Linebacker Austin Romaine returned two interceptions for touchdowns on successive plays and Cameron Dickey rushed for 91 yards and two scores as No. 11 Texas Tech routed visiting Sam Houston 49-14 on Saturday in Lubbock, Texas.
Texas Tech regrouped from sluggish beginnings to secure a 4-0 start for the second straight season and 12th time in program history.
After losing to Troy and Tulsa by nine combined points in its first two games then beating Nicholls 59-0, Sam Houston (1-3) could not keep pace after the Red Raiders struck for a pair of touchdowns in the first 4:27 of the third quarter. Texas Tech scored the game’s last 28 points.
Dickey ran for a 13-yard TD at the 13:42 mark of the third before Will Hammond connected with Coy Eakin for a 21-yard touchdown just over three minutes later. That extended the Red Raiders’ advantage to 21 on an afternoon that saw the hosts overcome four turnovers.
The Bearkats threw three interceptions, including a pair by starting quarterback Landyn Locke. Locke was 23-for-37 through the air for 195 yards with two touchdowns.
Romaine, a Kansas State transfer, provided his own kind of offense with a pair of defensive scores just seven seconds apart in the first minute of the second quarter.
Romaine grabbed a Brett Holloway pass that was deflected by Red Raiders linebacker Brock Golwas and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown with 14:54 remaining in the quarter.
Moments later, Romaine swooped in front of a Locke pass and raced 31 yards for another TD.
Hammond was 17-for-29 passing for 224 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions while adding a rushing TD.
Texas Tech took a 21-14 lead into halftime after outgaining Sam Houston by just seven yards in the first 30 minutes.
Dickey capped an eight-play, 70-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run with 5:11 to go in the first quarter to put the Red Raiders on the board.
Locke rebounded from Romaine’s touchdowns to throw TD passes to Tim Burns Jr. and Chris Reed over the final 8:17 of the second quarter.
Burns Jr. had two receptions for 61 yards. Alton McCaskill and Locke both had 25 yards on the ground for the Bearkats.
Tommy Castellanos found Malcolm Simmons for a Texas Tech 27-yard TD to cap the scoring with 4:49 left.
