Quarterback Bryce Petty will be starting in an NFL stadium for the first time this Saturday when Baylor faces Texas Tech on the Dallas Cowboys' home field in Arlington, Texas, but it likely won't be the last time.
Petty seems set to join the impressive roster of Texas high school signal-callers starting on Sundays sooner than later, especially after his stellar performance in the Bears' 41-12 win over Oklahoma, during which he threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more.
It was Petty's mobility that stood out against the Sooners, carrying the ball 13 times for 56 yards, not accounting for yardage lost to sacks. Both totals were career-highs, opening up other aspects of the offense as the game went along.
The redshirt junior's passing tally was merely adequate by his own prodigious standards -- 13 of 26 for 204 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions -- but he still made a handful of standout throws, including a 24-yard touchdown to Antwan Goodley just before halftime.
Petty has now thrown for 2,657 yards and 21 touchdowns against one interception, along with another eight rushing touchdowns.
Even with that production and a great frame (6-foot-3, 230 pounds), there might be skepticism from scouts given the extremely favorable matchups the Baylor spread offense creates. One season after Robert Griffin III won the Heisman Trophy, the unheralded Nick Florence finished second in the nation in total offense and third in passing yards per game. And Petty is on pace to merely match Florence, though that would not be the case if head coach Art Briles had kept his first-year starter in longer during early-seasonblowouts.
So is it the scheme or the player directing it?
The final four games of the regular season, including Big 12 title-determining tilts against Oklahoma State and Texas, should provide the answer.
Petty doesn't seem to have much interest in that question for the moment, instead relishing the opportunity to play in football's most opulent palace.
"To us that's where the pro guys play," Petty said. "That's where a lot of people want to play and see their selves ending up. To be in that stadium, knowing that that's where the greats play, it's a big deal for a lot of us."
Follow Dan Greenspan on Twitter @DanGreenspan.
