Texas Tech vs Houston: The Matchup That Will Determine The Game

Big 12 football is right around the corner.

Soon enough, two stellar programs will collide on a field in West Texas that might set the tone for the rest of the season and determine what the standings and tiebreakers look like.

Houston travels to take on Texas Tech, and it's one of the most pivotal and season-shifting games of the season, featuring two star athletes, where it might very well come down to this matchup.

Conner Weigman and Will Hammond.

Quarterback Play

Houston Cougars Conner Weigman. — Dec 27, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman (1) looks to pass the ball during the first half against the Louisiana State Tigers at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Houston’s head coach, Willie Fritz, knows who his guy is going to be when the season starts at the quarterback position. He is no stranger to the program. It is the Cypress native, Weigman.

As for head coach Joey McGuire, he has some thinking to do. The way it is looking, it might be Hammond. He played last season but went through some adversity. If it is not him, there are a few alternatives to consider, such as Kirk Francis, Lloyd Jones Ⅲ or Stephen Cannon.

From the looks of it, the quarterback duel is going to be between Weigman and Hammond, so why does this matchup matter?

Both operate quality offenses and have to find ways to get their troops to rally through the highs and lows. The way to do that is to bring out the best of their skill set and get the players around them involved.

For Weigman, he lost his star running back from last season, Dean Connors, so it will be interesting to see who the next man to step up is in a competitive backfield. The 6-foot-3 junior will have to make sure all of his handoffs are clean, and to the right side or else it might be a disaster waiting to happen.

Alongside him is a ton of speedsters who have nice footwork and crafty route running to open up the passing game. Going up against a feisty defense that was one of the best in the nation will be a tall task, as he will have to hit his targets in the chest and where the hands are, or else every drive could quickly stall.

As for Hammond, he is coming off an ACL injury and will be working with a fairly new group of athletes that are still getting their feet wet, so it will be a work in progress building up those vital reps to make sure everyone is on the right page, and it is especially important in the Friday night primetime slot, where everyone is watching.

The Austin native appeared in eight games last season and did his best to push the ball downfield efficiently. During those games, he passed for 680 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions.

His best performance came when he played a ranked team, No. 16 Utah, where he slung the ball for 169 yards, reaching his season high of two touchdowns in a game.

With his pocket mobility and ability to take off, he can present problems to a Cougars defense that struggled at times to limit those areas. There is great vision and enough arm talent for those deep ball tracking skills. All will likely be ready for use.

He has guys like J'Koby Williams, Micah Hudson, Donte Lee Jr., and Terrance Carter Jr who will definitely make an impact.

In a similar fashion, Weigman can get the ball downfield in the blink of an eye and can take off like Speedy Gonzales. There are times when the offensive line has let defenders through, but he has the ability to get out of pressure and hit his weapons in stride.

There’s comfort running the offense, and Weigman will not hesitate to sling those off-balance throws to make things happen. The same goes for Hammond.

Both will carry a load on their shoulders as they enter the contest on Friday, September 18.

Add us as a preferred source on Google