Briles doesn't expect injured QB Stidham to be ready for bowl game

By foxsports
Published

Hope that freshman quarterback Jarrett Stidham would be ready to play in the Russell Athletic Bowl appears to have faded. Third-string quarterback Chris Johnson is expedcted to start for No. 17 Baylor when it faces No. 10 North Carolina on Dec. 29 in Orlando.

"It doesn't look like he's going to be ready," Baylor coach Art Briles told the Orlando Sentinel.

Stidham, who replaced injured starter Seth Russell in late October, was hurt on Nov. 21 against Oklahoma State. After the regular season, Briles provided some hope that Stidham could recover from foot and hand injuries in time to start the bowl game. 

Johnson, who moved to wide receiver after Stidham won the backup job, led Baylor past Oklahoma State, but lost the next week at TCU in overtime. He was knocked out early with a concussion in the regular-season finale loss against Texas. 

Converted wide receiver Lynx Hawthorne replaced Johnson, and would seemingly be the Bears' backup against the Tar Heels, who are coming off a close loss to No. 1 Clemson in the ACC championship game.