Behren Morton Not Expected To Miss Time, Could Return Post-Bye

"We're lucky that we have a bye week," Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire said after the Utah game. "We've got some guys that are what I call 'football banged-up,' and that allow us to get some guys back for the Houston game."

McGuire also expressed optimism after the team's victory in Morton's status, stating that he had even tried to get back into the game after the play.

"He was trying to stay in the game," McGuire said. "In fact, there was a couple times that he said [to head athletic trainer Michael Ramirez], 'Mike, I'm good. Leave me alone.' … I mean, he was going to, at one point, stay on the field, and we were like, 'Hey, let's just get you checked out.'"

Regardless, caution was warranted after the hit, and the staff has faith in Hammond, who came in and led a massive fourth-quarter surge. McGuire said that the team does not change its offense when Hammond takes over, and they knew he would be able to command the game in Morton's stead.

In just over two quarters of action, Morton had thrown for 142 yards while completing 12 of his 19 attempts. He was doing a good job of pushing the ball down the field — averaging 7.5 yards per attempt — but his two turnovers put a cap on the Red Raiders' offense in the first half.

Morton's pair of interceptions came on deep passes where the ball placement was imperfect, but he was not credited with a turnover-worthy play by PFF, with some fluky events putting the ball in Utah's hands. Morton was also constantly playing behind the sticks, as the Red Raiders racked up nine first-half penalties, including several false starts, in a raucous environment.

When asked after the game if Morton would play next week, McGuire cheekily replied, "Well, we got a bye week, so no." However, if he can suit up against Houston, it should provide a boost to Texas Tech's offense, and Red Raiders fans can get excited for Hammond's 2026 season.

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