The image of DJ Lagway being carried into the locker room by his Baylor teammates at halftime against Auburn was the first clear sign something was wrong. By Monday, the picture was sharper: the quarterback is not expected to play in Saturday's home game against Prairie View A&M, with multiple reports confirming the ankle injury will keep him sidelined.
The injury happened in Baylor's 17-16 loss to Auburn last week. Lagway was visibly hobbling at the end of the first half and needed help getting off the field. He returned for the second half with a heavily taped right ankle and somehow finished the game, throwing for 333 yards and two touchdowns on 27-of-54 passing. His 50 percent completion rate was a direct cost of the limited mobility, but he still nearly dragged the Bears to a win. The game ended when Baylor's two-point conversion attempt was stopped inches short of the goal line.
Coach Dave Aranda addressed the situation at halftime, before the full extent of the injury was known. "He's fighting through it. I think some of the running that we had going into the game, we're trying to find where the game plan goes," Aranda said. "Throwing-wise, he's stepping into throws, and he's battling through. The guys are seeing him battle through, and they want to achieve for him."
With Lagway out, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that Nate Bennett will get the start against the FCS Panthers in Waco. It will be the junior's first collegiate start. Bennett, a 3-star recruit out of Westlake Village, California, was ranked the No. 101 quarterback in the 2004 recruiting class by 247Sports. He spent last season as Sawyer Robertson's backup and completed five passes for 34 yards against Samford.
Aranda expressed confidence in the quarterbacks behind Lagway during his Monday news conference. "I feel really good about Nate and (third stringer Ed Griffin)," Aranda said. "We've got guys who have been here, have been invested and know the offense. Each has particular skill sets. We can tweak things, and the offense can go in a different direction to best utilize their talents. That room is special, so we'll see."
Lagway arrived at Baylor as a highly touted transfer from Florida, and the Auburn game showed why. Even on one ankle, he put up the kind of numbers that made him a prized pickup. The question now is how long the recovery takes. Baylor has not issued a formal timeline for his return, and the reports of his absence for the Prairie View game remain unconfirmed by the program itself.
The Bears are a 38.5-point favorite against the Panthers, a spread that suggests the coaching staff expects the offense to function fine without their starter. But the gap between Lagway and Bennett is real, and Aranda's comments about tweaking the offense to fit different skill sets hint at a game plan built around the backup's strengths rather than a straight swap.
Bennett has been in the system long enough to know it cold. He was Robertson's backup last year, which means he has spent a full season watching and preparing as the No. 2. The Samford appearance gave him live reps, though not much else. Saturday will be his first real test, against an FCS opponent that should allow him to settle in without the pressure of a ranked matchup.
For Lagway, the timeline matters beyond this week. Baylor's schedule does not get easier after Prairie View, and a quarterback with a compromised ankle is a risk every snap. The fact that he played through it against Auburn says something about his toughness. The fact that he is now expected to sit says something about the severity.
Aranda's halftime comments were careful, almost diplomatic. He talked about Lagway stepping into throws and battling through, but he also left room for the possibility that the injury was worse than it looked. The reports this week confirmed that suspicion. The Bears will roll with Bennett on Saturday, and Lagway will watch from the sideline, the same way he watched the end of the Auburn game from the locker room floor.
According to Yahoo Sports.
