, including the critical final touchdown of the game to seal the deal in the last two minutes.

One reason for the improvement was a bigger role for QB Tommy Castellanos. The backup who joined Tech in late August was able to run for a TD on Tech's first red-zone possession and then threw the game-clinching TD to Matt Ludwig in the fourth quarter. It is clear that he brings a dynamic element to the red-zone attack thanks to the threat of using his legs on any play.

If Castellanos can continue to thrive in that role and help make the Red Raider offense effective when inside the opponent's 20, then this team will have found a solution to one of its biggest issues from the past season-plus.

J'Koby Williams continues to emerge as a dominant weapon

The best Texas Tech offensive weapon this year has been running back J'Koby Williams. After being a do-it-all change-of-pace back last year, one who even returned kicks, he is quickly becoming the most reliable option his team has.

Against Oregon State, Williams ran for 116 yards and a score on just 20 carries. He also caught two balls for 16 yards.

One reason Williams has been so valuable is his ability to make something out of nothing. Because the offensive line is not opening up big running lanes, less elusive backs like Cam Dickey and Quinten Joyner have struggled to be effective thus far.

However, Williams is as shifty as they come, and that means he can turn just about any situation into a positive run. That was the case on his 38-yard TD scamper on Saturday. On the play, the right side of the Tech o-line was driven into the backfield, but Williams simply scooted around the carnage and found open space on his way to the end zone.

If not for Williams, this offense would be ugly right now. He has averaged at least 5.5 yards per rush in both games this season and is giving Tech some much-needed explosiveness on the ground.

Texas Tech's linebackers were as advertised

All offseason, the talk was that the Red Raider linebackers would be among the best LB units in the nation. On Saturday, they lived up to that billing.

Though the defense struggled as a unit, the linebackers did their part. Ben Roberts, Austin Romaine, and John Curry combined for 26 tackles and a sack in the win.

Not surprisingly, Roberts led the team with ten tackles (seven solo). He also had one of the two sacks his defense registered on the evening.

Romaine was second on the team with nine tackles (4 solo). However, it was concerning to see him leave the game late in the fourth quarter, favoring his arm after making a tackle.

Curry, the Lubbock native, had seven tackles (three solo). That was good for the fourth-most by a Red Raider.

While the rest of the defense is trying to find its footing as it works in numerous newcomers, Tech's linebackers have been solid as a rock. That is helping keep the defense afloat, and that shouldn't be overlooked by Red Raider fans.

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