Kenny Perry details Texas Tech’s special teams improvement, Will Karoll’s strong start and Houston matchup

Perry didn't hide his frustration after that opener. During Tuesday's media availability, he laid out a different story, pointing to Will Karoll's Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week performance as proof the unit corrected course fast. He also touched on the potential of Kenny Johnson and the state of the return game heading into a Friday matchup with No. 22 Houston.

For Texas Tech fans still stinging from that ugly special teams showing against Abilene Christian, the turnaround matters. Special teams mistakes cost games, and a kickoff return touchdown against an in-state opponent is the kind of thing that lingers into the next week's game plan. Perry's comments suggest the staff addressed it directly rather than hoping it fixed itself.

Now the Red Raiders face a ranked Houston team, and special teams execution could swing another close one. Karoll's conference honor gives Tech a specialist playing with confidence, and Perry pointing to Johnson's potential hints at more weapons in the return game. For a program trying to prove Week 1 was the outlier, not Week 2, Friday is the real test.

One bad week, one league honor, and now a ranked opponent waiting to see which version of Tech special teams shows up.