Baylor offense not missing a beat without Bryce Petty

By Ethan Finkelstein | Mar 22, 2015

Jan 1, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Baylor Bears quarterback Bryce Petty (14) passes against the Michigan State Spartans in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium. The Spartans defeated the Bears 42-41. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Baylor redshirt junior quarterback Seth Russell looked sharp in the team’s scrimmage on Friday night, throwing for 345 yards and four touchdowns.

The 2015 NCAA Football season is still a few months away. However, it is never too early to start talking about teams that will contend in the coming year. This brings us to Baylor, who finished 2014 11-2 on the season with the no. 7 and no.8 rankings in the final Associated Press and Coaches polls.

They will attempt to make the leap forward next season, from first school left out of the College Football Playoff to one of its four selections. The team, however, will have to do it with another quarterback under center, as two year senior starter Bryce Petty has graduated and moved on to the NFL. If Friday night’s scrimmage is an indication of anything though, Baylor is in capable hands moving forward.

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The team held a scrimmage on Friday night in front of an attendance of 5,610. Those who packed McLane Stadium witnessed the high powered Bears offense put up more than 600 yards and five scores. The star of the night appeared to be Seth Russell, who threw for 345 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception on 18-27 passing.

Russell will be a redshirt junior in 2015. He will also have the designation as Baylor’s heir apparent at the quarterback helm. Russell, who has had limited playing time in his first two years of on field action, has made the most of his exposure thus far.

In 2014, he was 48-85 on his throws, accounting for 804 yards, 8 touchdowns, 1 interception, and a passer rating of 164.6. While his completion percentage, which stood at just 56.5, is a point of concern, it is something that can be addressed full time heading into the 2015 campaign.

Russell will inherit a team that finished the previous year first in the nation in scoring, with 48.2 points per game. The high volume offense was accentuated with the country’s fourth best passing attack (365.9 ypg), complimented by the 29th ranked ground game (215.5).

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