Bears confident in third-string QB Johnson if he draws start at TCU

Published Nov. 23, 2015 4:16 p.m. ET

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Early into Chris Johnson's relief effort last Saturday at Oklahoma State, venerable FOX Sports announcer Gus Johnson said the Cowboys' defense was smelling blood in the water.

The reference was to an inexperienced signal-caller backed up in his own end of the field and the Oklahoma State defense ready to pounce and turn the tide in the football game.

Instead, Johnson dialed up the long ball for a Baylor touchdown. Then he did it again. Then he ran in another. In the end, it was the Bears' third-stringer who smelled the blood and attacked.

No. 10 Baylor handed No. 7 Oklahoma State its first loss and significantly damaged, if not out-and-out ruined, its chance at a berth in the College Football Playoff.

Now the sophomore Johnson could be pressed into starting Friday's critically important game at TCU. He replaced Jarrett Stidham, who injured his leg while also nursing a tender back, to start the second half.

Baylor coach Art Briles has declared Stidham questionable for Friday. If he cant play, Baylor (9-1, 6-1) will be putting its hopes for a Big 12 title three-peat in Johnson's hands.

"Just a lot of spirit, lot of energy," Briles told reporters Monday at his weekly press conference when asked what Johnson brings to the team. "Every intangible you could ever hope for, he's a tremendous young man with a tremendous heart. In the last couple weeks, he's been really sharp. We knew when Stidham got hurt, he had to be ready to go. We can dial up the same stuff because he's ready to go. That part's not surprising at all. He brings another element being a big guy who can run."

Briles didn't declare Johnson the starter if Stidham can't go, saying he's got a couple guys "we're thinking about."

"But we don't want to bring them up because we haven't talked to them yet," Briles said. "We have two guys that we feel could handle the job in that situation."

The official Baylor roster lists only one other player at quarterback besides Seth Russell (out for the season with a neck injury), Stidham and Johnson -- freshman Zack Bennema.