Skip to main content
College Football HQ

WATCH: College Football Contender Survives Late Game Scare by Mere Inches

A College Football Playoff hopeful was on the verge of a possible upset before its defense came through with the clinching tackle inches away from the goal line.
James Parks|
Fox Sports

They say football is a game of inches, but the Friday night clash between ranked Big 12 rivals Houston and Texas Tech came down to centimeters.

Defending conference champion and No. 13 ranked Texas Tech escaped what could have been a massive upset by No. 22 Houston with a narrow 28-26 victory clinched as the Red Raiders’ defense came through with a gutsy tackle just near the goal line.

Down to the Final Seconds

Trailing by 2 points with 49 seconds left in regulation, Houston quarterback Conner Weigman had just connected with tight end Patrick Overmeyer for a 10-yard touchdown and the Cougars were poised to go for the game-tying two-point conversion.

But when Weigman carried around left end and dove for the end zone, he was tackled just shy of the goal line. Upon further review, Big 12 officials ruled that the quarterback’s knee was down before he stretched the ball across the line.

How it Went Down

In a close game and down by a 17-14 count in the third quarter at home, the Red Raiders cashed in when J’Koby Williams navigated through Houston’s rush to run nearly untouched for a 29-yard touchdown and a 21-17 advantage.

Houston then cut its deficit to 21-20 on a field goal, but Texas Tech orchestrated a determined offensive effort that culminated in an 87-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter that lasted 11 plays, ending when Cameron Dickey ran through from a yard out.

That score put the Red Raiders at a perfect 12-0 when Dickey scores a touchdown.

What it Means for Texas Tech

It’s an important victory for the reigning Big 12 champs with designs on making it two straight, successfully passing a test at home against a serious conference rival and coming back from a deficit with an inspired comeback.

It keeps the Red Raiders firmly in the driver’s seat as an early Big 12 heavyweight and preserves its repeat title odds and its very early College Football Playoff chances are more firmly intact.

By holding off Houston’s late two-point conversion attempt, the Red Raiders proved that, despite suffering key personnel losses during the offseason, their defense can still come through with a decisive play when needed in a tight, high-stakes game.

Texas Tech also puts itself in position to better avoid an early tiebreaker deficit against a fellow Big 12 contender, opening the door for other challengers like BYU to battle for position without the Red Raiders dropping out of the top tier immediately.

What it Means for Houston

College Football Contender Survives Late Game Scare by Mere Inches
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Just inches away from a massive road upset that would have flipped the early conference hierarchy on its head, instead the Cougars fell behind the pace in a crowded Big 12 picture.

A razor-thin losing margin is a painful reminder of how small the margin for error is in the Big 12, but it does still establish Houston as a legitimate conference title threat.

Instead of looking like a team that could take a step back from last season’s 10-win outing, the Cougars took a step forward of sorts in proving that 2025 wasn’t a fluke.

Given how close they played it, Houston proved it can compete head-to-head with the best in the league and is still in position to secure a rematch for the title against Texas Tech down the road.

While the loss is far from a season-killer, it does also eliminate the Cougars’ safety net. They can likely only afford one more conference loss at most if they want to guarantee a spot in Arlington this December. Games against UCF, at Kansas State, and at Utah will be key matchups to watch.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published | Modified
James Parks
JAMES PARKS

James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He has covered football for a decade, previously managing several team sites and publishing national content for 247Sports.com for five years. His work has also been published on CBSSports.com. He founded College Football HQ in 2020, and the site joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022 and the On SI network in 2024.

Home/News