This Texas Tech football season, one of the criticisms leveled from armchair quarterbacks at Will Hammond has been this: The Red Raiders' quarterback doesn't move through his pass-game progressions quickly enough because he hangs too long on his first read.
Actually, Tech coach Joey McGuire says, there are times he needs to stay on it longer.
"Whenever he finds the open receiver as his first read, he's really highly effective," McGuire said on Tuesday, Oct. 6, after the Red Raiders' practice. "On his first read and getting the ball out fast, he's really highly effective.
"But we're a full-field-read team. Some of it has been coming off the first read too soon and going to No. 2 (when) that first read is going to come open or is open."
how long Texas Tech football could be without injured Cam Dickey
Earlier Tuesday, Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin needs to not move too quickly off looking for star receiver Jeremiah Smith. "If he's single covered, he's open," Day told reporters. "If he's double covered, he's sort of open. If he's triple covered, he's covered. ... Somebody's got to be open somewhere else."
Not that the Red Raiders have a receiver comparable to Smith, but McGuire said the advice applies to his quarterback.
"Some of the stuff that Will has gone to a second read on," McGuire said, "I keep going back to a play in the Oregon State game where Cam Dickey, running a rail route out of the running back, is even [with a defender]. You could say he's covered, but he's going to come open, so hang on that read a little bit longer and get the ball out to your best matchups. And it's just continuing to get him to understand that."
Hammond is middle of the pack in the Big 12 in passing yards per game (220.4) and top half in completion percentage (68.3), but his 5 interceptions are tied for most in the Big 12 and his 5 touchdown passes are second-fewest among the conference's regular quarterbacks.
No. 9 Tech (5-0, 2-0 in the Big 12) has an open date this week. The Red Raiders host Arizona State at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 17 and are on the road to play Cincinnati on Oct. 24.
Tech ranks No. 74 in the FBS in passing offense out of 138 teams. Not very Texas Tech-like in the 21st century.
Aside from coaching up Hammond, McGuire says there's pressure on Tech receivers, especially the primary receiver, to get open.
"Some of it is on, 'Hey, you've got to win your one-on-ones," McGuire said. "We're going to see it again this [next] week. If it's any indication what they did to us last year against Arizona State, we're going to get a lot of man/quarter looks that turn into man [coverage], and so you've got to win your one-on-ones. If you're the first read, you better win your one-on-one. If not, we're coming off of it."
Arizona State dealt Tech its only regular-season loss last year, 26-22 in Tempe, Arizona. Tech's point total is the Red Raiders' low from the start of last season to now outside of their 23-0 loss to Oregon in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
Hammond started last year's Arizona State game, throwing for 167 yards and 2 touchdowns and running for Tech's other TD. He threw a go-ahead TD pass and ran for the two-point conversion with two minutes left.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Joey McGuire | Ryan Day quote apt for Texas Tech football's Will Hammond
