Texas Tech
Game 4 Preview: at No. 11 Texas Tech
9/24/2026 11:37:00 AM | Football
Game 4 • at No. 11 Texas TechÂ
Lubbock • Galaxy Stadium (60,454)Â
Sam Houston (1-2, 0-0 CUSA) at No. 11 Texas Tech (3-0, 1-0 Big 12)Â
Saturday, September 26 • 11:00 AMÂ
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TV: TNT (JB Long, Mike Golic Jr., Allie Laforce)Â
RADIO: BSN (Jason Barfield, Brian Adams); KSHU 90.5 FMÂ
HOW TO FOLLOW: Live Stats • @BearkatsFB on XÂ
GAME NOTES: Sam Houston • Texas TechÂ
Series vs the Colonels: Texas Tech leads 2-0Â
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HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston Bearkats will take their shot against one of nation's best on Saturday morning when they battle No. 11 Texas Tech at Galaxy Stadium.Â
Kickoff for Saturday's game is set for 11:00 a.m. and will air on TNT, truTV and HBO Max. JB Long and Mike Golic Jr. will call the action in the booth, while Allie Laforce will patrol the sidelines.Â
The game can also be heard online on the Bearkat Sports Network and the Bearkat Athletics app with Jason Barfield and Brian Adams on the call from the radio booth. The BSN broadcast can also be heard online on GoBearkats.com, the Bearkat Sports app and locally on KSHU 90.5 FM.Â
KATS HEAD TO LUBBOCK TO BATTLE RANKED RED RAIDERSÂ
Saturday marks the third meeting between Sam Houston and Texas Tech and the first since 2015. Both previous matchups were played in Lubbock, with the Red Raiders winning 80-21 in 2005 and 59-45 in 2015Â
- No. 11 Texas Tech will be the second ranked opponent Sam Houston has faced since moving to the FBS in 2023. The Kats' previous ranked matchup came at No. 8 Texas during the 2025 season Â
- Sam Houston will be seeking its first victory over a Big 12 opponent Saturday in Lubbock with the Bearkats currently being 0-12 against Big 12 began competition. Saturday will mark Sam Houston's third game against a Big 12 opponent in the last 4 seasons, following trips to BYU and Houston in 2023 and UCF in 2024Â Â Â
- Sam Houston ranks third nationally in year-over-year improvement in total defense from 2025 to 2026, allowing 290.7 yards per game through 3 contests after surrendering 483.5 per game in 2025. The Kats' current improvement of 192.8 yards per game trails only Kansas State (203.5) and Georgia Southern (203.2) in improvement from 2025 to 2026Â Â
- Landyn Locke has thrown for at least 300 yards in each of the first 3 games of 2026, becoming the first Bearkat quarterback to open a season with 3 consecutive 300-yard performances since Eric Schmid did so in each of the first 4 games of the Spring 2021 season. Locke has thrown for 973 yards this year and needs 262 more to become the 26th Bearkat to reach 2,000 career passing yards Â
- Locke has opened the season with 3 consecutive 300-yard passing performances, becoming the first Bearkat quarterback to accomplish the feat since Eric Schmid began the spring 2021 season with four straight. Locke is 1 of just 3 FBS quarterbacks to surpass 300 yards in each of his first 3 games this season, joining Oregon State's Braden Atkinson and Purdue's Ryan Browne. His 973 passing yards rank seventh nationally, while he ranks fourth with 324.3 passing yards per game and is tied for sixth with 9Â Â
- Sam Houston scored 31 points in the first half against Nicholls, its highest-scoring half since putting up 45 before halftime against Dixie State in 2021. The Kats scored on 5 of their final 6 possessions of the half against the Colonels, including touchdown drives covering 69, 82 and 75 yards Â
- Sam Houston did not allow a sack against Nicholls, marking its first sack-free game since a 10-7 victory at FIU in 2024. The Kats attempted 32 passes and ran 75 offensive plays without surrendering a sack  Â
SAM HOUSTON vs THE RED RAIDERSÂ
- Saturday marks the third all-time meeting between Sam Houston and Texas Tech, with each matchup taking place in Lubbock Â
- Texas Tech leads the series 2-0, winning 80-21 in 2005 and 59-45 in 2015Â
