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Texas Tech football: 5 questions Red Raider offense must answer in 2023

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 22: Offensive coordinator Zach Kittley of the Texas Tech Red Raiders claps during the second half of the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Jones AT&T Stadium on October 22, 2022 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 22: Offensive coordinator Zach Kittley of the Texas Tech Red Raiders claps during the second half of the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Jones AT&T Stadium on October 22, 2022 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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Texas Tech’s quarterback Tyler Shough (12) stands on the sideline in a sling at the game against Murray State, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Texas Tech’s quarterback Tyler Shough (12) stands on the sideline in a sling at the game against Murray State, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, at Jones AT&T Stadium. /

Can the QBs finally stay healthy?

Any discussion of Tech’s offense this season has to begin with the nagging issue of quarterback health.  That’s because that problem has plagued this program for half a decade now.

Since 2018, the first season of the injury-plagued career of former Red Raider, Alan Bowman (who is now in the mix to start at Oklahoma State) Tech has seen its starting quarterback in week one miss at least four games due to injury in every season except 2020 when Bowman and his backup, Henry Colombi passed the baton of incompetence back and forth all season long.

Unfortunately, included in that span has been the Red Raider career of presumed 2023 starter, Tyler Shough.  Missing eight full games and all but a quarter of another in 2021 due to a broken collarbone, the former Oregon transfer missed six full games and 3/4 of another last season with the same injury.

Though Shough would return late in the season to lead his team to four-straight wins to end the year showing just how effective he can be as the leader of the offense, questions naturally abound concerning his durability.  In fact, many are fearful that his career might end up being remembered similarly to Bowman’s career due to the time spent in a sling.

What’s more, we don’t know for sure how durable Morton is.  Last year, he also sustained an injury when he was lost in the middle of the TCU game with the aggravation of a high ankle sprain originally sustained three games prior against Oklahoma State.

Remember, Morton is only 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds (at least that’s what he played at last year) so he might not be able to withstand the pounding that he subjects himself to given his daring and fearless playing style.  What’s more, should Tech have to turn to a third QB next year as well, that might mean true freshman Jake Strong would be pressed into action, a situation that would be less than ideal for a team with Big 12 title aspirations.

So the health of Tech’s quarterbacks in 2023 will be the most important question to be answered, and at some point, one would have to think that Tech’s luck in that area would turn.  Of course, if the second question on this list can be answered in a positive way, the QBs will be exponentially more likely to stay upright.

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