LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton didn't make it through a game for the third time this season because of an injury, and backup Will Hammond once again came off the bench to help the No. 9 Red Raiders stay undefeated.
Morton pounded the turf after getting his right leg caught under Kansas pass rusher Leroy Harris III.
The injury came on third down, so the offense was coming off the field anyway. Morton appeared to argue with the medical staff before Hammond replaced him for the next series. Morton went to the locker room and came out after halftime in street clothes, limping to the Texas Tech sideline.
“I know he's really frustrated,” McGuire said. “We'll see a lot more tomorrow.”
The Red Raiders were well on their way to a victory against overmatched Arkansas-Pine Bluff when Morton was injured. But Texas Tech led by just a touchdown when he exited a 34-10 victory at then-No. 16 Utah early in the second half after taking a hard hit to the helmet on a scramble. Hammond threw for two touchdowns against the Utes.
McGuire sidestepped a question of how concerned he was about Morton missing games with the Red Raiders (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) set to visit defending Big 12 champion Arizona State next Saturday. He said he had a lot of faith in Hammond and third-stringer Mitch Griffis, a Wake Forest transfer who decided to play again after sitting out last season.
“I feel great about Will,” McGuire said. “He’s playing at a high level. He was a captain tonight. I’m really high on Mitch. He’s won games in the (Atlantic Coast Conference) and he was a captain at one point at Wake Forest.”
The Jayhawks scored 17 consecutive points after Morton exited with Texas Tech leading 21-0. Hammond threw an interception, and his other three drives before halftime ended in punts.
Hammond bounced back after the break, capping the opening drive with a 20-yard touchdown run. He scored again in the fourth quarter for the final margin.
“After that first series, I said, ‘Do we need to run you, Will, to get hit so you can get going in this game?’” McGuire said. “I don't think anybody that's been around Will Hammond is surprised by what he's been doing. We're really fortunate that we have a really good quarterback room. They play off each other.”
Morton's injury wasn't the only significant one of the first half for the Red Raiders.
Defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard, one of several transfers who have turned Texas Tech’s front seven into one of the best units in the country, was carted off in the first quarter with an air cast on his lower left leg.
McGuire said Gill-Howard had an ankle injury and that the air cast was precautionary. The medical staff taped Gill-Howard's ankle with the idea of a possible return but decided against it and put him in a walking boot instead, according to McGuire.
Gill-Howard, who came from Northern Illinois, collided with defensive end Charles Esters on a running play. McGuire said X-rays on the ankle were negative.
“He’s a tough guy,” McGuire said. “It’ll be interesting exactly what it is with Skyler to see how fast he could be back, if he could be back for Arizona State.”
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