Morton gives Texas Tech a boom or bust proposition at QB
For better or worse, we are about to ride the Behren Morton roller coaster. Like the West Texas oilfields, he is equally as close to a boom as he is close to a bust.
When Morton is at his best, his talent shines through and it is easy to envision him being an all-conference performer. He has a touch on the ball that few QBs we’ve seen in the “Air Raid” era possess as we saw on his TD pass to Myles Price against Tarleton State last weekend.
What’s more, at times, he gets rid of the football with lightning-quick speed, something that will help him survive behind an offensive line that is struggling to protect the passer again this year. Also, the zip on his passes reminds some of former Red Raiders like Mahomes or B.J. Symons. There is simply a pace to his game that Shough or most other former Texas Tech QBs have been unable to match and that could spark the offense.
On the other hand, Morton can be turnover-prone. He’s tossed a pick in four of the seven games in his career that have seen him throw 10 or more passes.
Also, his propensity for getting rid of the ball in a hurry leads to some dangerous moments where he may or may not read the defense correctly after the snap. Morton plays like a guy who has an immense amount of confidence in himself and that’s great until that confidence leads to some head-scratching decisions. Can he limit those moments moving forward as QB1 for the rest of the year? That will be a key if he is to have success.
In the end, Morton gives this offense a chance to be better than it has been thus far. He’s simply got physical gifts that Shough can’t replicate.
However, the mental side of the game is where Morton needs to develop the most and that’s why Shough won the job this offseason. QBs must be reliable between the ears before their arms and legs allow them to succeed in the heat of battle and Morton has yet to prove that he’s that type of player.
Perhaps that will come with experience, which is something Morton should get plenty of this year. It is now Morton’s show in Lubbock and he has an opportunity to turn this year around if he can harness his immense talent and play within himself while still managing to give the offense the type of spark that he is capable of. But one thing is for sure, it is going to be a fascinating turn of events in Lubbock as many Red Raider fans now get what we’ve been calling for almost all season.