Donovan Smith had his coming out party as the starting quarterback for Houston last week in the win over FBS newcomer Sam Houston. He’ll return to his old home in Lubbock for a Week 5 clash with a Red Raiders squad he led to an overtime win over Dana Holgorsen’s Cougars the last time these two teams met. 

Smith replaced an injured Tyler Shough as the starting quarterback for Texas Tech in the Week 2 game against Houston in 2022. He threw for 350 yards and two touchdowns. He added a touchdown on 21 carries as a runner. Of the staggering 103 plays ran by the Red Raiders, Smith threw or ran the ball on 79 of them. The last of those 79 was a 9-yard game-winning touchdown run in double overtime. 

Facing his former team won't be the most ackward moment of his calendar year. That distinction goes to entering a locker room he beat the season before. 

“I try not to talk about it a lot, but it comes up occasionally,” Smith said with a smile when asked about the 2022 Texas Tech win over his now teammates. “Everyone kept telling their side of the story. I told my side of the story. It was a great experience. It was definitely fun to hear everyone’s comments about it. It was a good time.” 

Smith never secured his starting spot amid a crowded room consisting of Shough and former four-star recruit Behren Morton who was seen as the future. Smith arrived at Texas Tech in 2020 from nearby Wolfforth Frenship High School. His dad, DeAndre, became the running back coach at Texas Tech in 2019. That relocated Smith from Bishop Gorman in Las Vergas. Matt Wells was the head coach back then and he had since been replaced by Joey McGuire. Smith’s father moved on to the NFL. 

Smith stuck around and embraced his role in 2022. He played in 21 games during his three-year stint at Texas Tech. He led the Red Raiders in total offense last year with 1,621 yards and had a 2-2 record, including that win over the Cougars, in four starts. Shough returned from injury to start the final four games of the season, and with his return imminent for 2023, Smith amicably hit the portal. 

“We saw up close and personal how good Donovan was as a quarterback,” Holgorsen said in the offseason. “It was a no-brainer when he entered the transfer portal that we should try and get the guy. He’s what the transfer portal was intended to serve. We’re happy he’s here.” 

Smith was tagged as the starting quarterback at Houston in August. The junior was solid in a close win over UTSA in Week 1 before struggling in consecutive losses to Rice and TCU. Smith threw three interceptions and completed only 53.2 percent of his passes over those two games. 

He returned to form in the win over Sam Houston in Week 4 against a Bearkats defense that entered the contest as the best scoring defense in FBS after holding BYU and Air Force to fewer than 20 points. Houston scored that by halftime. Smith finished the game 31-of-40 with 294 yards and a touchdown. And most importantly, no interceptions. 

Houston (2-2) lost its first Big 12 game against TCU in Week 3. The trip to Texas Tech (1-3) reunites the Cougars with another long-lost Southwest Conference member. And Smith with his former teammates. 

“I’ll be excited,” Smith said about playing in Jones AT&T Stadium one more time. “I’ll try to treat it like every other game, but there is clearly some history behind it. My plan is to go out there and play my game.”

Smith proved his game was good enough plenty of times in West Texas. His first home start came in 2021 against Iowa State in a thrilling win against the Cyclones. He completed 25 of his 32 passes for 322 yards and three touchdowns. He threw for 252 yards and a touchdown in a bowl game that same year against former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach. Smith threw for over 300 yards in three of his four starts in 2022, including the overtime wins over Houston and Texas – both at Jones AT&T Stadium. 

The trip to Lubbock is the first Big 12 road game for the Cougars. Smith isn’t worried, however. Many of his teammates transferred to Houston from a Big 12 program just like him. 

“A lot of us have had success in the Big 12 at other places, so I don’t think our nerves are bad,” Smith said. “Obviously, there is great talent in the Big 12, but we’ve played against the teams before.”