Shough expected to miss 3-6 weeks with injury, McGuire says

Texas Tech quarterback Tyler Shough is expected to miss from three to six weeks with a collarbone injury he suffered in the Red Raiders' 63-10 victory Saturday night against Murray State, Tech coach Joey McGuire said Monday.

McGuire said after Saturday's game the team medical staff could not determine after an initial medical evaluation and X-ray the extent of the injury and that it could be related to the collarbone or the acromioclavicular (AC) joint.

"It is more of his collarbone," McGuire said during his weekly Monday press conference, "but it's right there wherever you talk about the collarbone and the AC joint kind of fit together. I'm hoping that it's less than six (weeks), but I would probably say it's anywhere between three and six weeks to get him back."

Shough is scheduled to see Dr. Kevin Crawford, a team physician and orthopedic surgeon, on Wednesday.

Asked if surgery is possible, McGuire said, "Possibly, and that's where (recovery) could prolong to six weeks if it is."

Tech has an open date after the sixth game, so the Red Raiders don't start the second half of their schedule until Oct. 22.

Shough, tackled at the end of a 17-yard run in the first quarter, landed on his left shoulder, the same one in which he suffered a season-ending broken collarbone in last year's Big 12 opener at Texas.

McGuire said Monday, "It looks like more of his collarbone. It's not exactly where it was last year, and last year they didn't do anything other than let it heal."

McGuire was hesitant to go into detail about the specifics of the injury.

"I'm not going to put any of our guys in a situation where they'll be targeted whenever they do come back," he said. "I know no coach in America is ever going to say that they are, but it's our job to hit quarterbacks. We're going to try to hit quarterbacks and they're going to try to hit our quarterbacks. So I want to make sure I'm kind of protecting those guys."

Shough's unavailability means sophomore Donovan Smith regains the starting job he had for the last four games of the 2021 season when he led Tech to upset victories against Iowa State and Mississippi State, earning the Liberty Bowl most valuable player award in the latter.

Smith played six series after he entered Saturday's game, completing 14 of 16 passes for 221 yards and four touchdowns. Offensive coordinator Zach Kittley said Smith did not take a snap with the first team during last week's practices, which is his normal approach with a No. 2 quarterback. Smith and Behren Morton split the snaps with the second team, and he said there were plenty to go around.

"Every single play we called in the game, Donovan had had multiple reps at those," Kittley said. "Now, they may not have been with him taking the snap from (starting center) Dennis (Wilburn), but he's still getting those reps and still understanding the progressions and the run boxes and all those things."

The similarities among Tech's top three quarterbacks makes the switch from Shough to Smith less complicated.

"We're not going to change schematically what we do," Kittley said. "We've kind of tailored those guys to be prepared for their opportunity, and we've been telling them all ... 'Y'all are one snap away, so you've got to be prepared.' Unfortunately, it happened and Donovan was unbelievable and very poised and ready for the moment and came in and just balled out. So we won't change what we're doing."

The Tech staff remains committed to using Morton as well. The redshirt freshman completed 7 of 10 for 97 yards and a touchdown Saturday, when he entered in a 56-10 game and played the last seven series.

"It's not going to be a rotation deal," McGuire said, "but I truly believe smart coaches — and I'm not saying I am; Zach Kittley is — but smart coaches get their playmakers on the field. It's weird that quarterback is the only position that everybody thinks there should only be one playing, whenever those guys are usually some of your best athletes. They're definitely some of our best athletes. I think they proved it on Saturday, and we're going to continue that way."

Also on Monday, McGuire said offensive lineman Cole Spencer will sit out the season and be eligible to apply for a medical hardship waiver that would allow him to play in 2023. Spencer had knee surgery after last season and, in addition to rehabilitating from that, he also has experienced lower back problems, McGuire said.

Among the many transfers who joined Tech in the off-season, Spencer was the most highly anticipated, given that he made 44 career starts at Western Kentucky and played last season for Kittley and offensive line coach Stephen Hamby, who were subsequently hired by Tech.

McGuire said this summer he projected Spencer to start at left guard.

"I hate that for him," Kittley said. "Love him to death. He came with us. Unbelievable guy. Hate it for him, but if you know Cole, he'll be back better than ever, and we're looking forward to having him back next year."

Conference USA coaches voted Spencer first-team all-Conference USA in 2021, and Pro Football Focus gave Spencer the highest pass-blocking grade in the conference.

College football

Who: Texas Tech vs. Houston

When: 3 p.m. Saturday

Where: Jones AT&T Stadium

Records: Houston 1-0, Texas Tech 1-0

Rankings (AP/coaches poll): Houston 24/25; Texas Tech unranked

Last game: Houston 37, UT-San Antonio 35 (3OT); Texas Tech 63, Murray State 10

Line: Tech by 3

TV: Fox Sports 1

Game guarantee: Tech pays Houston $200,000

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech QB Tyler Shough expected to miss 3-6 weeks with injury