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Austin Romaine Makes Texas Tech History With Back-To-Back Pick-Sixes
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- Austin Romaine Makes Texas Tech History With Back-To-Back Pick-Sixes
(USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
Austin Romaine didn't just make a couple of big plays against Sam Houston, he made Texas Tech history.
The senior linebacker was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after returning interceptions for touchdowns on back-to-back plays during the Red Raiders' 49-14 victory Saturday.
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Romaine became the first Texas Tech player ever to record two pick-sixes in the same game and the first Big 12 player to accomplish the feat since Kansas State's Bobby Walker in 2002.
And he did it in a matter of seconds.
Early in the second quarter, Romaine grabbed a tipped pass at the line of scrimmage and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown. On Sam Houston's very next offensive snap, he stepped in front of a Landyn Locke pass and raced 31 yards for another score.
Two snaps. Two interceptions. Two touchdowns.
That's about as disruptive as it gets.
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Romaine also finished with a team-high eight tackles, helping a Texas Tech defense shut out Sam Houston in the second half. The Bearkats entered the game averaging more than 300 passing yards per game, but Texas Tech held Locke to 195 yards through the air.
For Romaine, the performance also represents how quickly he has become an important piece of Joey McGuire's defense after transferring from Kansas State.
His last interception before arriving in Lubbock actually came against Texas Tech last season while he was still playing for the Wildcats. Now he's making game-changing plays for the Red Raiders instead.
The timing couldn't be better.
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Texas Tech is 4-0 and heads to Colorado this weekend for its first Big 12 road game, where the Red Raiders will try to improve to 5-0 and 2-0 in conference play.
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Romaine's performance against Sam Houston was spectacular enough on its own. But if Saturday was a sign of what's coming, Texas Tech may have found something even more valuable:
A defender capable of flipping a game in one snap.
