Romaine has 2 quick pick-6s as No. 11 Texas Tech beats Sam Houston 49-14 for 11th home win in row

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Texas Tech linebacker Austin Romaine became the first FBS player in 13 years to return two interceptions for touchdowns on consecutive throws, Cameron Dickey ran for two scores and the No. 11 Red Raiders beat Sam Houston 49-14 on Saturday.

Both pick-6s by Romaine came in the opening minute of the second quarter, and were against different quarterbacks.

“I was in disbelief that I did it twice in a row,” Romaine said. “It was crazy.”

The Red Raiders (4-0) extended their home winning streak to 11 games, their longest since 12 in a row from 2007-09.

A nearly five-TD favorite, Texas Tech led only 21-14 at halftime before Dickey’s second scoring run, a 13-yarder, and Will Hammond’s 21-yard TD to Coy Eakin in the first five minutes after the break.

Hammond finished 17-of-29 passing for 224 yards, but threw three interceptions in the final 5 1/2 minutes of the first half — though Sam Houston (1-3) got only seven points off those. Hammond added a 23-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.

“I’m excited about being 4-0. I’m proud of these guys, how they came out in the second half,” Tech coach Joey McGuire said. “But it happened again. We’ve got way too many self-inflicted wounds in the first half. That’s why we’re playing close games. That’s what we’re allowing people to be in the game or why we are allowing it to be a closer game than it should be.”

Landyn Locke, who came in as one of only three FBS quarterbacks with at least 300 yards passing in each of their first three games, completed 23 of 37 passes for 195 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Bearkats.

Romaine, a transfer from Kansas State, had clear paths to the end zone both times while becoming the first Tech player with two pick-6s in the same game. The last time the Red Raiders did was when Kevin Curtis and Antwan Alexander both had one in a 58-0 win over Oklahoma State on Nov. 11, 2000.

“He’s really been pressing. He hasn’t played the way he wants to play and expects to play,” McGuire said. “I sent him a couple texts this morning and then I talked to him in the locker room before the game. … Go out and be Austin Romaine, go be that guy. And he showed up today, I thought he played free.”

Navy’s Dashaun Peele returned two interceptions for touchdowns against Charlotte in 2024, but Romaine is the first FBS player with pick-6s on consecutive throws since DeVon Edwards for Duke against North Carolina State in 2013.

Hammond’s first interception was caught in the end zone by Caesar Magee with 5:19 left in the first half. Hammond later had consecutive throws picked off, the first when he was hit throwing out of his own end zone and led to Locke’s 9-yard TD pass to Chris Reed two plays later.

Locke also had a 52-yard TD pass to Tim Burns.

Young sacker

Texas Tech freshman edge rusher LaDamion Guyton got his first two career sacks.

“It’s great to see Guyton show up,” McGuire said.

Guyton was supposed to be a high school senior this season, but reclassified to the Class of 2026 and was an early enrollee during the spring.

The Takeaway

Sam Houston: The Bearkats, in only their fourth FBS season, lost 55-0 at No. 8 Texas last year in their only other game against a Top 25 team.

Texas Tech: In the end, the Red Raiders got the expected lopsided win in their last nonconference game. But the first month of the season was a grind for the defending Big 12 champions. They had trouble finishing drives in their opener against FCS team Abilene Christian, had to rally to win at Oregon State and had to stop a 2-point conversion in the final minute to beat Houston.

Up Next

Texas Tech plays its first Big 12 road game at Colorado on Oct. 3. Sam Houston has an open date before playing at Liberty on Oct. 8.

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