The 2023 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University in the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Red Raiders played their home games at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas, and competed in the Big 12 Conference. They were led by second-year head coach Joey McGuire. The Texas Tech Red Raiders football team drew an average home attendance of 54,491 in 2023.
The team started 0âÂÂ2 for the first time since 1990, after losing to both Wyoming and Oregon. The Red Raiders would win their first game of the season in week 3, defeating FCS Tarleton State 41âÂÂ3. However, starting quarterback Tyler Shough would be injured the following week against West Virginia as the Red Raiders lost 13âÂÂ20. The team rebounded and finished the rest of the season going 5âÂÂ3, including an upset win over no. 16 Kansas on the road, to finish the regular season 6âÂÂ6 with a Big 12 record of 5âÂÂ4. The Red Raiders were invited to the Independence Bowl, where they defeated California 34âÂÂ14.
On January 10, passing game coordinator and receivers coach Emmett Jones left Texas Tech to take the same position with the Oklahoma Sooners. The following day, January 11, Baylor running backs coach Justin Johnson was hired to replace Jones.
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The preseason poll was released on July 6, 2023.
Tyler Shough was carted off the field in the 1st quarter after he appeared to have rolled his ankle on back-to-back plays. It was later revealed that Shough had a broken fibula in his left leg; Shough had surgery the following Tuesday and is expected to be out six to eight weeks.
The Red Raiders scored two special teams touchdowns, with Drae McCray returning a kickoff for 100 yards and Loic Fouonji blocking a punt and returning it for a touchdown. Running back Tahj Brooks finished with over 100 rushing yards for the third straight game, becoming the first Texas Tech running back since DeAndré Washington in 2015 to do so.
Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton threw for a career-high three touchdown passes while rushing for another. Running back Tahj Brooks finished with 100 rushing yards for the fourth game in a row, becoming the first Texas Tech running back to do so in the 21st century.
Starting quarterback Behren Morton exited the game at halftime with an undisclosed injury. Morton had been dealing with a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder ever since he took over for the injured Tyler Shough.
A possum ran onto the field early in the second quarter, quickly becoming a viral sensation and spawning numerous Internet memes. The animal was captured by stadium officials and was petted by university president Lawrence Schovanec after the game before being released back into the wild.