Red Raiders Name Starting Quarterback vs. Oklahoma State

One of the biggest questions heading into their loss against the Sun Devils was the status of quarterback Behren Morton. There seemed to be optimism for his status early in the week, but he was ultimately ruled out entirely, with Will Hammond starting and Mitch Griffis backing him up.

Morton was dealing with a leg injury he suffered the week before in the second quarter against the Kansas Jayhawks. He was listed as questionable on the Big 12 player availability report, but he did not suit up and was on the sideline in street clothes.

Heading into a contest with OSU, he is again listed as questionable, casting a shadow over the team's quarterback room once again.

According to reports, Hammond is expected to be named the starter for the second consecutive week, with Morton sidelined as he recovers from his injury. ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that Morton would be available this week if necessary, seemingly a minor upgrade over last week's status.

Morton has struggled with injuries this season, and paired with multiple blowouts, Hammond has played more than the average backup quarterback. He has made an appearance in all seven games for Tech this year, starting one.

The former four-star recruit in the Class of 2024 has completed 60 of his 94 pass attempts (63.8%) for 578 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions. Against Arizona State, he went 22-for-37 with 167 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and an interception.

While he struggled against the Sun Devils, Hammond has exceeded expectations this year as a redshirt freshman. He led a fourth-quarter boom to beat the Utah Utes when Morton exited in the third quarter, and he helped lead Tech to a win over Kansas under similar circumstances.

He was far from perfect against Arizona State, though, consistently missing passes and struggling to find a consistent rhythm until the fourth quarter, when the Sun Devils played soft coverage. It was his worst performance of the season, though it was his first start at the college level.

However, he should still be commended for the pressure he applied late in the game, leading a comeback that ultimately fell short as ASU's offense sealed the deal. In his first career start, there were ups and downs, which is to be expected for a young quarterback.

The Sun Devils were able to focus on Texas Tech's running game, and Hammond struggled to spread the defense out with his arm. It will be on him to amend this against a vulnerable Oklahoma State passing defense that ranks second-worst in PFF coverage grade. Then, the Red Raiders can command the game with their running backs, who had just 12 carries in Week 8.

"I probably called maybe one too many QB runs instead of putting the ball in the running backs' hands because they are good players and have been running the ball well," said Tech offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich.

As Hammond continues to find comfort in the offense, Leftwich also wants to see him push the ball downfield and pressure the defense.

"That's one of the areas that we wanted him to improve the most," Leftwich said. "I thought he was patient, and I thought he took what the defense gave him, and at times was maybe a little bit too patient, and want to see him cut it loose. Had had a couple shot plays called that we checked down or he scrambled."

Morton should still be the Red Raiders' quarterback of the present as they look to contend for the Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff berth. These starting reps should still be valuable for both Hammond and Texas Tech as their quarterback of the future continues to develop.

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