Story by
The Huntsville Item, Texas
Kats head to Lubbock for West Texas showdown
- Story byThe Huntsville Item, Texas
- Kats head to Lubbock for West Texas showdown
Coming off a momentum boost against Nicholls, Sam Houston will have a tall task cut out for them against a nationally ranked team.
The Bearkats will battle No. 11 Texas Tech in the two schools' third meeting, and the first since 2015. The meetings will have some similarities, as Bearkat coach Phil Longo was calling plays for that team.
Advertisement
Tech took a 59-45 win over the Kats with Patrick Mahomes as its quarterback. The Bearkats went toe-to-toe with them then, and from the numbers, have a chance to do it again.
Sam Houston quarterback Landyn Locke ranks 18th in FBS play. Locke is one of three quarterbacks at the FBS level to throw for over 300 yards in three games, with the others coming from Oregon State's Braden Atkinson and Purdue's Ryan Browne. Locke is averaging 324.3 yards through the air, which is in the top-10 in FBS play.
Texas Tech's secondary is on the opposite spectrum. The Red Raiders have given up 819 yards and six touchdowns in three games. Oregon State threw for 417 yards against them, and Houston was just shy of the 300-yard mark. Both the Beavers and Cougars saw three touchdowns through the air.
Locke has shown that he can sling the ball around the yard, and has done so as 12 different Bearkats have hauled in a pass this season; seven have recorded a touchdown for the Kats as well.
Advertisement
Chris Reed, Tim Burns Jr., and Kyan Berry-Johnson have shown the ability to be deep threats, which can be effective against the 126th-ranked passing defense.
In the Red Raiders' Big 12 opener, Willie Fritz and the Houston Cougars had 13 plays go for more than 15 yards. Six of those were through the air and totaled 134 yards. Sam Houston has 11 plays of 30+ yards this season.
However, doing it against the No. 11 team in the nation will still be a tall task.
Tech has started two quarterbacks through three games; Will Hammond has made two of those starts before senior Thomas Catellanos started against Houston. Castellanos threw one pass, which was intercepted, and was replaced by Hammond for the second drive.
Advertisement
Hammond seems to have a grip on the Red Raiders starting job, but will have a tall task against Sam Houston's secondary.
The Bearkats rank 4th in the NCAA with 110 passing yards allowed per game. However, that number is deflated by Nicholls's 39-yard performance. Troy quarterback Goose Crowder holds the most passing yards against the Kats with 165.
Defensive back Ishmel Atkins sits atop the NCAA with five pass breakups through three games. Sam Houston has 18 breakups in total this season.
The Bearkat defensive line will be tested, though, by the Red Raiders' run game. Sam Houston's defense is 117th in the nation. Texas Tech has two backs over 130 yards this season, so stopping J'koby Williams will be a focal point for the Kats.
Sam Houston and Texas Tech are slated for an 11 a.m. kickoff at Galaxy Stadium in Lubbock. The game will be televised on TNT, truTV and HBO Max.
