If he can lead Texas Tech to a road win at Washington State, QB Behren Morton will solidify himself as the face of the Red Raiders
Football is all about the quarterback position. If you have a great one, you have a shot to compete. If not, you are almost guaranteed to struggle. For the Texas Tech football program, it’s been far too long since there has been a star QB leading the way. On Saturday night, though, Behren Morton can take a huge step toward becoming the next great QB on the South Plains.
Of course, we all know that the last great Texas Tech quarterback was Patrick Mahomes II. He last played for the Red Raiders in 2016 meaning that for the past seven seasons, the QB play in Lubbock has been mediocre at best. That’s been hard for Texas Tech fans who grew up watching Kliff Kingsbury, BJ Symons, and Graham Harrell dismantle Big 12 defenses.
Who has been the best Tech QB since Mahomes? That’s a tough question to answer because no one stands out. Alan Bowman and Tyler Shough couldn’t stay healthy. Jett Duffey was never able to live up to his potential. Donovan Smith was talented but he never got the chance to prove at Texas Tech what he could be as QB1. Nic Shimonek was just a guy in 2017. McLane Carter and Henry Colombi were best suited a backups.
That’s why so many people are so hopeful that Behren Morton can become a star now that he’s back to full health after a shoulder injury limited him in virtually every one of his games in 2023. Of course, when he’s right, to see his potential isn’t difficult. Morton has the best arm of any Red Raider QB since Mahomes and he has underrated athleticism in the pocket.
What’s more, he plays with a level of confidence that may remind some of Harrell or Symons. In other words, he has all the tools needed to do the job. Now, he’s just got to figure out how to ascend into the pantheon of Red Raider QB greats.
He could take a massive step in that quest on Saturday night. If he can play well and lead his team to a road win in a tough environment at Washington State, he will cement his spot as the face of Texas Tech football.
Perhaps even more importantly, though, he will give his team and the fan base reassurance that the QB spot is once again going to be an asset for the Red Raiders after years of being a troublesome position. That would be invaluable for this program.
After seeing Tech struggle on defense against Abilene Christian in week one, most believe that the only hope of beating a Washington State team that beat their week-one FCS opponent 70-30 is to win an old-fashioned Texas Tech shootout. If that proves to be the case, Morton will have to be at his best
But so far in his career, he has struggled away from Jones Stadium. As a starter, he’s just 2-3 in games played on another school’s campus.
What’s more, in road contests, he’s got an unacceptable 1: 1 touchdown: interception ratio (7-7). Meanwhile, at home, he’s thrown 17 touchdowns to just seven picks.
Also, in road games, his completion percentage has been just 59.1. By contrast, at home, he’s completed 62.3% of his passes
Still, we simply do not know what to make of Morton as a QB. That’s because Saturday night’s game against ACU was the first time in his Red Raider career that he’s started a finished a game without suffering an injury or beginning the game dealing with the effects of a previous injury.
The good news is that Morton looked sharp in his 2024 debut. He completed 30 of 42 passes (71.4%) for 378 yards and five TDs with no interceptions.
Might a similar showing (or better) be required to beat Washington State? That’s likely, especially if star running back Tahj Brooks is unable to play (he was listed as “questionable” on this week’s official Texas Tech injury report).
There have been some legendary road performances by Texas Tech quarterbacks since the turn of the century. Kingsbury had 474 yards and 5 TDs in a dramatic double-OT win at Texas A&M in 2002. Symons bested Eli Manning and Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi in 2003 by putting up 661 yards and six TDs in a comeback victory.
Graham Harrell had 394 yards and four TDs, including the game-winning bomb to Robert Johnon from near midfield in the final minute to beat A&M at Kyle Field in 2006. Meanwhile, Mahomes led Tech to an improbable win at Texas in 2015 to secure bowl eligibility for the team that season.
Now, Morton has an opportunity to begin to grow his legend. Sure, beating an unranked Washington State team on the road won’t win him any national awards and it won’t make this season a resounding success. However, if he can prove to be the QB that most think he is, then he will begin to emerge as the best thing this program has going for it and that’s something that Tech hasn’t been able to say about the QB position in almost a decade.