trojan37
08-27-2008, 01:35 AM
By John Werner
Tribune-Herald staff writer
With Thursday night’s season opener against No. 23 Wake Forest approaching fast, Baylor coach Art Briles has finally decided on his starting quarterback.
He’s just not telling anybody.
The three quarterbacks — Robert Griffin, Kirby Freeman and Blake Szymanski — said at Tuesday’s press luncheon that they don’t even know who’ll start in the 7 p.m. nationally televised opener on FSN at Floyd Casey Stadium.
“In all honesty, it’s been decided, but it just hasn’t been announced,” Briles said. “Who takes the first three snaps isn’t going to determine who will win the football game for us. I certainly anticipate using more than one quarterback.”
Griffin said Briles has told him that he’ll play, but hasn’t told him whether he’ll start. All three quarterbacks are as anxious as anybody to find out who the No. 1 guy is going to be.
“You just can’t worry about it,” said Griffin, a freshman from Copperas Cove. “We would have liked to have known in the spring, but I think it’s made us all compete harder.”
“It’s not just three guys wondering, it’s a lot of people wondering,” said Freeman, a fifth-year senior. “But whoever is called to start, it’s not like the other two guys are going to be on another team. We’re going to need each other throughout the year. This season is going to be a long haul.”
Battling Tyler Beatty for the starting job last year, Szymanski learned from former Baylor coach Guy Morriss that he would start just before kickoff. No one would be surprised if a similar scenario happens again.
“We’ll know at about kickoff,” Szymanski said. “This isn’t my first rodeo.”
During his five-year stint as head coach of the Houston Cougars, Briles said he took his starting quarterback decision down to the wire several times.
“I don’t know if it’s an advantage or disadvantage,” Briles said. “Every situation is different. What we’re trying to do is what is best for us. I’ve been able to work three of these guys without having to panic. We’ve had all these practices and all this time for them to get reps. It’s been a pretty workable situation for the past month.”
After opening preseason practice on Aug. 1, Briles believes his team will be ready for the season opener. The Bears have managed to stay healthy during drills and have progressed a great deal in all areas.
“We’re excited and anxious for this journey to begin,” Briles said. “The players have been extremely loyal and dedicated for the past nine months. We’ve been able to keep them fresh throughout fall camp. I’m anxious to get on the field with them and turn them loose.”
No matter who starts at quarterback, the Bears realize they’ve got a unique opportunity to get the Briles era off to a riveting start. An upset of the Demon Deacons would be Baylor’s first win over a top 25 team since a 35-34 overtime win over No. 16 Texas A&M on Oct. 30, 2004.
“A win over Wake Forest would be huge,” Baylor safety Jordan Lake said. “To beat a ranked team on national TV would prove this program is back on the rise. If we beat them, we’d get first billing on ESPN.”
BEAR FACTS: Baylor coach Art Briles believes at least five true freshmen could see playing time against Wake Forest including quarterback Robert Griffin, receivers Kendall Wright and Romie Blaylock, defensive back Trentson Hill and kicker Ben Parks.
Parks, a Class 3A all-state kicker at Argyle, won the kicking battle over sophomore Shea Brewster .
“I’m pretty pumped,” Parks said. “I don’t know if it was nerves, but I struggled for a while. But as I got more comfortable with my holder and deep snapper, I didn’t miss a kick for four or five days.”
jwerner@wacotrib.com
Tribune-Herald staff writer
With Thursday night’s season opener against No. 23 Wake Forest approaching fast, Baylor coach Art Briles has finally decided on his starting quarterback.
He’s just not telling anybody.
The three quarterbacks — Robert Griffin, Kirby Freeman and Blake Szymanski — said at Tuesday’s press luncheon that they don’t even know who’ll start in the 7 p.m. nationally televised opener on FSN at Floyd Casey Stadium.
“In all honesty, it’s been decided, but it just hasn’t been announced,” Briles said. “Who takes the first three snaps isn’t going to determine who will win the football game for us. I certainly anticipate using more than one quarterback.”
Griffin said Briles has told him that he’ll play, but hasn’t told him whether he’ll start. All three quarterbacks are as anxious as anybody to find out who the No. 1 guy is going to be.
“You just can’t worry about it,” said Griffin, a freshman from Copperas Cove. “We would have liked to have known in the spring, but I think it’s made us all compete harder.”
“It’s not just three guys wondering, it’s a lot of people wondering,” said Freeman, a fifth-year senior. “But whoever is called to start, it’s not like the other two guys are going to be on another team. We’re going to need each other throughout the year. This season is going to be a long haul.”
Battling Tyler Beatty for the starting job last year, Szymanski learned from former Baylor coach Guy Morriss that he would start just before kickoff. No one would be surprised if a similar scenario happens again.
“We’ll know at about kickoff,” Szymanski said. “This isn’t my first rodeo.”
During his five-year stint as head coach of the Houston Cougars, Briles said he took his starting quarterback decision down to the wire several times.
“I don’t know if it’s an advantage or disadvantage,” Briles said. “Every situation is different. What we’re trying to do is what is best for us. I’ve been able to work three of these guys without having to panic. We’ve had all these practices and all this time for them to get reps. It’s been a pretty workable situation for the past month.”
After opening preseason practice on Aug. 1, Briles believes his team will be ready for the season opener. The Bears have managed to stay healthy during drills and have progressed a great deal in all areas.
“We’re excited and anxious for this journey to begin,” Briles said. “The players have been extremely loyal and dedicated for the past nine months. We’ve been able to keep them fresh throughout fall camp. I’m anxious to get on the field with them and turn them loose.”
No matter who starts at quarterback, the Bears realize they’ve got a unique opportunity to get the Briles era off to a riveting start. An upset of the Demon Deacons would be Baylor’s first win over a top 25 team since a 35-34 overtime win over No. 16 Texas A&M on Oct. 30, 2004.
“A win over Wake Forest would be huge,” Baylor safety Jordan Lake said. “To beat a ranked team on national TV would prove this program is back on the rise. If we beat them, we’d get first billing on ESPN.”
BEAR FACTS: Baylor coach Art Briles believes at least five true freshmen could see playing time against Wake Forest including quarterback Robert Griffin, receivers Kendall Wright and Romie Blaylock, defensive back Trentson Hill and kicker Ben Parks.
Parks, a Class 3A all-state kicker at Argyle, won the kicking battle over sophomore Shea Brewster .
“I’m pretty pumped,” Parks said. “I don’t know if it was nerves, but I struggled for a while. But as I got more comfortable with my holder and deep snapper, I didn’t miss a kick for four or five days.”
jwerner@wacotrib.com