Head coach Dave Aranda provided several injury updates on key players in his Monday press conference, stating that “my hope is that this is the healthiest we’ve been since the beginning of the year.”
With Samford, a winless FCS opponent, coming to Waco this weekend, the Bears will more than likely play it safe with the injured players, but whether that means playing a handful of snaps or not playing at all is yet to be determined.
Tight end Michael Trigg (RSr.) and center Coleton Price (RJr.) both left Saturday’s contest against No. 17 SMU, with Trigg (47 snaps) injuring his shoulder and Price (60 snaps) injuring his leg. Neither of which is expected to be a major issue moving forward, according to SicEm365’s Colt Barber.
“He’s still kind of working through it,” Aranda said of Trigg. “Today was pretty light, but he was out there. We’re hoping we can get him back.”
Meanwhile, Baylor’s defensive line depth is razor-thin at the moment as Jackie Marshall (RSr.) is working his way back from a high-ankle sprain and both transfer nose tackles, Adonis Friloux (RSr.) and Samu Taumanupepe (RSo.), continue to get fully up to speed.
Marshall played six snaps, Friloux played 41 snaps and Taumanupepe played 10 snaps against the Mustangs.
“He’s doing better,” Aranda said of Marshall. “He was kind of struggling to get his footing and all of that. A lot of the things he was going through, feeling like he could get it done, and then you really don’t know until you know, but he was feeling great today.”
To make matters worse, DK Kalu (RSo.) left the SMU game in the first quarter with an injury, but he was able to walk off the field on his own power.
“DK might be a little bit further off than Coleton [Price], but I think there’s an opportunity for both,” Aranda said.
For much of the afternoon, Aranda was forced to use PESO packages where the Bears played two defensive linemen and two outside linebackers, mostly Emar’rion Winston (RJr.) and Matthew Fobbs-White (Jr.), on the edges.
Defensive lineman Devonte Tezino (RJr.) also missed parts of fall camp with an apparent foot or ankle injury and was listed as questionable ahead of the season-opener versus Auburn. Tezino has played 69 snaps across the first two games, but could also potentially use this week to get back to full strength.
Safety Carl Williams IV (Jr.), who’s been working his way back from a meniscus injury, made his season debut against the Mustangs, but played just five snaps, one of which was a 75-yard touchdown on a busted coverage. Cornerback Caden Jenkins (Jr.) didn’t make the trip to Dallas and was listed on the injury report as “not on travel roster.”
Aranda provided an update on both, saying, “Right now, both of those guys are day-to-day. We had Caden out with us this morning, and Carl was out there too.”
With the Bears set to open conference play on Sept. 20 against the reigning Big 12 Champion Arizona State Sun Devils (1-1), this weekend's game against Samford (0-2) is an opportunity to rest key players and get closer to full strength for conference play.
