Texas Tech got big performances from two key Red Raiders in their 49-14 win over Sam Houston. Despite them sharing the same number, their path toward success in the matchup was anything but similar.
LUBBOCK - No. 12 Texas Tech fought off another slow start and surged in the second half to handle Sam Houston 49-14 on Saturday.
Alongside these two distinct halves, the Red Raiders also had two key performances that lifted them to the win and ironically they were by players who share the same number.
The undisputed star of the early portion, and arguably entire matchup, was linebacker Austin Romaine.
Of Texas Tech's 21 points before halftime, Romaine accounted for most of them off of two pick-sixes on consecutive defensive snaps.
This mind-boggling feat has not happened in college football since 2013, when Duke's DeVon Edwards pulled it off against NC State.
And outside of Edwards, it has never taken place at the FBS level any other time before Romaine joined the exclusive club on Saturday.
Besides the eye-catching moments, Romaine was the anchor of a Texas Tech defense that only got better as the game moved along.
He finished with a team-leading eight total tackles, as the Red Raiders went on to tighten up and shut out Sam Houston in the second half after taking a narrow 21-14 lead into halftime.
While Romaine started off strong and rode that momentum all afternoon long, his offensive counterpart in Hammond wavered before turning in another respectable effort.
After leading Texas Tech on a long scoring drive on its second possession, Hammond went silent throughout the remainder of the first half, with Romaine and the defense able to provide some cushion on the scoreboard.
However, the Bearkats would quickly claw their way back into things and it was actually Hammond that was partially to blame for the turnaround.
Looking for some extra insurance late in the second quarter, Hammond wound up to pass for Kenny Johnson in the end zone. But that pass would be hawked by a Sam Houston defender and end the scoring threat.
Thankfully, the defense stepped up again for Texas Tech and forced the Bearkats to punt away off the turnover.
Following this stop, however, a sequence nearly as unbelievable as Romaine's earlier stretch happened for Hammond.
The sophomore quarterback would be intercepted not once but twice on his next two passing attempts, and this time Sam Houston was able to cash in on at least one of them to cut the gap to only seven.
Despite the bizarre scenario to close out the half, Hammond came out of the locker room like a completely changed quarterback.
He would go on to command Texas Tech down the field on three more scoring drives, including a long touchdown run that showed he is still a threat on the ground.
Hammond finished with around 225 yards through the air and two total touchdowns in the face of one of the strangest stretches for a quarterback this season.
Although Joey McGuire would have assuredly opted for Hammond to never throw three picks, the resiliency of the young passer to stare down that adversity and lead his team to a win speaks volumes about the talent he possesses.
There is still plenty to learn, change and grow from for Texas Tech, but the No. 12 Red Raiders seem to have a pair that can quickly turn the tides in their favor when they are at their best.
The biggest challenge now will be ensuring they are able to reach those peaks each and every week.
Colorado will be the latest team trying to slow down Romaine, Hammond and Texas Tech for good, when the Red Raiders head to Boulder on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m. CT.
