Former Rockwall High quarterback Landyn Locke threw four touchdown passes and passed for 322 yards Saturday, Sept. 19, as Sam Houston routed Nicholls 59-0 at Bowers Stadium in Huntsville.
The 59 points marked the Bearkats' highest-scoring game since joining the Football Bowl Subdivision, according to an Associated Press recap published by the Rockwall County Herald-Banner. The previous FBS high was 42 against Louisiana Tech on Nov. 11, 2023.
Locke, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound sophomore, wasted no time. He connected with Tim Burns Jr. on a 65-yard scoring strike on Sam Houston's opening drive. He followed with a 3-yard touchdown to Grady O'Neill and an 11-yard score to Darrick Bledsoe III as the Bearkats built a 31-0 halftime lead.
A 48-yard touchdown to Kamari Maxwell early in the third quarter capped Locke's night. He finished 19 of 28 with zero interceptions.
The Nicholls game was his third consecutive 300-yard passing performance to open the 2026 season, according to Sam Houston athletics. Through his first two starts, Locke averaged 325.5 passing yards per game, ranking seventh nationally, according to Sports Illustrated. Adding the Nicholls outing, he has thrown for 973 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception through three games, per ESPN.
The leap from 2025 is stark. As a freshman, Locke completed just 50.4 percent of his throws for 765 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions across the entire season. He made three late-season starts before earning the full-time job this fall.
Rockwall roots
Locke was a three-star pro-style quarterback recruit out of Rockwall High, where he passed for more than 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior and helped the Yellowjackets reach the 6A Region II District 10 playoffs in 2024. A torn ACL early in his senior season cut that chapter short.
His older brother, Braedyn Locke, is the current quarterback at Arizona.
Sam Houston's day
Sam Houston (1-2) rolled up 619 total yards, the program's most since the 2020 season opener against Southeastern Louisiana. The defense held Nicholls to 163 total yards and just 39 through the air.
The win was also the Bearkats' first at Bowers Stadium since the 2024 season. The team played home games at Shell Entergy Stadium in Houston last year while Bowers underwent renovations.
Backup quarterback Brett Holloway added a 61-yard touchdown pass to Kyan Berry-Johnson and a 10-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter. Running back Alton McCaskill chipped in a 5-yard rushing touchdown.
Sam Houston travels to Lubbock on Saturday, Sept. 26, to face No. 13 Texas Tech at Galaxy Stadium.
