In the Texas Tech football team's six losses last season, rarely did the Red Raiders look as helpless as they were trying to protect Avery Johnson. Kansas State's freshman quarterback ran for 90 yards and five touchdowns in a 38-21 win at Jones AT&T Stadium in mid-October.
Tech coach Joey McGuire said rookie Cameran Brown finished spring football as the Red Raiders' No. 2 quarterback because of his threat running the ball.
“I hate to bring this up, because it's a nightmare for me,” McGuire said. I think their freshman quarterback (playing time) is going to see a lot of that style of football whenever Cam is in the game. ”
Brown and first-year freshman Will Hammond each threw two touchdown passes during the Red Raiders' spring game Saturday at the Sports Performance Center. Team Taj, captained by running back Taj Brooks, defeated Team Behlen, captained by starting quarterback Behren Morton, 27-24 in overtime.
With Morton sidelined for the past three weeks, Brown, redshirt freshman Jake Strong and Hammond have earned the quarterback job. Brown transferred to Tech from Division II West Georgia in January. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound sophomore passed for 914 yards and 10 touchdowns and rushed for 478 yards and 10 TDs last season.
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Considering his height and wearing No. 7, Brown is vaguely reminiscent of Donovan Smith in what he offers. The top priority is to improve on last season's completion rate of 54%.
“He can put it on the ropes. He does it really well,” McGuire said. “He needs to continue to improve his touch on deep balls.”
Reese Burkhardt made a 54-yard field goal at the end of regulation and a 43-yard field goal in overtime for a walk-off victory.
There were five touchdown passes in the first half. Elon acquired John Carlos Miller from Hammond. Florida transferred Caleb Douglas from Brown. Coy Eakin of Hammond; Oklahoma transferred Jason Llewellyn from Strong. And Cameran Brown's Jordan Brown. The passes from Hammond to Miller and Eakin, and Douglas' pass from Brown, were all deep throws to vertical routes.
The Brown-to-Brown connection covered 18 yards.
“Guys that needed quick touches got quick touches, Caleb, Josh Kelley, Coy. They got quick touches and really got our offense going,” McGuire said.
Security Chief Collins stopped Hammond. McGuire said this was the fourth interception the Hutt freshman has thrown all spring, counting all segments of practice.
“I thought Will was really spot on early in the game,” McGuire said. “If you count the interceptions, you don’t know if the ball hit the ground when he was there in the first half.
“One touchdown to Coy, Will would have been hit. He wouldn't have been sacked, but he would have been hit. He ramped up the pressure, so I thought that was really good.”
Despite Hammond's progress over the past year and his status as a top-50 recruit in the state of Texas, McGuire said he wants to keep Hammond in the four-game redshirt slot.
Brooks and Morton were both teams' non-playing captains. This spring, the technical staff deliberately took a soft look at Brooks, who had the second-most carries of any running back at any level in college football last year. Morton has spent the past three weeks rehabbing a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder.
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Second-year freshman running back Anquan Willis, who is etching his name in the NCAA transfer portal, got a few carries and bolted 52 yards for a second-half touchdown. McGuire said Willis has not reconsidered his decision to leave the program. He compared Willis' performance in the spring game to Loic Foonge, whose name was included in the portal after catching a touchdown pass for the Red Raiders in the Independence Bowl.
“If they decide to move on and want to settle things with the Friars and play, that's good for them and good for us,” McGuire said.
The spring game was originally scheduled for Aston Broadband Stadium in the Midlands, but was canceled two days in advance due to predicted inclement weather. Technical officials decided Friday to play the game at the Red Raiders' indoor facility, closed to the public.
“I hated not going to Midland,” McGuire said. “I've been trying to get to Midland for the last three years.”