- The teams are meeting for the first time in 11 years and for the first time since Sam Houston moved to the FBS levelÂ
- Sam Houston and Texas Tech combined for 104 points and 1,248 yards of total offense in the Red Raiders' 59-45 victory in the 2015 season opener in LubbockÂ
- The Kats accumulated 637 yards and 34 first downs, rushing for 317 yards and 5 touchdowns while adding 320 yards through the air. Donavan Williams led the attack with 99 yards and 4 touchdowns on 12 carriesÂ
- True freshman Davion Davis made an immediate impact in his college debut, leading the Kats with 12 receptions for 103 yards and a 29-yard touchdown. His 12 catches established a Sam Houston freshman record and finished 1 shy of the program's single-game markÂ
- Sam Houston trailed just 42-31 at halftime, but Texas Tech scored 17 unanswered points in the third quarter, including a 47-yard interception return by J.J. Gaines, to build a 59-31 advantage Â
- Patrick Mahomes completed 33 of 53 passes for 425 yards and 4 touchdowns for Texas Tech. The Red Raiders also scored on Jakeem Grant's 94-yard kickoff return and forced 4 Bearkat turnoversÂ
QUICK HITTERSÂ
- Sam Houston spread its 8 touchdowns against Nicholls among 8 different players. Tim Burns Jr., Grady O'Neill, Darrick Bledsoe III, Kamari Maxwell and Kyan Berry-Johnson caught touchdown passes, while Landan Brown, Alton McCaskill and Brett Holloway scored on the groundÂ
- Brett Holloway accounted for 115 yards and 2 touchdowns in relief against Nicholls, completing 3 of 4 passes for 64 yards and a score while rushing 8 times for 51 yards and another touchdown. His 61-yard scoring pass to Kyan Berry-Johnson and 10-yard touchdown run were the first touchdowns of his Bearkat careerÂ
- The Bearkat offensive line did not allow a sack against Nicholls, keeping Landyn Locke and Brett Holloway clean on 32 pass attempts. It marked the first sack-free performance by Sam Houston since its 2024 victory at FIUÂ
- After being held without a rushing touchdown in its first 2 games, Sam Houston produced 3 against Nicholls with Landan Brown, Alton McCaskill and Brett Holloway each reaching the end zone. The Kats finished with 233 yards on 43 carries, averaging 5.4 yards per attemptÂ
- Seven of Sam Houston's 8 touchdown drives against Nicholls covered at least 55 yards, including 6 of at least 59 yards. The Kats produced touchdown marches of 69, 82, 75, 59, 80, 70 and 55 yards, with their only short-field touchdown coming after an interception gave them possession at the Nicholls 23Â
- Alton McCaskill enters Saturday with 1,547 career FBS rushing yards and 18 touchdowns across stops at Houston, Colorado, Arizona State and Sam Houston. McCaskill rushed 8 times for 41 yards and his first touchdown of the season against Nicholls. His 18 career rushing touchdowns lead all active CUSA running backs, while his 1,547 yards rank second behind Liberty's Kanye Udoh, who has 1,914 after rushing for 33 yards in his season debut against Ball State in Week 3Â
- Sam Houston ranks fourth nationally and leads CUSA in passing defense, allowing just 110.0 yards per game through three contests. The Kats have surrendered only 330 passing yards this season, holding Troy to 162, Tulsa to 129 and Nicholls to just 39. Only Kansas State (86.7), Penn State (90.0) and Oklahoma (104.3) have allowed fewer passing yards per gameÂ
- Sam Houston ranks 11th nationally in opponent third-down conversion percentage after limiting Nicholls to just 1 conversion in 15 attempts Saturday. The Colonels failed on each of their first 14 third-down opportunities before converting once in the fourth quarterÂ
- Nicholls never reached the red zone Saturday, advancing no farther than the Sam Houston 24-yard line. The Colonels managed only 163 total yards and 10 first downs on 59 offensive playsÂ
- Sam Houston has not allowed a passing touchdown in consecutive games, holding Tulsa and Nicholls without a score through the air. It marks the first time the Kats have accomplished that since opening the 2023 season with consecutive games without allowing a touchdown pass against BYU and Air Force
