By Bruce Feldman, Sam Khan Jr. and Max Olson
Texas Tech quarterback Tyler Shough will be out six to eight weeks after suffering a broken fibula against West Virginia on Saturday, coach Joey McGuire told reporters Monday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Shough will have surgery on the injury Tuesday, McGuire said.
- Shough completed 2 of 6 passes for 3 yards, and rushed for 12 yards on four carries, before exiting the eventual 20-13 loss in the first quarter. The Red Raiders are 1-3.
- Shough has thrown for 743 yards and seven touchdowns on 65-of-105 passing this year, adding two rushing touchdowns.
SOURCE: Texas Tech QB Tyler Shough broke his fibula today against WVU and will need surgery. The 6-5, 230-pound senior has accounted for nine TDs this season. @Schultz_Report first reported the news.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) September 24, 2023
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What this means for Texas Tech
This is disappointing news for both Shough and Texas Tech. This is the third consecutive season that Shough, a former Oregon transfer, has had cut short or interrupted by a significant injury. In 2021, Shough broke his collarbone in the fourth game of the year and missed the rest of the season. In 2022, he suffered the same injury in the season opener but returned to finish out the final month of the season and the bowl game.
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For the Red Raiders, losing the starting quarterback after a 1-3 start is about as bad a September as they could imagine. Even though Shough has had his ups and downs this year, he operated Tech’s offense well, could make big plays and was an asset in the running game. — Khan
Who steps in for Shough?
The good news for Tech is that it has a talented young quarterback behind Shough in redshirt sophomore Behren Morton. The 2021 signee is the program’s highest-rated quarterback recruit in the modern era. He plays with a ton of confidence and offensive coordinator Zach Kittley views Morton as the program’s quarterback of the future.
Morton comes in with some experience: He started four games last season and played nine, showing flashes of his potential and throwing for 300-plus yards in two of those starts. He struggled to get into a rhythm on Saturday while filling in for Shough, completing just 13 of 37 passes. But with time to prepare as the starter, he might be able to provide a spark to the offense when the Red Raiders host Houston next week. — Khan
What this means for the Big 12 title race
Texas Tech was a popular sleeper pick to win the Big 12 this season in Year 2 under Joey McGuire after a strong finish to 2022. It’s hard to believe the Red Raiders are 1-3, but they came up short in close games against Wyoming and Oregon. The loss in Morgantown doesn’t knock Texas Tech out of the race by any means, but it needs to rally and put a win streak together soon — starting with this upcoming stretch against Houston and Baylor. Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas are all undefeated through Week 4. — Olson
Required reading
(Photo: Ben Queen / USA Today)