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Texas Tech football: Morton injured as Red Raiders fall to Kansas State again

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 14: Behren Morton #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders runs with the ball during the first half of the game against the Kansas State Wildcats at Jones AT&T Stadium on October 14, 2023 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 14: Behren Morton #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders runs with the ball during the first half of the game against the Kansas State Wildcats at Jones AT&T Stadium on October 14, 2023 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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LUBBOCK, TEXAS – OCTOBER 14: Desmond Purnell #32 of the Kansas State Wildcats brings down Behren Morton #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders after a pass during the first half of the game at Jones AT&T Stadium on October 14, 2023 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS – OCTOBER 14: Desmond Purnell #32 of the Kansas State Wildcats brings down Behren Morton #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders after a pass during the first half of the game at Jones AT&T Stadium on October 14, 2023 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

The Texas Tech offensive line is still a problem

If there is one reason why Morton was injured, it would have to be the punishment he took behind a porous Texas Tech offensive line.  Time and again in the first half, Morton was under duress even when the Wildcats were rushing only three or four players.  That just can’t happen.

For the game, KSU would record only two sacks and three tackles for loss.  But that doesn’t tell the story of how poorly Tech’s line played.

Morton took several huge shots in the pocket and he was repeatedly forced to run for his life.  In fact, aside from his one-yard TD sneak, the rest of his six carries on the night were scrambles where he had to leave the pocket to avoid the KSU rush.

Morton never looked comfortable in the pocket and while some of that likely had to do with his tentativeness due to his gimpy shoulder, much of it was because he was under constant pressure.  Plus, when Strong was inserted into the game KSU started to bring the house and the Red Raiders couldn’t make them pay for that.

In the last two weeks, Tech’s offensive line woes were masked by facing the two worst defensive lines in the Big 12, Baylor and Houston.  This week, the Red Raiders had to face a good (but not elite) KSU defensive front and all of the O-line flaws we saw in the season’s first four games were still there.

Until the Red Raiders fix the offensive line issues, this program is going to remain stuck in neutral. This offseason, two new pieces were added to the starting five and the three returning starters were all moved to different positions.  That hasn’t solved anything meaning that next year, another O-line shuffle is going to be part of the offseason plan and that’s no way to build a consistent winner.

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