Three Storylines To Watch Most in Houston's Week 3 Matchup Against Texas Tech - Sports Illustrated

Houston brings the stingiest run defense in the country to Lubbock, having allowed a combined 20 rushing yards through two games. Oregon State managed just 26 yards on 25 carries in a 33-20 loss to the Cougars in Week 1, and Southern actually finished with negative rushing yards, going backward for -6 yards on 22 carries in a 77-6 blowout.

Texas Tech's ground game has not looked much better on its own. The Red Raiders are averaging only 3.9 yards per carry through their first two games, a number that ranks among the worst in the Big 12. Can Tech find traction against a Houston front that has smothered every opponent so far this season?

For folks around Lubbock, this is the kind of early-season test that shapes how the rest of the year gets talked about downtown and around campus. A ranked opponent raises the stakes, and Houston's defense forces Tech to prove it can win games more than one way.