The Bearkats’ 59-0 homecoming win showed progress on both sides of the ball. Coach Phil Longo expects a much tougher test Saturday in Lubbock.
HUNTSVILLE, Texas — Sam Houston spent last week trying to get better at the details. The result was a 59-0 win over Nicholls, 619 yards of offense and the Bearkats’ first victory of the season.
Now comes a test of how much of that progress will travel.
Sam Houston (1-2) visits No. 11 Texas Tech (3-0) at 11 a.m. Saturday at Galaxy Stadium in Lubbock. The Red Raiders climbed two places in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 after a 28-26 win over then-No. 22 Houston. They have won 10 straight home games, and Saturday’s game is sold out.
For Sam Houston coach Phil Longo, the matchup comes at a useful point: one game after his team showed the kind of balance and execution it had sought through its first two weeks, and one game before Conference USA play begins.
“It’s a great barometer for us,” Longo said in this week’s news conference. “These guys, we’d like to know where we’re at.”
A win built across the roster
Sam Houston entered the Nicholls game with narrow losses to Troy, 24-21, and Tulsa, 23-17. Against the Colonels, the Bearkats scored 31 first-half points and never allowed Nicholls to get into the game. Interceptions by Railyn Adams and She’Fon Boyd helped set the defensive tone.
Quarterback Landyn Locke completed 19 of 28 passes for 322 yards and four touchdowns, giving him a third consecutive 300-yard passing game. Sam Houston also ran for 233 yards. Jerrian Parker Jr. led the team with 52 yards on six carries, while freshman quarterback Brett Holloway rushed for 51 yards and two touchdowns on eight attempts. Holloway added a 61-yard touchdown pass to Kyan Berry-Johnson.
Longo said the rushing total mattered less to him than the way his team earned it. He pointed to quicker decisions by running backs Landan “Coco” Brown, Alton McCaskill and Parker, improved blocking and fewer plays stopped behind the line of scrimmage. According to Longo, Nicholls recorded just one tackle for loss against the Bearkats.
“I was happy with the efficiency,” Longo said. “The things we wanted to get better at got better.”
The coach also praised the reserve offensive linemen, including Jimmy Walls, for sustaining drives after entering in the fourth quarter. Longo said the group knew Sam Houston intended to keep running the ball and met that challenge.
Locke and Hammond bring different tests
Through three games, Locke has completed 73 of 108 passes for 973 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception. His 324.3 passing yards per game have given Sam Houston production through the air even as Longo has worked to make the running game more consistent.
Texas Tech quarterback Will Hammond has completed 63 of 87 passes, a 72.4% rate, for 744 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He threw for 257 yards and a touchdown in the win over Houston.
Longo praised Hammond’s ball handling, accuracy and ability to extend plays.
“He does all the little things right,” Longo said. “He can put the ball on a rope when he needs to.”
Texas Tech has averaged 416 yards and 32 points through its first three games. Its victories came against Abilene Christian, Oregon State and Houston. The Red Raiders have rushed for eight touchdowns, and their offense has converted 19 of 39 third downs.
A faster defense and smaller passing windows
Longo said Texas Tech’s defense may be the fastest Sam Houston has seen this season. He described a unit that changes its zone coverages, disguises its intentions before the snap and closes quickly on throws.
“Zone windows in the passing game will not stay open quite as long as what we’ve seen,” Longo said.
That puts a premium on what Locke and the Bearkats recognize after the ball is snapped. Longo said his staff has studied Texas Tech’s tendencies but has found the defense varied enough that Sam Houston will have to identify coverages as plays develop.
The Red Raiders have allowed 101.7 rushing yards per game and no rushing touchdowns through three games, according to the school’s statistics. Opponents have found more production through the air, averaging 273 passing yards. Longo nevertheless said he has been impressed by Texas Tech at every level of its defense.
For Sam Houston, that makes last week’s improvement up front particularly important. Longo said he expects to challenge both his offensive and defensive lines Saturday.
“We have got to play well up front to have a fighting chance,” he said. “If we’re battling there, then we have an opportunity to give the skilled guys behind them on both sides of the ball an opportunity to go make some plays.”
Holloway’s role continues to grow
Longo said Holloway’s running ability prompted the staff to develop a quarterback package for him, even though that was not the plan entering the season. After Holloway used it against Nicholls, Longo kept him on the field with the second-team offense, where the freshman produced both rushing and passing touchdowns.
The coach said Holloway’s responsibilities could expand as his command of the offense grows. He credited Locke with helping the freshman learn the system, describing a relationship in which Holloway often turns first to the starting quarterback with questions.
As for availability elsewhere, Longo said at the time of his news conference that linebacker Stacy Bey and receiver Catrell Hatten had participated after dealing with soreness. He expected receiver Grady O’Neill, who had sore ribs, to return to practice later in the week. Longo said Chitty would miss another week and was expected back for the Liberty game. Those were the coach’s assessments at the news conference, rather than a final Saturday availability report.
Another meeting in Lubbock
Saturday will be the third meeting between the programs and their first since Sam Houston moved to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2023. Texas Tech won 80-21 in 2005 and 59-45 in 2015, when the Bearkats competed in the Football Championship Subdivision.
The series history offers little indication of what this game will look like. Longo’s more immediate question is whether the cleaner execution he saw against Nicholls can hold up against a ranked opponent on the road.
“I think there’s a lot of confidence in our building,” Longo said. “I think our team is starting to understand what we are capable of doing this year.”
Kickoff and broadcast information
Sam Houston at No. 11 Texas Tech: Saturday, Sept. 26, at 11 a.m. Central at Galaxy Stadium in Lubbock. The game will air on TNT and truTV and stream on HBO Max. The Bearkat Sports Network radio broadcast is listed on 90.5 FM and through BSN Audio on Sam Houston’s game page at https://www.gobearkats.com.