The Red Raiders’ spring game is eight days away and Friday was the last scrimmage before the game will take place. The scrimmage was unavailable to the media but afterwards all three quarterbacks, Tyler Shough, Donovan Smith, and Behren Morton, were made available to the media.

Morton took the podium first and said he has loved to play for this coaching staff and believes he has meshed well into coach Kittley’s offense.

“I think I’m adjusting well into the new staff. Coach Kittley is big time, you’ll here that from all the players,” Morton said. “We love him, we love to play for him. It’s been really easy to transition.”

Morton said that Shough has been an inspiration for him and a solid mentor for the young quarterback to learn from.

“Tyler Shough, he’s big time for me, he’s a big-time mentor for me,” Morton said. “I look up to him, he’s a great guy. He’s played in big-time games, so just learning from him, taking different pieces from everybody in the room is big-time.”

All three quarterbacks mentioned the complexity of the Kittley offense, but most importantly that the OC will give the quarterback “the keys to the car.”

“It’s our ability to control it,” Shough said when asked about the difference between this year’s offense and last years. “His whole deal is that he’s really flexible, he want’s us to be in the best position possible, so as the whole offense, we respect him for it.”

Shough said that his injury rehab was a tough mental battle but is excited to take his newfound mentality to the field this season.

“It was tough, I was sad for a really long time. You work so hard for it and for it to be taken just like that it gives you a new perspective,” Shough said. “I was lucky to have my teammates and my family, my friends around me. I learned so much from it.”

Shough said that he has been able to really learn the offense and give a ton of time towards football since he is almost done with school.

“I spend maybe 10 to 15 minutes on homework so 12 hours plus on football,” Shough said. “That’s kind of been the biggest thing this offseason. Most of the time I spend is in the facility hanging with the coaches, watching film.”

Morton along with Smith both were adamant that they love the town of Lubbock, Morton who is from the area said that it is unbelievable to wear the red and black every day.

“It’s unbelievable, I love it.” Morton said. “Getting to wear the uniform is unbelievable, I mean, wearing the Double T every day, there’s nothing like it.”

Smith said that he wouldn’t consider transferring from the program since his father moved on to the New York Giants and thinks of his teammates as brothers.

“This team is like my family, my brothers, I wouldn’t leave them just because my dad left,” Smith said. “I set my own life here.”

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