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Texas Tech football: Maddening recent history of QB injuries continues

By Matthew Conner

HOUSTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 01: McLane Carter #6 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders is helped off the field by medical staff after sustaining a leg injury in the first quarter Mississippi Rebels at NRG Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 01: McLane Carter #6 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders is helped off the field by medical staff after sustaining a leg injury in the first quarter Mississippi Rebels at NRG Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
(Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

2014: Webb goes down, Mahomes steps up

Entering 2014, many expected a huge season from Webb just as we expected from Bowman this year.  But injuries cut short his season and eventually allowed Pat Mahomes to claim the starting job.

In the fourth game of the year at Oklahoma State, Webb turned an ankle in the 4th quarter of a winnable game forcing Mahomes to make his Big 12 debut.  It did not go well as on his first snap, he fumbled the ball, recovered it, and then threw an interception.   He finished the game 2-5 for 20 yards and a touchdown.

Webb returned to start the next four games but his season came to an end in Fort Worth when a more severe ankle injury took him out of commission.  Late in Tech’s tragic 82-27 loss to the Horned Frogs, Webb was replaced by Mahomes for the second time that season but no one knew at that time Webb would never start another game for the Red Raiders.

Mahomes started the next game, at home against Texas, but was knocked out of action in the first quarter with a concussion.  That left third-string QB Vincent Testaverde to face a stout Texas defense.  The freshman walk-on managed to complete just 15-26 passes for 116 yards while putting up a passer rating of just 9.6 in Tech’s 34-13 loss.

Mahomes returned to start the final three games during which he threw 14 touchdown passes and only two picks.   That was the first time that we saw the future NFL MVP display the type of explosive playmaking ability that made him a star in Lubbock and set him up to take over the offense in 2015.

QB injuries were a huge reason that Kingsbury’s second season turned out to be a tremendous disappointment.   Coming off an 8-5 season and returning one of the nation’s top underclassmen QBs, most expected the Red Raiders to be a factor in the Big 12.

But Tech managed to go just 4-8.  Making matters more frustrating, the Oklahoma State and Texas games were there for the taking that season but in both contests, Tech’s starter did not finish the game.  Unfortunately for Kingsbury, it would not be the final time that QB injuries cost him dearly.

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