Baylor football: 3 reasons the Bears will upset No. 12 Utah in Week 2

Dave Aranda’s fourth season didn’t get off to a bang like he would have hoped as Baylor football dropped in shocking upset fashion to Texas State at home.

In the loss, Baylor also lost starting quarterback Blake Shapen to an injury that will keep him out an extended period of time, making way for former four-star prospect Sawyer Robertson. Will this hurt the Bears in Week 2 against the No. 12 team in the nation? Possibly, but Utah is also going through some quarterback question marks of its own.

Utah may be without Cam Rising for a second straight week which would put a damper on this game in a backup vs. backup duel.

But it may make the field more level. Here’s why I think the Bears pull off the upset.

3. Cam Rising and Brant Kuithe may both be out again

Cam Rising nor Brant Kuithe played in Week 1 which didn’t really matter because the Utes just suffocated Graham Mertz and Florida en route to a 24-11 win in Salt Lake City.

But this would be the first time that Bryson Barnes would start on the road in a hostile environment and he’d be without arguably the team’s best pass-catcher. That sounds like a recipe for disaster for a guy who was paraded as a hero a week ago for trouncing a mediocre Florida team that couldn’t score points.

I just don’t see Barnes going into Waco and beating a Baylor team that is already playing with a sense of urgency after a season-opening loss to Texas State.

And if Rising does play, he’s not going to be 100 percent. Defensive mastermind Dave Aranda will draw up the perfect game plan for each scenario.