Texas Tech football: What we still need to find out after non-conference play
Is there an answer at QB on the roster?
Entering this year, it was imperative that Texas Tech find an answer at quarterback after not having an all-conference performer at that position since Patrick Mahomes in 2016. But so far, we still don’t know if that guy is on the current roster.
There was the belief that Tyler Shough could be that guy. However, the collarbone injury he sustained in the season’s first game has kept him sidelined since the season’s first quarter of play.
Thus, we still don’t know what Shough is. He’s missed 10 of the 16 games that the program has played since he’s been on the roster. While we hope and believe that he is the answer and that he will provide this offense with a spark when he returns in a few weeks, we can’t be certain of that given how little we’ve seen of him in scarlet and black.
Meanwhile, sophomore Donovan Smith is going through some agonizing growing pains. That leaves many to wonder if he is the long-term solution.
He’s been picked off five times over the course of his two starts this season and his completion percentage against FBS teams this year is just 60.6%. Additionally, he’s made several mental mistakes such as an untimely audible on fourth-and-short against NC State leading to the pick-six, or holding onto the football for far too long leading to sacks.
We do have to remember that he is making just his seventh career start this week and that his time as a quarterback has been limited given that he played the position for only one year in high school. But even if we afford him some room to grow, there is no way we can say with certainty that he is the answer at QB yet.
As for redshirt freshman Behren Morton, before we can crown him as the savior, we are going to have to see him run the offense in meaningful situations. So far, virtually all of his action has come in garbage time and that is no way to truly evaluate his readiness to be the answer at QB.
Entering the season, Joey McGuire referred to his quarterback room as the best he’s ever seen. But that hasn’t translated to the field just yet. In fact, we are still waiting to find out if this program has the guy on the roster.