Texas Tech Week Ten: All Eyes On Morton Against Kansas State

At first glance, the Texas Tech week 10 road trip to Kansas State doesn’t appear particularly daunting. After all, this is a Kansas State team that has losses to Iowa State, Army, Arizona, Baylor (and what should have been a loss to FCS North Dakota). Outside of a last-minute four-point defeat against Arizona State with their backup quarterback, Texas Tech has bulldozed everyone on its schedule. So why are the Red Raiders only a touchdown favorite against the 4-4 Wildcats? Why does this game hinge directly on how Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton plays?

While Chris Klieman can’t erase the four losses on his team’s record, his team is playing inspired football right now. Over their last four games (3-1), they are averaging 37.8 points and 413.6 yards per game. If those were held for their season averages, those would be good for national rankings of 15th and 48th, respectively. Quarterback Avery Johnson has seemingly regained his playmaking form and is commanding the offense with confidence. He is averaging three total touchdowns over the last four games. His yards-per-attempt have also seen a significant increase in the last month as well.

Because of the Wildcats’ recent offensive surge, this will present the biggest challenge Shiel Wood’s defense has faced all season. The pass rush from the defensive front will be key in not only creating pressure on Johnson but keeping him contained. This Texas Tech week ten test will also challenge linebacker Jacob Rodriguez in a new way. The veteran captain also finds himself on the precipice of a Heisman trophy campaign. Normally, this type of campaigning is spearheaded by fans. However, on Sunday, after a dismantling of Oklahoma State, head coach Joey McGuire began pushing out the Heisman messaging on social media.

Of course, a defensive player (who wasn’t also touching the ball on offense and special teams consistently) has never won the top individual award in college football. So, does Roriguez have a compelling case? He has a total of 59 tackles, which is tied for 6th in the P4. Rodriquez also has two interceptions, and possibly his biggest statistical achievement to date is being tied for the FBS lead with five forced fumbles. According to PFF, Rodriquez is the second-highest graded defensive player in college football. His 92.7 grade trails only Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. (94.7).

Through seven games, the Texas Tech defense has shown up consistently. Even with as great as Kansas State’s offense has been, this Texas Tech defense has only given up an average of 12.4 points per game (4th best nationally). They should, at a bare minimum, slow down Kansas State. Additionally, as much improvement as the Kansas State offense has made, the defense has essentially been the same leaky unit all season. They rank 73rd nationally in total defense (368.9 yards per game) and 83rd in scoring defense (25.8 points per game). This opportunity sets up nicely for QB1 to come back into action and put up big numbers.

Morton, who has missed the last two games, is looking to pick up where he left off. Dating back to last year, the previous six games Morton has started and completed against FBS competition, he is averaging 346 passing yards, a completion percentage of 64, and 2.5 touchdowns. In 2025, he is leading the Big 12 in passing yards per attempt. With BYU on the horizon, Morton must lead this team in focusing on the game at hand. A big performance would not only carry this team to a win but also give it great momentum heading back to Lubbock for a showdown with the team sitting atop the Big 12 rankings.

The last time the Red Raiders won in Manhattan was October 4th, 2008. In the last four trips to Manhattan, Texas Tech has lost the game by an average margin of defeat of 10 points. Going back to that 2009 game, the 58-28 smackdown included Graham Harrell throwing for 454 yards and six touchdowns. Does Morton have to have a career performance against Kansas State? No, this defense of the Red Raiders takes pressure off the offense. Long gone are the days of the offense feeling like they must score every time they go on the field.

However, with Will Hammond lost for the season with an ACL tear, the rest of this season hinges on the health of Morton and his performance. Morton has missed too much time to be considered for the Heisman trophy. But big performances in November are what win players the Heisman. This is the week Morton reminds everyone how good this offense runs when he is steering the boat.

Texas Tech 38, Kansas State 21

Main Photo: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images