Texas Tech loses QB Behren Morton to a left shoulder injury

Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton suffered a left shoulder injury in Saturday's 35-34 loss to TCU and did not play in the second half.

Morton appeared to injure his non-throwing shoulder in the second quarter. During the second half, he stood on the sideline in street clothes with his left arm in a sling.

Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said he wasn't sure what injured Morton after initial X-rays taken at the stadium yielded inconclusive results.

“He was really in pain and we felt like we couldn’t use him at that point,” McGuire said. “So I don’t know exactly what it is. It's nothing big, but there's something there. It's not his AC (joint). We feel like it’s his collarbone, but we can’t see it clearly.”

The redshirt junior ranked fourth in the Big 12 in passing yards on Saturday with 1,926 yards, 18 total touchdowns and three interceptions for the Red Raiders (5-2). Morton threw for 137 yards on 13 of 22 passes in the first half against TCU and his team took a 17-14 halftime lead.

True freshman backup Will Hammond replaced Morton early in the second half and led touchdown drives on each of his first two possessions to give the Red Raiders a 31-14 lead midway through the third quarter.

TCU (5-3) rebounded with a 21-3 scoring run and took the lead with five minutes left on Josh Hoover's 84-yard touchdown pass to Eric McAlister. Hammond responded by driving to the Horned Frogs' 27-yard line to get in position for a go-ahead field goal, but his fumble on a rushing attempt on third down was recovered by TCU.

Hammond completed 10 of 15 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown in his second career game. The former four-star recruit also scored on a 4-yard run.

After a 3-3 start, the Horned Frogs rebounded with narrow wins over Utah and Texas Tech and are one win away from bowl eligibility in 2023 after a 5-7 season.