Aug. 16, 2007
With a little over two weeks remaining before the Baylor football team opens its 2007 season at 22nd-ranked TCU, sophomore Blake Szymanski and redshirt freshman Tyler Beatty are battling to earn the Bears' starting job at quarterback, offensive coordinator Lee Hays announced following Thursday's two-hour workout on the grass practice fields at Floyd Casey Stadium.
"We are at the point where we have to make a decision and that's the tough part of being a coach," said Hays. "Tyler (Beatty) has stepped up and done some great things. He's playing just as good as anyone else out here and he's a (redshirt) freshman. He hasn't had the reps that some of the other guys have had and for him to be going even par with the other guys, then I have to go with Tyler.
"Right now it (the starting job) is between Tyler and Blake (Szymanski)," he added. "We are not going to count Blake out just because of an injury. He's still been attentive and been out there throwing 7-on-7. He knows the system and has done some good things (this fall).
Beatty entered fall camp fifth on the Bears' depth chart at quarterback after sitting out his true freshman season as a redshirt in 2006, while Szymanski emerged from spring ball third on the list behind senior Kent State transfer Michael Machen and John David Weed, a transfer from Tyler (Texas) Junior College.
"The advantage we have right now is that Blake can't take the live team reps, so we can get Michael (Machen) in there and see if the light comes on," Hays said. "At the time Blake comes back, if there is no improvement, then it will be Blake and Tyler all the way."
For the second time in three days, the Bears practiced twice, working out at 9:30 a.m. in full pads and then returning for a practice in shells at 6 p.m.
"It was good (work) today," said Baylor head coach Guy Morriss. "We introduced some two-minute (offense) tonight, heat them up and put a lot of pressure on them. There were some good things, but we had some drops and bad decisions by quarterbacks. But, we'll get better at it the more we do it obviously. The defense is coming at us, which is OK, because we have to handle that kind of stuff."
Notes: Junior WR Thomas White (sore quad), sophomore QB Blake Szymanski (ankle sprain), senior DE Geoff Nelson (left ankle sprain), sophomore OT Thad Boatner (right knee strain), freshman linebacker Chris Francis (left knee strain) sophomore WR David Gettis (hamstring) and DE Jameon Hardeman (sprained ankle), all missed both practices Thursday ... Baylor's annual Meet the Bears Day is scheduled for Aug. 18 at 4 p.m. inside Floyd Casey Stadium ... The Bears have two practice sessions remaining before an off day Sunday and the start of classes next Monday on the Baylor campus.
