Saturday in Lubbock, Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire made the move most Red Raiders hoped he would when he gave quarterback Thomas Castellanos the start against No. 22 Arizona. That decision paid dividends as Castellanos helped lead his team to a 34-26 win to move to 7-1 on the season.
More importantly, Tech now sits at 4-1 in the Big 12 race while dropping Arizona to 3-2 in league play. That will keep the Red Raiders' hopes of a conference title alive for at least another week.
Castellanos was decent through the air, going 11-24 for 144 yards and two touchdowns. However, it was his legs that really made a huge difference.
The speedy dual-threat QB ran 19 times for 117 yards. Included in that rushing effort were seven plays in which Castellanos either picked up a first down or scored a touchdown.
In all, he accounted for 261 yards of total offense and three touchdowns (one rushing). Even more importantly, he didn't turn the ball over.
Tech broke the glass on its emergency quarterback option by sending Will Hammond to the bench and giving the reins to Castellanos. That decision could have program-altering implications after the season. It could also be one that helps the Red Raiders save 2026. Here are more rapid reactions from the Red Raider win.
Texas Tech won this game at the line of scrimmage
The difference in the game was the Red Raiders' dominance at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. On offense, Tech ran wild against one of the top run defenses in the Big 12.
Running the ball 47 times for 328 yards, Tech averaged a whopping 7.0 yards per carry. J'Koby Williams was the star of the day, going off for 175 yards and a TD on just 14 carries. That's an insane average of 12.5 yards per carry.
Meanwhile, Tech's defensive line and linebackers were excellent as well. The Wildcats managed to run for a total of just 12 yards on 30 carries. That's less than half a yard per carry.
Though Arizona did throw for 417 yards, its offensive line gave up five sacks. That's a season high for the Texas Tech defense.
Tech did get burned at times by Arizona's excellent QB, Noah Fafita, but the defensive line was able to harass him all game long. That pressure, combined with the dominance of the Tech offensive line, was why the Red Raiders prevailed.
Texas Tech's linebackers were once again spectacular
We say this after most Red Raider wins, but it bears repeating: the Texas Tech linebacking trio of Austin Romaine, Ben Roberts, and John Curry is probably the best linebacker group in the nation. Saturday, they combined for 32 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 3.5 tackles for loss.
Romaine was the tip of the spear against Arizona. He led the team with 14 tackles (9.0 solo). Meanwhile, Roberts was close behind with 11 tackles, and Curry had seven.
Though this group didn't generate a turnover in the game, they controlled the middle of the field. On a day when Arizona's defense was shredded up the middle, it was refreshing to see that Tech is as solid as can be at the linebacker spot. That's something no Red Raider should take for granted.
Texas Tech passing attack still inconsistent
When the ball went in the air, Tech was inconsistent but made two critical plays to help win the game. Castellanos and his receivers seemed to be on different pages at times, which is understandable given that he has not had many first-team practice reps.
Still, the Red Raiders averaged just 6.0 yards per reception. That's not going to be good enough moving forward.
Not all of that was on Castellanos. The Red Raider receivers have to do a better job of getting open, especially against man coverage, which is what Arizona played often on Saturday. Tech had no player catch more than four passes and had only two with multiple receptions.
Where Castellanos was impressive as a passer, though, was his willingness to take shots down the field. He was decisive with the ball, and even when he missed on deep throws, he threatened the defense by pushing the ball deep.
Of course, the two touchdown passes were critical. He hit Terrance Carter Jr. for 24 yards in the first quarter and Kenny Johnson for 27 yards on a fourth-down play in the third quarter. Those were two big-time throws that prove Castellanos has the arm talent needed to win games. If he can become more consistent as he gels with the first team receivers, he could be just what this offense has been missing.
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