The intensity is set to ramp up again across the country with Rivalry Week in college football. While we can look forward to some intriguing matchups across the board, it’s also important to keep in mind some key quarterback injuries that could have a major impact on the results. Here is a look at four key quarterback injuries heading in to Rivalry Week in college football.
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma barely survived a close call with TCU as a failed last-minute two-point conversion helped them hold on for a 30-29 win over their Big 12 rival last Saturday night. The Sooners secured their sixth straight win and will have the opportunity to clinch a Big 12 Championship with a win over rival Oklahoma State this weekend…but what is Baker Mayfield’s status? It will be interesting to see how star quarterback Baker Mayfield responds after he was shaken up early in the second quarter of the win over the Horned Frogs after receiving a helmet-to-helmet hit. Mayfield passed concussion tests and there is every indication he will play on Saturday. However, how healthy will he be? Keep a close eye on him to see if the big hit has an impact on his performance with the Big 12 title on the line.
Jarrett Stidham, Baylor Bears
Baylor managed to bounce back from a tough home loss to Oklahoma with a victory at Oklahoma State but they will be down to their third-string quarterback when they visit TCU this week after their freshman quarterback Stidham suffered a broken bone in his ankle against the Cowboys. Stidham struggled a bit in the loss to the Sooners but he had been pretty good for the most part. Art Briles had talked him up as one of his top prospects he had ever seen at the position and now they have to move on without him. Now the Bears turn to their third-string passer in sophomore Chris Johnson. Johnson completed five-of-10 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns with an interception when he took over for Stidham against Oklahoma State and he will be in tough at TCU this weekend.
Trevone Boykin, TCU Horned Frogs
Fortunately for Baylor, the Horned Frogs might also be without their star quarterback as senior Trevone Boykin will not start against the Bears and is reportedly unlikely to play because of an ankle injury. Boykin has thrown for 3,427 yards with 29 touchdowns and an additional 596 rushing yards along with eight rushing scores. He was a Heisman Trophy candidate and the drop off after him was noticeable in last week’s loss to the Sooners. Bram Kohlhausen and Foster Sawyer will both see time once again this week if Boykin is in fact out and that’s probably not a good thing. They played well in a combined effort that nearly saw TCU upend Oklahoma but there’s no question that coach Gary Patterson would rather have Boykin back in the lineup. He has been able to practice in limited fashion this week.
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Connor Cook, Michigan State Spartans
The Spartans are coming off their biggest win in a very long time after ending Ohio State’s undefeated season with a stunning 17-14 win at Columbus. They pulled it off without their star quarterback, Connor Cook, and the question is whether they’ll get him back for this week. Cook missed the showdown with the Buckeyes because of an injured shoulder and junior Tyler O’Connor completed seven-of-12 pass attempts for 133 yards and two touchdowns with an interception in his place. It was a very conservative game plan for Michigan State. They could still beat the Nittany Lions even without Cook but they will want him back under center if he is good to go. After the Buckeyes game, Cook said he was having some pain in his right shoulder, so that’s the concern. Otherwise it will be up to O’Connor and Damion Terry once again.
