MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Texas Tech has gone 11-0 when quarterback Behren Morton plays this season, which is an obvious reason why the Red Raiders have made the College Football Playoff.
Here's more good news: Morton says he's fully healthy again.
The Red Raiders' starter announced Tuesday that he's “100%” going into Thursday's College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Orange Bowl against Oregon, after wearing a walking boot for about two months
while dealing with a hairline fracture in his right leg. It wasn't a question about whether he'd play — that was not in doubt — but the fact that he's been full-go in bowl prep is a key development for the Big 12 champions.
“This whole bowl prep has been really good for me,” Morton said. “I’ve been basically 100% in practice as far as team reps. I haven’t been able to do team reps really all season long. Been in the boot for probably about seven weeks, eight weeks throughout the season. Got out of the boot — I’d been wearing the boot. Just getting the body back to playing football again. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to do that. I think it’s been good that we’ve had this time off.”
The Red Raiders have gone nearly four weeks since their last game, the Big 12 title game against BYU. Morton missed Texas Tech's lone loss — an October defeat by Arizona State — and didn't play the following week against Oklahoma State either.
He has thrown for nine touchdowns and one interception in five games since, and if he's feeling healthier that brings more QB-run options into play for Thursday.
Oregon says it is preparing accordingly.
“Within this offense there’s plenty of quarterback run activity, and that’s something that you see that has been a little less in these last few weeks,” Ducks defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi said. “But he’s certainly effective and can run the ball, and we know that. I think you certainly don’t want to play the game of being unsound and not accounting for him.”
Morton has thrown for 2,643 yards this season with 22 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He got hurt against Kansas in October, and his practice time for the rest of the regular season was extremely limited.
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