A Year After Its Colorado Loss, Texas Tech Gets Its Signature Win Over BYU
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Nearly a year ago, a then 6-3 Texas Tech team hosted No. 21 Colorado with a chance to position itself toward a Big 12 Championship berth — something the Red Raiders have yet to do in the program's history — but came up short.
Tech got its chance again on Saturday, Nov. 8, except this time the stakes were higher. An 8-0 BYU rolled into Lubbock, Texas, for a top-10 clash. A loss for the 8-1 Red Raiders would take their destiny to Arlington, Texas, out of their control.
But this Red Raider team is different. One that transformed its defensive roster where it could shut out a team as it did to the Cougars for three and a half quarters en route to a 29-6 Tech win, anchored by a defensive line in transfers David Bailey, Romello Height, and Lee Hunter.
On the four-year anniversary of head coach Joey McGuire’s hiring at Tech, the 54-year-old said he thought about last season’s 41-27 loss to the Buffaloes on Saturday morning. But he knew the key difference that built this team to win in November.
“Last year we jumped out on Colorado and then we had some unfortunate things go one way or the other,” McGuire said. “The one thing that makes this team different is we can rely on that defense. Anytime no matter what’s going on in football at any level, if you play defense and run the football, you’re going to have the opportunity to win games.”
Tech’s offense turned the ball over on five consecutive drives against Colorado in the second half, eventually giving the Buffaloes an insurmountable lead. Similarly, Tech left the door open for BYU as the Red Raiders’ offense scored five field goals.
But BYU’s offense was held to 3-for-14 on third downs and stalled by linebacker Jacob Rodriguez‘s interception and fumble recovery.
Rodriguez, whose Heisman chatter has only grown with more turnovers added to his résumé, is one of the few defensive constants from a season ago. The nation’s leader in forced fumbles, who led the team with 14 tackles against the Cougars, acknowledged the changes from a season ago that have pushed the Red Raiders to the top of the Big 12 standings.
“I think there’s no question that we’ve turned it around and done a good job at doing our job,” Rodriguez said. " … We are a better team than last year, but we’re a different team than last year.”
He belongs in NYC.@Jacob_R_10 for the @HeismanTrophy pic.twitter.com/R1BFj0PTzp
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) November 8, 2025
Tech's 6-1 conference record sits atop the Big 12 standings by one game over the Cougars with just under a month left in the season. BYU hosts TCU and UCF with a road trip to No. 25 Cincinnati in the middle.
The Red Raiders still have to take care of business with a home game against UCF and a trip to West Virginia, but they have a clear line of sight to a Big 12 title berth and a playoff spot.
If both teams win out, they will rematch with the conference title on the line on Dec. 6, with the chance for consecutive seasons of first-time champions.
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Andrew is a contributor for Texas Tech On SI. He has interned at Front Office Sports in New York and is now a freelance contributor for the outlet. Andrew got his start in sports covering Texas Tech teams with the student newspaper The Daily Toreador.