Starting quarterback Behren Morton left at halftime of the Texas Tech football game Saturday against Kansas State and was not expected to return.
Morton, already playing with a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder, took several hard hits in the first half, including a shot in the pocket from defensive end Nate Matlack.
Later in the half, 290-pound defensive tackle Jevon Banks drove Morton into the turf along the home sideline.
Just before halftime, Morton led a seven-play, 89-yard drive that ended with Tahj Brooks scoring on a 2-yard run with 23 seconds left. Morton completed a 30-yard pass to Coy Eakin on the drive.
Jake Strong, making his college debut, took over to begin the second half. Strong is a true freshman who enrolled in January and went through spring practice.
The nature of Morton’s injury was not immediately available. A Tech athletics spokesman said Morton was doubtful to return. He completed 14 of 21 passes for 125 yards in the first half.
In Texas Tech’s loss three weeks before at West Virginia, the Red Raiders lost starting quarterback Tyler Shough to a broken fibula and Morton suffered the AC joint injury when he landed hard on the turf at the end of a run.
Behind Morton and Strong, receiver Brady Boyd acted as the third quarterback in pre-game warmup before the Red Raiders’ game last week at Baylor. On Saturday, two-sport player Will Burns was the third QB in pre-game warmup, and the fourth was Cooper LaFebre, a walk-on from Lubbock-Cooper.
Burns is a shortstop on the Tech baseball team. LaFebre, among the players cut after spring football, was brought back after the injury to Shough.
