The Red Raiders played their home games at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas, and competed in the Big 12 Conference.

[2][3] The Red Raiders finished the regular season 7–5, 5–4 in Big 12 play, for the program's first winning conference record since 2009.

[5] Following a 24–25 loss to Kansas State in the eighth week of the 2021 season, head coach Matt Wells was fired on October 25.

Tyler Shough started at quarterback for the Red Raiders but exited the game at the end of the first quarter due to a possible injury.

[32] Texas Tech narrowed the Longhorns' lead in the all-time series to 16 wins against 52 losses in the 68-game in-state rivalry.

The Red Raiders appeared to have the game in hand as the Longhorns got the ball with just 21 seconds left in the 4th quarter at the Tech 29-yard line.

But the Longhorns drove 46 yards in three plays and got a long field goal as time ran out to force overtime.

The strategy paid off when linebacker Krishon Merriweather's hard hit on all-conference tailback Bijon Robinson forced a fumble that was recovered by defensive back Reggie Pierson Jr. Texas Tech's SaRodorick Thompson gained 17 yards on Tech's first offensive play in overtime, setting up Trey Wolff's game-winning field goal.

TCU took an early 7–0 lead on a long punt return, but starting quarterback Behren Morton pulled Tech even at 7–7 with a 47-yard touchdown pass to Jerand Bradley.

Trey Wolff added a short field goal to put Texas Tech up 10–7, but Morton suffered a lower body injury in the second quarter.

Shough scored on a touchdown run late in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach as Tech fell to 4-5 for the season.