Texas Tech got a jolt early against Sam Houston, and Austin Romaine turned it into a full-blown avalanche.
The Red Raiders linebacker produced a rare burst that flipped the game fast: two straight pick-sixes off Sam Houston quarterbacks Landyn Locke and Brett Holloway. That kind of sequence is unusual enough on its own. Having the same defender finish both plays made it even stranger.
The first score started with a tip at the line of scrimmage, and Romaine handled the rest, taking it 15 yards to the end zone. On the very next play, he jumped a throw in front of a Sam Houston receiver and went 31 yards for another touchdown.
Texas Tech was suddenly up 21-0 after the second return, and Sam Houston was left trying to recover from the damage. The Bearkats did trim the margin to seven by halftime, but the Red Raiders pushed the lead back out in the second half.
The outing fit the broader story around Texas Tech’s strong start. The Red Raiders came into Week 4 at 3-0, with a dramatic win over Houston already on the résumé, and the way they handled Sam Houston reinforced why many had pegged them as a Big 12 favorite heading into the 2026 season.
Even with the momentum, there’s still a clear issue for Texas Tech: quarterback play. Will Hammond has had a rough first four weeks, and that included multiple turnovers against Sam Houston.
For Romaine, a senior transfer from Kansas State, the night was a personal breakthrough. He arrived in Week 4 with one career interception and left with two more - both of them pick-sixes.
Austin Romaine with a pick six on consecutive defensive plays.
In Other News...
Texas Tech Blowout Still Left One Big Question Behind
Texas Techs 49-14 win over Sam Houston was the kind of result that can make a September afternoon look easy from the outside, even if the path there had a few rough patches. The Red Raiders opened sharply, then hit a messy second quarter when quarterback Will Hammond threw multiple interceptions, but the offense settled back in and the defense took over from there, turning the game into a runaway.
Austin Romaine was right in the middle of it with a pick-six and eight tackles, and the Red Raiders defense squeezed Sam Houston into just 78 second-half yards. Freshman pass rusher LaDamion Guyton also flashed enough to add another encouraging note, even if the more interesting question coming out of the day is how Texas Tech sorts through the quarterback picture after a win that still left some of its biggest decisions hanging. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Loses A Key Passing Weapon At The Wrong Time
Texas Tech is heading into its next game with another hole to fill in the passing game, as tight end Terrance Carter Jr. is expected to sit out after hurting his AC joint against Houston. It is a frustrating turn for a player who has already been slowed by a foot injury earlier this season and has yet to find much rhythm in 2026, leaving the Red Raiders to keep adjusting around one of their more versatile options.
The timing matters because Carter was supposed to be part of a passing attack that could use every dependable target it can get, especially with conference play always tightening the margin for error. In his absence, Texas Tech will lean on its other tight ends to absorb the snaps and try to keep the offense on schedule, but the bigger question is whether Carter can get back on the field soon enough to reclaim a role that has been difficult to establish. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Opens Final Tuneup With One Intriguing Lineup Change
Texas Tech is set to close out its non-conference schedule against Sam Houston at Galaxy Stadium, and the Red Raiders will do it with a notable tweak to the offense. The game, which kicks off at 11 a.m. and will be shown nationally on TNT, comes as the last tuneup before Big 12 play begins, so even a one-game change carries a little extra weight.
Jett Carpenter has been announced as the starting tight end in place of Terrance Carter Jr., who is reportedly out for the game. It is the kind of adjustment that can reshape a game plan just enough to matter, especially in a matchup like this where Texas Tech is looking to sharpen things up and keep building momentum before the schedule gets much more demanding. [Read more 🡒]