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The Huntsville Item, Texas
No. 11 Texas Tech pulls away from Sam Houston in the second half
- Story byThe Huntsville Item, Texas
- No. 11 Texas Tech pulls away from Sam Houston in the second half
LUBBOCK — While the Bearkats didn't leave West Texas with a win, Sam Houston showed it's not the team of 2025.
Led by sophomore quarterback Landyn Locke , Sam Houston trailed the No. 11 team in the country by seven points at the half. At that point, the Red Raider offense had only put up one score of its own. The other two were provided by pick-sixes from Red Raider linebacker Austin Romaine on back-to-back plays. Locke was responsible for one, as freshman Brett Holloway was responsible for the other.
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Despite that, the Bearkat offense kept chugging.
Locke found Tim Burns Jr. for a 52-yard touchdown for the Kats first score of the game. With the 14-point deficit, the Sam Houston defense got going.
Tech quarterback Will Hammond was pressured and forced into some bad throws. On three straight possessions, the Bearkat defense walked away with an interception. Caesar Magee III, Cameron Franklin and Tyler Bailey each grabbed one off Hammond in the second quarter.
Sam Houston capitalized on it too. With 1:56 remaining in the opening half, Locke found Chris Reed on a slant in the end zone to make it a one-score game. Bailey's interception gave the Bearkats an opportunity to tie things going into the break, but the offense sputtered on a three-and-out, where it lost two yards.
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Tech tried to move the ball, but ran out of time before the halftime break.
That was the end of the Bearkats' run.
Texas Tech returned the second-half kick 53 yards before a fumble moved the ball up to the Bearkat 32-yard line. The Red Raiders needed three plays to find the end zone to open up the scoring.
Sam Houston's drive took 1:28 off the clock, and the Red Raiders went back to work.
Tech expanded its lead to 21 points as four minutes and 27 seconds had ticked off the clock in the third quarter and had run eight plays from scrimmage.
While it goes down as a 49-14 win for Texas Tech, this game showed that Sam Houston has made strides in the second year under Phil Longo.
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Locke wrapped up the game throwing for 195 yards, the first time this season he was held to under 300. He found nine different receivers on 23 completions against the Texas Tech defense.
Sam Houston's run game was still lacking; it only saw 18 attempts from running backs. Locke rushed the ball eight times, with two coming on sacks. Alton McCaskill and Locke each tied for 25 yards on the ground. As a whole, Sam Houston had 74 yards from the rushing attack.
On the defensive end, Sam Houston added three turnovers to move its season total up to six, and the defense played sound. At halftime, Tech had 25 more yards than the Bearkats, and the Red Raider offense had scored just once.
In the second half, Texas Tech outgained the Bearkats 269 to 83, with 148 yards on the ground.
Sam Houston will head back to Huntsville with a 12-day break on its hands. The next time the Bearkats play, it will be the opening for midweek CUSA play. The game will be Oct. 8 at Liberty.
