By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Baylor picked up its first win of October and stopped a mini two-game losing streak with a 35-23 Homecoming win over Kansas Saturday at McLane Stadium.
The Bears are now 4-3, 2-2 to begin the second half of the season.
It was a tale of two halves. The Bears took advantage of great field position in the first quarter to build a quick 14-0 lead and eventually 28-3 at the half. But struggles ensued and the Bears needed a touchdown late to put it away.
Baylor finishes October with a 6:30 p.m. kickoff on Saturday at AT&T Jones Stadium in Lubbock to play Texas Tech. It’s the first meeting against former Associate Head Coach Joey McGuire who left last November to take that job.
SicEmSports provides reflections, observations and three Golden Bears from this one.
Upon Reflection
If you didn’t know anything about this game except the final score, you probably would have walked away with shrugging your shoulders thinking that was the outcome you were expecting.
How we got there was another story. The context of this double-digit win and 13th consecutive against the Jayhawks reveals that while we know this team has talent, it has the uncanny ability to turn it on and turn it off.
We saw that at West Virginia as well as at Iowa State. This is what erratic teams do. They can’t string the consistency and level of play together for four quarters.
The first half could not have gone any better. Baylor jumps quickly to 14-0 and looks in total control with four score lead at the half including a brilliantly schemed 99-yard scoring drive.
Then it went poof in the second half. Until the game-sealing 69-yard scoring drive, the Bears had 118 total yards and committed two turnovers.
This is a hard game to play. Winning is even harder.
I said after West Virginia that the time to say, “Well, let’s wait until Baylor has completed this game or this sequence to know what we really have’’ is over.
This is the 2022 Baylor football team: Pretty good offense but can be hot and cold. Freshman running back Richard Reese is a great find. Defensive line can’t rush the quarterback. Secondary has issues. Punter and kicker are dependable.
I still believe the ceiling for this team is 8-4. However, you have to presume the clean up a lot of things. Plus, this team is about to head into the teeth of the Big 12 schedule.
The Wind
Let’s not kid ourselves, throwing the football for both Blake Shapen and Kansas’ Jason Bean against a 20-30 mph south wind is no fun. It changes the play calling quite a bit. Vertical shots are not an option. There has to be more high percentage, low trajectory throws until you switch sides. I’ll give Shapen a little benefit of the doubt in some of those situations. Shapen averaged 6.3 yards per attempt. That’s not all bad considering the elements.
Look at Kansas’ first punt that giftwrapped Baylor’s first score.
Drops
I know Ben Sims is still smarting after the gimme touchdown he dropped in the end zone right before the end of the first half. It happens to the best of them. Baylor had a golden opportunity to put this beyond out of reach following the Devin Lemear fumble return that set up the Bears at the Jayhawk 14.
What makes it more frustrating is that Shapen gets picked on the next play. Still I thought the Jeff Grimes message to Sims was perfect: how are you going to respond?
Go back to Gavin Holmes against Oklahoma State and what he did at West Virginia. It’s football. You gotta still keep playing.
Turnover issue
We have a problem, here, folks. A real problem. And its mostly coming from the quarterback. I tweeted out something late Saturday afternoon that Baylor had committed six turnovers in the last two games.
Well, mix in Oklahoma State and it’s eight in the last three. Shapen is responsible for six of them, four interceptions and two lost fumbles. Opponents have scored 24 points off of them. That’s not horrible. It’s not great either.
Kansas scored seven. West Virginia 14. Oklahoma State 3.
There’s no way to excuse any of them or say this receiver should have been here when the ball was traveling there. The bottom line, it all counts.
This is what Dave Aranda said, ‘’I think there’s also decision-making improvement. Both of those are kind of combining for the turnovers that we’re seeing. I think a week ago, out of the pocket, I’m no longer a thrower, I’m a runner, he’s got to secure the football. This one, I’m trying to decide, am I still a thrower, am I turning into a runner, those decisions being quicker. There’s a pause and a hold and wait, and the ball comes out.”
Baylor is -3 in the turnover ratio this season.
