Texas Tech came out of the Cincinnati loss with a blunt reality staring it in the face: the Red Raiders do not yet have a quarterback who can patch over the Brendan Sorsby absence.
That issue was on full display late in the first half, when Texas Tech had a chance to flip the game before halftime. After Cincinnati pushed the lead to 11, the Red Raiders got the ball with a two-minute drill and the second-half kickoff still coming their way.
Instead of trimming the deficit, Will Hammond made a disastrous read, dumping a pass just two yards downfield toward his checkdown and almost putting the ball in harm’s way. Two running plays later had the clock down to 31 seconds, but then Hammond lofted up a floating jump ball that Cincinnati safety MJ Cannon picked off cleanly.
The Bearcats turned that into another touchdown and carried a three-score lead into the break.
By the time the final whistle sounded on the 37-18 loss, the game had become a showcase for everything Texas Tech feared about life without Sorsby. Cincinnati had plenty of reason to have this one marked down after the wild offseason saga surrounding the portal quarterback, and the Red Raiders were left to absorb the fallout of a miserable night from Hammond.
Sorsby’s path to this point has been messy and strange. He spent two seasons at Cincinnati and threw for 5,600 yards before entering the transfer portal.
Cincinnati sued him over an alleged unpaid buyout. He later admitted to placing thousands of dollars in bets, which led to permanent ineligibility from the NCAA.
After a court ruling restored his eligibility, outside pressure forced him to step away.
Texas Tech’s staff had been confident Hammond could handle the job, even with the quarterback still only a year removed from a torn ACL. Against Cincinnati, though, the concerns around him came crashing through the door.
He finished with 227 passing yards on 37 attempts, along with an interception and a fumble. Cincinnati scored off both turnovers and built an 18-point lead by halftime. In a second quarter that tilted the game, Hammond was just 2 of 6 for 12 yards with the pick, while the Bearcats ripped off a 21-0 run in the same stretch.
The red zone was another problem area. Hammond went only 2 of 6 throwing inside the 20, and the Red Raiders took a sack as they failed to score a touchdown on their first three trips there.
Their first touchdown didn’t come until less than a minute remained. For most of the game, Texas Tech had no real threat passing down the field; through three quarters, Hammond had just one completion that traveled more than 15 yards.
More than half of his passing yards, and the only successful deep shots, came in the fourth quarter after the outcome was already settled.
The quarterback play was only part of the collapse. Texas Tech also got run over defensively, giving up 257 rushing yards and a career-high 173 to Cincinnati back Cole Tabb.
That stood in sharp contrast to last season, when the Red Raiders led the Big 12 in rushing defense. The transfer-heavy rebuild has not matched that standard.
Up front, the offensive line has struggled even with three quality starters back in the fold. The backfield has also been difficult to sort out, with three talented running backs cycling through and no clear answer emerging. And with a quarterback opponents do not fear, defenses are stacking the box and daring Texas Tech to prove it can beat them elsewhere.
The roster doesn’t offer an obvious fix right now. Backup Tommy Castellanos has started multiple games in the ACC, but he has also been caught up in eligibility cases and has been an inconsistent passer, completing 58% of his career attempts. Underclassmen Lloyd Jones and Stephen Cannon have not logged much action.
Texas Tech still has something to hang onto. The Red Raiders already own a quality win over No.
14 Houston, and the schedule gives them a chance to recover. No.
25 Arizona comes to town next week, and Oklahoma State follows two weeks later on the road. There is still a route back into the Big 12 and College Football Playoff race.
But seven games in, the problem is obvious. Texas Tech has a Brendan Sorsby-sized hole, and Hammond has not shown he can fill it.
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