Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire had an honest take ahead of Week 1, although it sure seems like he took a small dig at Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans.
USC played San Jose State in Week 0, and fans couldn’t help but notice the mostly empty stadium despite USC saying the attendance was 51,144.
McGuire was asked about playing in front of a sold-out crowd, and he made sure to mention Riley and USC.
“Not to take any shots because I have a lot of respect for USC and Lincoln Riley, but man, it’s really awesome to be playing in Lubbock, Texas, knowing we’re going to be playing front of 60,000, and it’s going to be warm. It’s going to be every bit as warm as it was Saturday. The great thing is we got some really tough people in West Texas that love their football and they’re going to show up,” McGuire said.
Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire on crowds and USC:
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) August 31, 2026
"We’ve got some really tough people in West Texas that love their football. They’re gonna show up no matter what the weather’s like. There’s not going to be any excuses of why they’re not here for us.” pic.twitter.com/kEkLv7hXeN
USC’s home opener drew an underwhelming crowd and became a hot topic of conversation over the weekend. And, although McGuire said he wasn’t going to “take any shots,” he did make sure to discuss the Trojans and Riley.
The Coliseum at kickoff of USC’s season opener with San Jose State pic.twitter.com/4bOhMY487b
— Ryan Kartje (@RyanKartje) August 29, 2026
USC is ranked 14th in the preseason poll, with Texas Tech coming in at 12th.
Texas Tech faces Abilene Christian in Week 1 on Saturday at Galaxy Stadium in Lubbock, Texas, and it sure seems like Joey McGuire expects a sold-out crowd.
