Sept. 17, 2026, 4:00 p.m. CT
Texas Tech and Houston have a rivalry that runs deep, predating the Big 12 by decades. The Red Raiders and the Cougars squared off every season from 1976 to 1995 as rivals in the old Southwest Conference. When Texas Tech left for the Big 12, the series went dormant until 2009. Now, with Houston also a member of the Big 12, they’ve played four times in the last five seasons, and Texas Tech has won the last seven matchups against Houston.
But across the entire life of this matchup, the Red Raiders and Cougars have delivered plenty of games worth remembering. Much like last week’s Throwback Thursday, this week’s edition on Red Raiders Wire will examine some of the best games between the two.
1987: A tie in Houston
Before overtime rules existed in college football, games could simply end in a tie. That’s exactly what happened in 1987, when Tech and Houston played to a 10-10 deadlock in the Bayou City. It was one of 16 games decided by 10 points or less between the two schools during the Southwest Conference era.
1988: One-Score nail-biter
The following year in Lubbock, Houston had to score 16 points in the fourth quarter to escape with a 30-29 win over the Red Raiders in a game that came down to the final possessions. In a game marred by nasty weather, Houston quarterback Andre Ware still was 35-for-61 passing for 348 yards and two touchdowns.
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!1990: The Shootout in Lubbock
The 1990 meeting at Jones Stadium saw Houston’s high-flying run-and-shoot offense put up 51 points. Tech tried to keep pace, but could only put 35 on the board. It was one of the highest-scoring games in the series and a preview of the kind of offensive fireworks that would define the rivalry decades later. For Red Raider fans, it also previewed the types of games it would find itself in for much of the next two decades.
Fast forward to the Big 12 era, and the 2018 matchup in Lubbock might be the most entertaining shootout of the modern series. Texas Tech outlasted Houston 63-49 in a game that topped 100 combined points, with both offenses trading big plays deep into the fourth quarter. It’s the kind of game that had fans on both sides exhausted by the final whistle.
2023: Tech rolls in Lubbock
When Houston rejoined Texas Tech as a conference opponent after the Cougars’ move to the Big 12, the Red Raiders picked up right where the old rivalry left off, winning 49-28 at Jones AT&T Stadium. The game extended what has become a long win streak for Tech in the series and added another chapter to a rivalry that has now spanned three different conference alignments.
2025: The Streak pushes to 7
Most recently, Texas Tech handled Houston 35-11 on the road, pushing the Red Raiders’ current win streak in the series to seven straight games dating back to 2010. Houston still holds a slim edge in the all-time series, but Texas Tech has dominated the recent chapters. Whether it was a tense defensive struggle in the 1980s or a track-meet shootout in Lubbock, this matchup has never lacked for drama.
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