It is hard to believe, but the Texas Tech football team is already one game shy of being halfway through its regular-season schedule. This week, though, things will slow down as the Red Raiders enjoy a much-needed open week.
So far, 2026 has been a strange season. The good news is that Tech is undefeated at 5-0 and ranked 11th nationally.
What makes that strange, though, is that what we've seen from this team has felt less than satisfying. Of course, living up to the bar that the 2025 team set was always going to be difficult. However, the current version of the Red Raiders has yet to come close to looking like a playoff contender in any game this season.
Tech has covered the spread only twice in five games. What's more, in the two games that the spread was covered (against Sam Houston and Colorado), the Red Raiders were in a dogfight at halftime.
Certainly, this team has yet to justify all of the offseason hype that it enjoyed. However, that could change over the final seven games on the schedule. So let's look at three critical areas of the game in which the Red Raiders could improve after taking this weekend off.
Texas Tech must stop throwing interceptions at such a high rate
Quarterback play is the most important aspect of the game. Just ask Colorado, which threw four interceptions (three by starting QB Isaac Wilson) in last Saturday's 29-7 loss to the Red Raiders in Boulder.
While Tech can appreciate that the QB situation in Lubbock is nowhere near as dire as it is in Colorado, there is still massive room for improvement from Will Hammond. While he needs to improve several aspects of his game, the most important is for him to cut down on his interceptions.
This year, Tech has thrown six interceptions, with all but one being Hammond's responsibility. Those six INTs committed rank tied for 123rd out of 138 teams in America. Overall, the Red Raiders are tied for 100th in turnovers lost with 11.
While one of Hammond's picks was a result of being hit while throwing the ball and another was because his receiver fell down while running his route, there is no denying that he must clean up that part of his game. This year's defense is not good enough to constantly survive high-turnover games from the quarterback. What's more, the offense is not dynamic enough to give away possessions and still score enough points to beat good teams.
Hammond was better in that regard against Colorado. He didn't have an interception despite being under heavy pressure for most of the evening. It was his first game this year without an INT or lost fumble. That is a trend that must become the expectation rather than the exception moving forward.
Texas Tech needs to cut down on negative-yardage plays on offense
One negative surprise this season has been the play of the offensive line, which has struggled more than anyone thought it would. Returning three starters from a decent unit in 2025, that group was supposed to take a step forward this fall.
Unfortunately, the line play has been merely passable at best. And at times, such as against Colorado, it has been downright poor.
After being tackled behind the line of scrimmage 12 times by the Buffaloes, Tech now ranks just 112th nationally in tackles for loss allowed with 31. For an offense that lacks explosive playmakers, especially in the passing game, that's a recipe for trouble.
With all of these negative plays, it is surprising that Tech still ranks 55th nationally in 3rd-down conversion percentage at 43.3%. Still, an offense that is far from elite can't afford to constantly be in long down-and-distance situations. Tech must make adjustments to its blocking schemes, play calling, and personnel to remedy this area of concern after the break.
Texas Tech must put up better numbers against the pass
Finally, the Red Raider defense has to find a way to be better against the pass. That's been that unit's greatest flaw this season.
Giving up 262.2 yards per game through the air, Tech sits at 124th in the FBS. That's troubling given that there are still a number of good quarterbacks left on the schedule.
Arizona State's Cutter Boley, Arizona's Noah Fifita, Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker, and TCU's Jaden Craig are all going to face the Red Raider defense in the final seven games. Each is averaging at least 260 yards per game through the air, meaning they will be licking their chops to try to carve up the Red Raider secondary.
Of course, stopping the pass is a defense-wide endeavor, so Tech needs to put more pressure on the QB as well. However, the struggles of the secondary have been noticeable through five games. Hopefully, a week to reflect and teach will help shore up that part of the game because it has been a sore spot for the Red Raiders thus far.
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