A week to think: McGuire says any of Tech's top 3 QBs could start against WVU
The lone open date on the Texas Tech football schedule this season happens to fall with six games down and six to go. When the Red Raiders returned to the practice field on Tuesday, however, it was like late August in one regard.
Tyler Shough, Donovan Smith and Behren Morton were all practicing at once for the first time since the week of the season opener. And Tech coach Joey McGuire said any of three could be the starter when Tech hosts West Virginia in the Red Raiders' next game, at 2 p.m. Oct. 22.
"Donovan does a great job throwing on the run, also running the football, running quarterback power," McGuire said. "Behren, you saw our tempo stuff last week. It was pretty impressive how fast he gets the ball out. And Tyler, with his decision making, he puts us in some really good plays."
Shough has been the Red Raiders' game-one starter each of the past two seasons and suffered clavicle injuries in his non-throwing shoulder two Septembers in a row. Smith started games two through five, and Morton started Saturday in a 41-31 loss at No. 7 Oklahoma State.
Smith played three snaps at OSU, two in the slot, but he was mostly unavailable for quarterback duty because of soreness in his throwing shoulder from an accumulation of hits.
"He threw really well today," McGuire said after Tuesday's practice. "He looked good in team (an 11-on-11 scrimmage period). We had a team period, good on good (starters against starters), and then we had a team blitz, good on good, and he threw the ball really well today."
Saturday was the first college start for Morton, the redshirt freshman from Eastland. He threw for 379 yards and two touchdowns while being sacked four times and throwing an interception. He also ran for 53 yards and a TD. Morton played through an ankle injury he suffered in the second quarter and said after the game he was OK.
"Whoever the starter is is going to be the starter," McGuire said. "I hate rotating quarterbacks, because guys that get in rhythm, you don't want to take them out of their rhythm. I think you build packages based on what they do best and put that in the game plan to help you win games."
The Red Raiders (3-3, 1-2 in the Big 12) continue to expect Shough to be back in the mix again soon. He threw routes on air and in 7-on-7 Tuesday. He will be evaluated again by two doctors on Monday, the day before the Red Raiders start game-week preparation for West Virginia. He's not been ruled out for that game.
"If he's fully cleared next Monday, then we're going to roll into the game expecting to play him and see what he can do," McGuire said. "But until a doctor tells me that, I always think it's probably another week out.
"But he hasn't had any setbacks. The way he's throwing the ball, the way he threw the ball today, he's a little ahead of schedule."
Several times in the first six games, the Red Raiders have had Smith and Morton on the field at the same time. They can put all three on the field simultaneously when Shough suits up again. McGuire has talked about that look since the season started.
"I want them all three on the field at the same time," he said Tuesday. "We have some stuff that we had worked on all fall."
Quick hits
Wide receiver Loic Fouonji has been playing hurt, but is getting back close to fully healthy.
"It's tough to go catch balls above your head when you've got a shoulder (with an) AC sprain," McGuire said. "He's doing a good job playing through that stuff. I think you'll see him now add more to that depth." ...
There is a 70-man roster limit for Big 12 games, and McGuire thought it was worth it to take Myles Price to Oklahoma State, even if the Red Raiders' leading receiver didn't suit up because of an ankle injury.
"I needed his voice on the sideline with that young group (of receivers), just pushing them," McGuire said. "He's such a great leader."
Price won't rejoin practice until next Tuesday. ...
SaRodorick Thompson carried 20 times for 87 yards Saturday, a 13-game high, while Tahj Brooks carried only four times for 8 yards. It was the biggest disparity in terms of attempts between the two since last year's Tech-TCU game, 364 days before, when Thompson got 18 carries in a game Brooks missed with an injury.
McGuire said nothing was wrong with Brooks on Saturday. Thompson had gains of 19, 19,10 and 11 yards.
"SaRodorick, man he got hot," McGuire said. "He was running as well as he's run all year long. ... When they feel one guy hot, they're literally talking to each other, saying, 'Hey, I've got it.' We don't care who's in there between those two guys."
Thompson moved past Donny Anderson into 10th place on the Tech career rushing list. Anderson, in three seasons from 1963 through 1965, rushed for 2,280 yards in 30 games. Thompson, in his fifth season, has rushed for 2,290 yards in 43 games.
"It means the world to me," Thompson said. "It's been a long time. It's been a long grind. The time I've put in here has really showed. I'm happy about it. I'm proud about it."
Next on the Tech career list ahead of Thompson are Baron Batch (2,501 rushing yards), Larry Isaac (2,633), James Hadnot (2,794) and Taurean Henderson (3,241). Thompson could catch any or all. In addition to the games remaining this season, he has the option to return in 2023 on the COVID-bonus year the NCAA awards all players who were on rosters in 2020. ...
Trey Wolff made his 29th career field goal Saturday, tying Don Grimes (1971-73) for 10th place on the Tech career list. ...
According to Tech research, Xavier White is the second Red Raiders player to have multiple games with 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving in his career. White, who's played running back and receiver, has two of each. Taurean Henderson (2002-05) had nine games with 100 yards rushing and two with 100 yards receiving.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: A week to think: McGuire says any of Tech's top 3 QBs could start against WVU
