Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen will not play against Utah because of an MCL injury, Bears head coach Dave Aranda says.
Shapen threw for 303 yards and two touchdowns in Baylor’s Week 1 loss to Texas State and took a beating from the Bobcats in the process.
“We were struggling to protect him,” Aranda said Monday. “We were picking him up constantly.”
The junior is expected to miss 2-3 weeks.
The Utes will instead prepare to face sophomore Sawyer Robertson, who went 6-for-12 for 113 yards in replace of Shapen last weekend.
“Their backup came in and did some good things,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “He is an athletic kid. We just have to have a plan, and I am sure [defensive coordinator Morgan] Scalley and the defense will have a plan and it all starts with stopping the run.”
Coming off a five-sack night against Florida, the Utes’ defensive line should have plenty of opportunities against a Baylor offense that struggled to protect Shapen against Texas State. Aranda said he hopes Robertson’s athleticism can provide a different look for the Bears.
“It gives us a chance to maybe change up the approach and that could possibly protect them in terms of the drop back and all that,” Aranda said. “Move around a bit more.”
Shapen has been the Bears’ offensive leader. Last season, he threw for 2,790 yards and 18 touchdowns.
“I thought that Blake really played well on Saturday,” Aranda said. “He was a warrior — a warrior, man. Some of those throws he was making, the ball is coming out at different arm angles and was on the money and we were struggling to protect him.”
The Utes, though, know as well as anyone what a good backup quarterback can do.
And Aranda expressed his confidence in Robertson’s abilities to help the Bears bounce back.
“He’s a confident kid,” the coach said. “He’s going to bring energy … He’s going to motivate those guys around him. There’s a contagious spirit about him. We’re going to need that, especially early in the week to kind of pick ourselves up off the mat.
“And there’s a great amount of belief in him with the team. They know with him we’ve got a great chance. In a situation where a ball has to be thrown or a play has to be made, there’s that kind of confidence.”
