I am truly taking time off, which is great for me. I think on Friday I plan on doing a stat comparison from last year to this year just to see where things sit.
The News:
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams: Joey McGuire | Ryan Day quote apt for Texas Tech football’s Will Hammond
“Some of the stuff that Will has gone to a second read on,” McGuire said, “I keep going back to a play in the Oregon State game where Cam Dickey, running a rail route out of the running back, is even [with a defender]. You could say he’s covered, but he’s going to come open, so hang on that read a little bit longer and get the ball out to your best matchups. And it’s just continuing to get him to understand that.”
Red Raider Sports’ Lane Selph: Joey McGuire addresses criticism, offensive concerns surrounding 5-0 Texas Tech
“One thing I think we’ve got to improve is going back to our day-one installs,” McGuire continued. “Comfortable plays that Will’s comfortable with to start the game and get him going early.”
That evaluation extends beyond the passing game too, as McGuire said Texas Tech is looking closely at what it has executed well in the running game and what might need to be removed from the offense moving forward.
“We’ve got to capitalize on the things we’re doing well and then maybe kick some plays out that we’re not doing well,” McGuire said. “There’s some things that we’ve added that maybe we need to get rid of and get back to the things that we’re doing well.”
For McGuire, the goal coming out of the bye is to have a clearer picture of what Texas Tech does best offensively and put its players in position to consistently execute those concepts.
Red Raider Sports’ L. Jordan: Update: Thomas Castellanos’ Hearing Rescheduled
The Non-Transcript
Head Coach Joey McGuire: In the spirit of taking the week off, the following is an AI summary.
In his October 6, 2026 bye-week press conference [00:00], Texas Tech Head Football Coach Joey McGuire discussed team health, performance evaluations, quarterback play, and handling external media criticism as the Red Raiders sit at 5–0.
Key Takeaways & Injury Updates
Injury & Personnel Updates:
Cam Dickey suffered an ankle injury against Colorado and is expected to miss 2 to 3 weeks, likely returning after the Cincinnati game [00:26], [01:03].
Quinton Joyner will see an increased workload in Dickey’s absence [01:14]. McGuire noted Joyner is down from 230 lbs to ~216 lbs and back in top game shape [01:32].
Ashton Rowden (“Ace”) moves up to the third running back spot [01:54].
Most previously injured players in yellow practice jerseys (including Terrance Carter, Howard Sampson and Cash Cleveland and Austin Romaine) were full-go at practice [00:39].
Quarterback Situation & Passing Game:
Will Hammond: Self-scout reviews showed that the offense needs to get Hammond going early by calling “Day 1 installs” and comfort plays [02:22]. McGuire noted Hammond is highly effective on his first read and needs to stick with his primary targets longer before cycling through full-field progressions [08:54], [09:50].
Tommy Castellanos / Backup QB: With uncertainty remaining around Tommy’s status, backup QB Kirk Francis received second-team reps during competitive team periods [03:14], [03:20].
Halftime Adjustments vs. Slow Starts:
McGuire highlighted a stark contrast in performance: over the last three games, Texas Tech was tied 38–38 in the first half but dominated 72–9 in the second half [06:42].
He emphasized the urgency to eliminate slow starts before running out of time in tighter games down the stretch [10:18], [13:01].
Special Teams Impact:
Praise was given to Mikal Harrison-Pilot for making a crucial stop on a fake punt [03:50], and kicker Will Karoll, who has earned Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors three times this season [04:19].
Handling External Media & Critiques:
Responding to national pundits criticizing the team’s “ugly” style of play despite being 5–0 [05:55], McGuire referenced his 2012 high school team that ground out ugly victories all the way to the state championship [06:05].
McGuire stated: “I’ll take an ugly win over scoring a bunch of points and setting records with an ‘L’ at the end of it” [06:57], while advising his players to block out external noise and focus strictly on practice [08:20].
What’s Next:
This Week in the Big 12 & National Games of the Week
Big 12 Game of the Week: We’ll learn if Arizona is for real or if West Virginia is going to bounce back. Also interested in Houston and Kansas State. BYU is also apparently in some serious injury trouble and Iowa State is no joke. That game is on Friday night.
Iowa State @ BYU 10/9 @ 9:15 am on ESPN
UCF @ Oklahoma State 10/10 @ 11:00 am on ESPN2
Arizona @ West Virginia 10/10 @ 11:00 am on TNT
Houston @ Kansas State 10/10 @ 2:30 pm on FOX
Hawai’i @ Arizona State 10/10 @ 8:30 pm on FS1
Kansas @ Utah 10/10 @ 9:15 pm on ESPN
National Games of the Week: There’s a better than zero chance that the current tropical depression affects the Georgia @ Alabama game. That thing is projected to head right through the state of Alabama. I only included Texas and Oklahoma because of the tradition, not because Oklahoma is going to win that game (although it would be delicious if they did). Also interested in LSU and Kentucky in Kentucky. Kentucky are doing some interesting things on offense. Also a bit of Pac-12 love for Boise State and Fresno Sate, both teams are 4-1 heading into that game.
Indiana @ Nebraska 10/10 @ 11:00 am on FOX
UCLA @ Oregon 10/10 @ 2:30 pm on CBS
Texas @ Oklahoma 10/10 @ 2:30 pm on ABC
LSU @ Kentucky 10/10 @ 6:00 pm on ESPN
Georgia @ Alabama 10/10 @ 6:30 pm on ABC
USC @ Penn State 10/10 @ 6:30 pm on NBC
Boise State @ Fresno State 10/10 @ 9:30 pm on CW
Education
Every Football Blitz Explained (How Sacks Are Created) – I know that this video is blocked, but still recommend you clicking on YouTube to watch.