By Michael Haag | Sports Editor
Texas State shocked Baylor football with an upset win over the weekend, but the Bears know just how tough their next opponent, No. 12 Utah, is. The Utes will roll into Waco following 10 days of rest to clash with Baylor for a first-ever matchup.
Both teams are dealing with injuries to their starting quarterbacks. The Bears (0-1) will be without redshirt junior quarterback Blake Shapen for two to three weeks with an MCL injury, while Utah (1-0) is monitoring star senior quarterback Cam Rising’s status. Rising, a potential Heisman Trophy candidate, is still fighting to return from an ACL injury he suffered in the 2023 Rose Bowl on Jan. 2.
Baylor head coach Dave Aranda said redshirt sophomore quarterback Sawyer Robertson will take over under center on Saturday — his first collegiate start. Aranda said Robertson, a Mississippi State transfer, believes in himself.
“He’s a confident kid,” Aranda said. “He’s going to motivate those guys around him. There’s a contagious spirit about him … and we’re going to need that, especially early in the week, [to] kind of pick ourselves up off the mat.”
Robertson relieved the injured Shapen in the second half of Saturday’s game, completing 6-of-12 passes for 113 yards. Robertson also tossed an interception and fumbled the ball on the last drive of the game.
Meanwhile, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham told reporters on Tuesday that Rising is “progressing nicely” and that he’s still day-to-day.
“He’s cleared for all practice activities, no restrictions whatsoever,” Whittingham said. “It’s just how he feels and how the injury is feeling after, you know, X amount of days of work.”
Junior quarterback Bryson Barnes was given the start in the Utes’ 24-11 win over Florida last Thursday, but redshirt freshman quarterback Nate Johnson also saw action. Barnes did more damage through the air, connecting on 12-of-18 passes for 159 yards and one passing touchdown, adding a five-yard rushing TD. Johnson, a dual-threat quarterback, was most effective on the ground, as he rushed six times for 45 yards and one TD.
Aranda said he has a good feel for what Utah’s offense will to look like, as he and Utes’ offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig were on the same coaching staff at Wisconsin from 2013 to 2014. Aranda was the defensive coordinator and Ludwig was the offensive coordinator, so Aranda said he’s very familiar with what Ludwig likes to do. Aranda also noted that Lugwig’s son, Joe, is a graduate assistant at Baylor.
The Utes’ ability to utilize three different quarterbacks is what stands out most to Aranda.
“I know that Coach ‘Lud will have them coached up and ready to go,” Aranda said.
Aranda told SicEm365 on Monday that he’s more involved in game preparation with defensive coordinator Matt Powledge and the rest of that unit due to his familiarity with Ludwig. Redshirt freshman outside linebacker Kyler Jordan mentioned the uniqueness to each of their quarterbacks and how they play to their strengths.
“The younger one [Johnson], he’s a little more dynamic [and] a little more run-heavy,” Jordan said. “The other one, Bryson, he has a talented arm. He can sling it a little bit. And then we all know [Cam] Rising can play some football.”
The Bears will enter the tough draw with Utah coming off a 42-31 loss to Texas State on Saturday in Waco. The Bears were 26.5-point favorites going into the contest, but the Bobcats took a first quarter lead and never looked back, securing their first-ever win over a power conference foe.
Aranda told reporters after the game that a loss like last Saturday’s is unacceptable and he told his group that. On Monday, Aranda said it was just as hard to have honest postgame conversations with his athletes as it was his staff.
“Staff wise, there’s been … you’re down in a valley [and] you climb up a mountain only to find out at the start of the season that there’s more mountains,” Aranda said. “And you’re kind of hoping that you’re reaching a peak and you’re taking off, and for that not to be the case … I think it’s one of the things with this sport, much like life, you know?
“And then with our team, it’s, ‘Hey, this is what you did. This isn’t who you are. We’ve seen who you are, and we want to be able to put that on tape. We want to show the world that.’”
Baylor’s offensive line committed six false start penalties against Texas State, and four of them came in the first quarter. Aranda attributed those pre-snap mistakes to so many new faces being on the O-line, and he said he’s demanding improvement. The Bears have just three more days to prepare for a Utah front seven that held the Gators to 21 rushing yards on 13 attempts.
Junior tight end Jake Roberts said it can only go up from here with a chance to knock off the top-12 Utes.
“It stung, to say the least,” Roberts said. “It sucks really bad, and everybody in the program hurts, but you can only harp on it for so long … That’s the nature of this sport. You have to move on fast.”
Kickoff between Baylor and Utah is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at McLane Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
Injury room:
- Redshirt sophomore safety Devin Lemear is out two to three weeks with a dislocated elbow, per Aranda.
- Aranda said redshirt senior outside linebacker Garmon Randolph will miss one to two weeks with a high ankle sprain.
