Any fears that Baylor might struggle without star quarterback Seth Russell were quieted Thursday after freshman replacement Jarrett Stidham had a stellar performance in a 31-24 win against Kansas State.
Stidham completed 23 of 33 passes for 419 yards and three touchdowns, and he didn’t commit a turnover. It was an unexpected performance for a player whose only duty this season was mop-up time of blowouts.
Stidham was poised from the first series, leading the Bears 81 yards down the field and taking the ball in for his lone rushing touchdown of the game. It helped that Stidham found receiver Corey Coleman, a Heisman hopeful, with almost half of his completed passes. Coleman had a season-high 11 catches for a season-high 216 yards and two touchdowns. KD Cannon added four catches for 108 yards and a score.
If there were any offensive woes for the Bears it was in the running game. It accounted for just 103 yards and missed Russell’s rushing threat. Even though Stidham was rated as the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback out of high school, he was used sparingly in the running game likely for preservation.
While Stidham’s performance was spectacular for his first start, the opponents get only tougher. Baylor’s numbers against Kansas State weren’t much different from those of TCU or Oklahoma except that both of those teams hung at least 50 points on the Wildcats.
Still Baylor — and the College Football Playoff Committee — has to be encouraged by Stidham’s play. As of now, it doesn't appear the loss of Russell will affect the product Baylor puts on the field or lessens its chances for a run at the College Football Playoff.
For more Baylor news, visit SicEmSports.com.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
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