No. 13 Texas Tech 34, No. 22 Arizona 26
TEAM NOTES
- Texas Tech improved to 7-1 for the second straight season. It is the 15th time the Red Raiders have started a season 7-1 or better through eight games (1932, 1933, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1972, 1973, 1976, 2005, 2008, 2013, 2025 and 2026). It is the fourth time the Red Raiders have started consecutive seasons 7-1 or better.
- Texas Tech extended its home winning streak to 13 games, having not lost at Galaxy Stadium since Nov. 9, 2024, against Colorado. The 13-game winning streak matches the longest home winning streak in program history. The record was established during the World War II era and spanned the 1939-42 seasons. The Red Raiders will attempt to establish a new program record in their next home game Nov. 7 against West Virginia.
- Texas Tech now has the third-longest home winning streak in the FBS, trailing only Ohio (17 games) and Ole Miss (16 games). The Red Raiders entered today tied with an Ohio State program that plays at USC later this evening.
- Joey McGuire improved to 27-5 in home games in his career, including a 17-4 mark against Big 12 opponents.
- Texas Tech hosted Arizona on Saturday for the first time since 1989 and welcomed the Wildcats to Lubbock as conference opponents for the first time since 1955 when both schools were members of the Border Conference. The Red Raiders improved to 14-1 at home against the Wildcats with the lone loss coming in 1935 (7-6). Saturday marked the second Big 12 meeting between the teams after their first matchup in 2024 in Arizona. Texas Tech owns a 28-5-2 advantage in the all-time series.
- The Red Raiders entered Saturday with eight top-25 wins under Joey McGuire since his arrival in 2022, following just five top-25 wins in the previous 10 seasons. The win over No. 22 Arizona marked McGuire’s ninth career top-25 victory and his second of the 2026 season (2-0).
- Texas Tech is now 2-0 in one-possession games this season, both in ranked wins after defeating then-No. 22 Houston to begin Big 12 play. The Red Raiders are now 15-5 in games determined by eight points or less under Joey McGuire. Texas Tech came into today’s game ranked fourth in the FBS with a .737 winning percentage in one-possession games since 2022.
THE OFFENSE
- Texas Tech finished with 34 points and over 300 yards rushing, advancing its streak of scoring at least 24 points and rushing for at least 150 yards or greater. The Red Raiders entered Saturday as one of eight FBS programs to score at least 24 points in every game, one of three to rush for at least 150 yards in every game and the only team to accomplish both feats in every game this season. The last Big 12 team to have a longer streak to begin a season was 2019 Oklahoma State (10 games).
- Arizona’s defense entered Saturday ranked among the best in the Big 12, allowing just 16.7 points per game. Texas Tech scored 34 points against the Wildcats. The Red Raiders are averaging 38.3 points per game against Big 12 opponents at Galaxy Stadium.
- Thomas Castellanos, a fifth-year senior transfer from Florida State, started at quarterback for the Red Raiders on Saturday. It was his second start for Texas Tech but his first as the team’s primary signal-caller. His first start came Sept. 18, 2026, against Houston, when he was utilized in a special package before giving way to Will Hammond, who attempted 27 passes compared to Castellanos’ one.
- The Red Raiders scored a touchdown on their opening drive for the first time since the season opener Sept. 5 against Abilene Christian.
- Terrance Carter Jr. caught a 24-yard touchdown pass from Castellanos to cap a 13-play, 75-yard drive that took 4 minutes, 32 seconds. It was Carter’s second touchdown reception of the season. Texas Tech converted 2-of-3 third-down attempts and its first fourth-down attempt on the drive.
- Texas Tech opened both halves with a touchdown on its first possession. It was the first time this season the Red Raiders had accomplished that feat and the first time in a game since hosting West Virginia on Nov. 29, 2025.
- Texas Tech rushed for 328 yards, its most in a game this season and its most since recording 372 against Kansas on Oct. 11, 2025.
- Castellanos and Williams became the first Red Raider duo to rush for at least 100 yards apiece in a game since Cam’Ron Valdez (111) and Tahj Brooks (102) did so against Houston on Sept. 30, 2023. Castellanos and Williams also became the first quarterback-running back duo in program history to each rush for at least 100 yards in a game.
- Castellanos, who finished with 117 rushing yards on a team-high 19 attempts, was the first Red Raiders quarterback to eclipse 100 yards rushing a game since Tyler Shough rushed for 101 yards on 23 carries versus Oregon on Sept. 9, 2023.
- Williams established a career high with 175 rushing yards. He had previously set a career high with 165 yards in the Red Raiders’ last home game against Arizona State before surpassing that mark again Saturday. Williams averaged 12.5 yards per carry, needing 14 carries to set his career-high.
- Williams finished with a team-best 223 all-purpose yards. It was the most all-purpose yards by a Red Raider in a single game since Cameron Dickey’s 279 versus Kansas last season.
THE DEFENSE
- A.J. Holmes Jr. recorded at least one sack for the third straight game. He owns a team-leading 7.5 sacks this season, doing so as an interior defensive lineman.
- LaDamion Guyton recorded his fourth sack of the season, halting Arizona’s second drive of the game in the first quarter. He ranks second on the team with 4.0 sacks through eight games.
- John Curry finished with a career-high 3.0 tackles for loss, the most by a Red Raider in a single game this season. David Bailey was the last Red Raider to record 3.0 TFLs in a game. He did so in three consecutive games in 2025: Houston (Oct. 4), Kansas (Oct. 11) and Arizona State (Oct. 18).
- Austin Romaine finished with a career-high 14 tackles, while Ben Roberts joined him in double digits with 11. It was Romaine’s eighth career double-digit tackles game while it was Roberts’ 14th such game.
- Arizona entered Saturday ranked third nationally in third-down conversion percentage at 54.7 percent. The Red Raiders held the Wildcats to an 8-of-19 mark (42.1%).
- Texas Tech allowed a 94-yard touchdown on third-and-12 in the second quarter, giving Arizona a 10-7 lead with 10:02 remaining in the first half. It was the longest scoring play allowed by a Texas Tech defense since the 2024 Liberty Bowl against Arkansas, when Dazmin James scored on a pass from Taylen Green. That play established the longest reception allowed by an opponent in program history, surpassing the previous mark of 92 yards by Deante’ Gray of TCU on Oct. 25, 2014.
SPECIAL TEAMS
- Ansel Nedore blocked a PAT after Arizona took a 23-17 lead with 5:34 remaining in the third quarter. It was the first blocked PAT by a Red Raider since Trevon McAlpine blocked one at Oklahoma State on Nov. 23, 2024.
Release provided by Matt Dowdy Texas Tech Athletics