Blake Shapen to Start for Baylor at Quarterback in Big 12 Title Game

Oklahoma State will face a freshman quarterback for the fourth-straight week.

Baylor head coach Dave Aranda confirmed that redshirt freshman Blake Shapen will start for the Bears in the Big 12 Championship. It will be the second start of his career.

Baylor’s starter Gerry Bohanan left the Bears’ win over Kansas State with a hamstring injury and has been sidelined ever since. Bohanon did not play in Baylor’s 27-24 win over Texas Tech last week but was set to practice for the Bears this week. The dual-threat QB is obviously hampered enough that they went with freshman.

Shapen was 16-of-21 for 137 yards spelling Bohanon against K-State. He added 44 yards on the ground in an effort that kept the Bears alive in the Big 12 title race. In his first career start against the Red Raiders last week, Shapen completed 20 of 34 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns.

The Cowboys have had success bringing breakout QBs down to earth. OSU held TCU’s Chandler Morris to just 125 yards and no scores and Texas Tech’s Donovan Smith to a season-low 31 percent completion percentage, 83 yards and no scores. Both were coming off of breakout performances in their first starts. Now the Pokes will try to do the same thing to Shapen.

The other freshman in that stretch, OU’s Caleb Williams, was a little more experienced and fared a little bit better throwing for 252 yards and three TDs, but the Cowboys earned the win.