Texas Tech routs Sam Houston 49-14 behind Romaine's two pick-six touchdowns

No. 11 Texas Tech beat Sam Houston 49-14 on Saturday, improving to 4-0 and extending its home winning streak to 11 games — its longest since a 12-game run from 2007 to 2009, according to The Associated Press. Sam Houston fell to 1-3.

Cameron Dickey led Texas Tech's ground game with 91 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Quarterback Will Hammond completed 17 of 29 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown, though he threw three interceptions, and added a 23-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Sam Houston quarterback Landyn Locke completed 23 of 37 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns, including a 52-yard scoring throw to Tim Burns Jr., but was intercepted twice.

The turning point came in the opening minute of the second quarter, when Texas Tech linebacker Austin Romaine returned two interceptions for touchdowns on consecutive throws by different Sam Houston quarterbacks. According to the AP, Romaine became the first FBS player in 13 years to accomplish the feat on consecutive throws, and the first Texas Tech player with two pick-sixes in the same game. "I was in disbelief that I did it twice in a row," Romaine said, according to the AP. "It was crazy."

Despite the two defensive touchdowns, Texas Tech led only 21-14 at halftime as a nearly five-touchdown favorite. The Red Raiders pulled away in the first five minutes of the third quarter on Dickey's second touchdown run and a 21-yard touchdown pass from Hammond to Coy Eakin. Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said the team continues to make first-half mistakes despite the eventual margin. "We've got way too many self-inflicted wounds in the first half," McGuire said, according to the AP. "That's why we're playing close games."

Freshman edge rusher LaDamion Guyton recorded his first two career sacks for Texas Tech, which plays its first Big 12 road game of the season at Colorado on Oct. 3. Sam Houston has an open date before playing at Liberty on Oct. 8.