Thomas Castellanos starts for Texas Tech, Red Raiders edge Houston 28-26

Texas Tech made the surprise call before the ball was even snapped: Castellanos, not Will Hammond, would open under center against a ranked Houston team in the Big 12 opener. It was a jarring switch for a program that had installed Hammond as the guy all offseason.

Pete Nakos

@PeteNakos

Texas Tech gives Thomas Castellanos the first snap at QB against Houston.

On3@On3

NEW: Texas Tech is set to utilize QB Thomas Castellanos more on Friday night against Houston, @PeteNakos reports. t.co/Mv2LWVH7qh

Castellanos didn't make it look like the right call early. On the first snap of the game he was flushed from the pocket and, trying to just throw the ball away under pressure, instead put it right into the hands of a Houston defender for an interception. Pete Thamel had the clip up almost as fast as it happened.

Pete Thamel

@PeteThamel

Texas Texh starts Thomas Castellanos. He throws this interception on the first play.

That pick set up a Houston touchdown and an early 10-0 hole, the kind of start that could've buried a team playing its QB1 for the first time in an unfamiliar building. Castellanos, notably, didn't even take another meaningful snap until late in the fourth quarter, when he punched in a 3-yard touchdown run with 3:39 left that ended up being the game-winner.

The backstory here matters. Castellanos didn't arrive in Lubbock until a week before the season opener, a late addition after Texas Tech lost quarterback depth and needed a proven arm behind Hammond, who was still working back from a torn ACL. A Kentucky judge had to grant Castellanos a temporary restraining order just to clear him a fifth season of eligibility. Before that, he'd already been the starter at Boston College and then Florida State, racking up 32 career starts, 6,449 passing yards and 48 total touchdowns across three different programs and coaching staffs.

Houston nearly stole it back at the end. Down 28-26, the Cougars went for 2 instead of overtime and had it stuffed, sealing Texas Tech's escape. Chris Vannini summed up the vibe from Lubbock afterward — a wild, sloppy, entertaining night that leaves the Big 12 race feeling as unsettled as ever.

Chris Vannini

@ChrisVannini

Texas Tech escapes with a 28-26 win over No. 22 Houston. Great game in Lubbock. Big 12 race still feels open.

Texas Tech moves to 3-0 with a ranked win it'll happily take, warts and all, while Houston drops to 2-1. The bigger question now is whether Castellanos' surprise start was a one-week experiment or the beginning of an actual quarterback change in Lubbock — Hammond's health and the coaching staff's trust in a guy who's been the QB1 at three different schools in three years will shape that call heading into conference play.