Well, the Texas Tech Red Raiders had a really solid offensive performance on Saturday against the Utah Utes, but it wasn’t because of the seasoned quarterback on the roster. Behren Morton struggled a bit on the road and ultimately was sidelined with an injury.
And when backup quarterback Will Hammond took the field, he seemed to bring a new life to the Red Raiders offense.
Some of that can likely be attributed to the fact that Utah’s defense seemed to be wearing down and Hammond was fresh off the bench. Some of it likely should be attributed to the fact that Utah’s defense was dinging Morton up early in the game and he didn’t look like he was playing 100 percent healthy even before he took a hard hit and was sidelined.
Whatever the reason (or reasons), it’s worth noting that Hammond completely elevated the Red Raiders offense on the road against one of the most physical defenses in the Big 12 on Saturday. The backup quarterback for Texas Tech completed 13 of 16 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns. TTU’s starter completed 12 of 19 passes for 142 yards and had a couple of picks.
Oh, and Hammond had 61 rushing yards on eight carries while Morton had just two yards on five carries.
Texas Tech’s future at quarterback sure looks bright with Will Hammond, but should the Red Raiders consider starting him sooner rather than later?
Should Texas Tech consider making a move to Will Hammond at quarterback after the way he played vs. Utah?
I don’t know the “right answer” to that question, to be completely honest. And maybe that’s because there isn’t a “right answer” to that question.
That said, I think it’s worth asking and discussing.
And that’s not me trying to take a shot at Morton. That’s not me trying to say he’s not a great quarterback. He truly seems to thrive in Mack Leftwich’s offense and he’s truly a talented quarterback that can provide the Red Raiders with what they need on offense.
But it’s worth wondering if his injury history is going to be something that comes up at some point again down the line. It’s worth considering how Hammond is such a talented dual-threat who can take off down the field and gash defenses on long runs in a way that seems to surpass what Morton brings to the table in that regard.
Yes, Morton has the playing experience and has been in hostile environments. He’s more seasoned as a starting quarterback and that matters.
Still, it’s worth wondering which quarterback might give Texas Tech a better chance down the stretch of the season, especially as they get further and further into Big 12 play.
The good news is, I don’t think McGuire can go wrong with either quarterback getting playing time for Texas Tech. Given what we’ve seen, I don’t believe either Morton or Hammond (when both are healthy) will slow this offense down.
And that’s a good problem for McGuire and Leftwich to have. It’s a good problem for Texas Tech fans to have.