Max Duggan threw a completion a split second before a defender’s helmet struck his face mask on a targeting call, sending the TCU quarterback’s head snapping back and leaving him momentarily woozy on the ground.
The mobile Duggan took his share of collisions against Kansas State but finished the game and has No. 7 TCU alone in first place.
In a year of quarterback attrition, the Big 12 race could come down to how many are left standing, or who has a backup capable of shouldering the load. Most teams have lost their starting quarterback at some point this season. A few remain out, others have returned and the status of some for Saturday’s games are a day-to-day observation.
Just as he’s shaken off hard tackles, Duggan deferred questions about the recent pounding, instead pointing to the real battle in the trenches.
“My job’s pretty easy. When you’re a quarterback, you don’t get hit too often,” Duggan said after TCU beat Kansas State 38-28 on Saturday. “The guys up front, the guys blocking out on the defense, they’re getting hit every play. Those guys are never complaining, never talking about their hits. So the least I can do is get up after a play.”
Duggan might not be thriving had redshirt freshman Chandler Morris not sprained his left knee in the season opener. Despite being a three-year starter, Duggan lost the top position over the spring and summer to Morris. But Duggan has played so well that Morris has remained on the bench despite being available. Duggan has thrown 19 touchdown passes with one interception. His 181.8 efficiency rating is fifth in the nation.
While Duggan led TCU back from an 18-point deficit to beat Kansas State, the Wildcats are having their own quarterback issues.
Starter Adrian Martinez left after the first series with an undisclosed injury and did not return. Backup Will Howard threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, then hurt his shoulder on a third-quarter running play. Howard left the game briefly but was brought back in after a third-string freshman threw an interception.
Coach Chris Klieman said Tuesday he’s not sure whether Martinez will be available but Howard should be ready when Kansas State, tied for second place with Oklahoma State, prepares to host the Cowboys on Saturday.
Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders, playing through undisclosed injuries in the past few weeks, led the Cowboys to a comeback win over Texas on Saturday. Sanders is tied with Duggan for the Big 12 lead with 23 total touchdowns — seven more than anyone else.
“He’s feeling better,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said. “He’s not where he was. You can tell.”
Quarterback injuries seem to have hit the Big 12 harder than other Power 5 conferences, although there are some notable season-ending injuries elsewhere, including Devin Leary at North Carolina State (pectoral muscle).
Some schools can’t catch a break: Utah State has seen injuries to its top three quarterbacks, forcing one to end his college career, and Texas A&M its top two.
Despite the frequency of quarterback visits to the training room, the Big 12 is on pace to challenge a high scoring mark under the current 10-team format that started in 2012. The league-wide average of 35.4 points scored is more than five points better than each of the past two seasons and the same as that averaged over the 2015 season.
One reason for the success is Kansas, which has far surpassed its scoring total for all of last season.