Notables
>Can’t say enough about the emergence of Richard Reese with a career and breakout day. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know what this running game looks like. But that’s why you have depth.
>Another good day with the flags (3-30). For all of the frustrations that Baylor has dealt with during this season, beating itself here isn’t one of them.
>Baylor held Kansas to 56 net rushing yards. That’s what partly led to this win because the Jayhawks are pretty solid running football team. Still, they like to establish the run and really couldn’t afford to do that in the second half trailing, 28-3. They could mix it to try and keep Baylor off balanced.
>We saw the oddity of two 90-plus scoring drives. The Bears going 99. Kansas going 95. It’s an all-or-nothing feeling. Feeling pretty pumped up when your team doesn’t. Feeling frustrated when your team surrenders it.
Golden Bears
The yearly tradition returns. No matter the outcome, we select the three who had the most impact on the Bears’ performance. The following are from Baylor’s 35-23 victory over Kansas.
Richard Reese, RB, Fr.: When we saw him in the opener against Albany, there was “Ya know…” kind of thought. Then he has just kept delivering week after week. A banner performance from the best offensive player on the field Saturday.
Notable – Rushing: 31-186, Receiving: 2-26
Devin Lemear, S, RFR – The talent from Manor is putting together a pretty strong season. He will lay the wood. His stat line won’t show it. However, Lemear can impact a game because he can influence where the ball goes out of the QB hands. Nifty return on the fumble.
Notable – 2 solo tackles, 1 TFL, FR 18 yards
Qualan Jones, RB, Jr. – It stands to reason that when Baylor rushes collectively for 273 yards and averages 4.8 yards per carry, there needs to be a Robin to Batman. Jones was that to Reese. He actually averaged more yards per carry (7.9) than Reese (6.0). And each of those numbers are exceptional.
Notable – Rushing: 9-71, Receiving: 2-3
Publisher
Baylor picked up its first win of October and stopped a mini two-game losing streak with a 35-23 Homecoming win over Kansas Saturday at McLane Stadium.
The Bears are now 4-3, 2-2 to begin the second half of the season.
It was a tale of two halves. The Bears took advantage of great field position in the first quarter to build a quick 14-0 lead and eventually 28-3 at the half. But struggles ensued and the Bears needed a touchdown late to put it away.
Baylor finishes October with a 6:30 p.m. kickoff on Saturday at AT&T Jones Stadium in Lubbock to play Texas Tech. It’s the first meeting against former Associate Head Coach Joey McGuire who left last November to take that job.
SicEmSports provides reflections, observations and three Golden Bears from this one.
Upon Reflection
If you didn’t know anything about this game except the final score, you probably would have walked away with shrugging your shoulders thinking that was the outcome you were expecting.
How we got there was another story. The context of this double-digit win and 13th consecutive against the Jayhawks reveals that while we know this team has talent, it has the uncanny ability to turn it on and turn it off.
We saw that at West Virginia as well as at Iowa State. This is what erratic teams do. They can’t string the consistency and level of play together for four quarters.
The first half could not have gone any better. Baylor jumps quickly to 14-0 and looks in total control with four score lead at the half including a brilliantly schemed 99-yard scoring drive.
Then it went poof in the second half. Until the game-sealing 69-yard scoring drive, the Bears had 118 total yards and committed two turnovers.
This is a hard game to play. Winning is even harder.
I said after West Virginia that the time to say, “Well, let’s wait until Baylor has completed this game or this sequence to know what we really have’’ is over.
This is the 2022 Baylor football team: Pretty good offense but can be hot and cold. Freshman running back Richard Reese is a great find. Defensive line can’t rush the quarterback. Secondary has issues. Punter and kicker are dependable.
I still believe the ceiling for this team is 8-4. However, you have to presume the clean up a lot of things. Plus, this team is about to head into the teeth of the Big 12 schedule.
The Wind
Let’s not kid ourselves, throwing the football for both Blake Shapen and Kansas’ Jason Bean against a 20-30 mph south wind is no fun. It changes the play calling quite a bit. Vertical shots are not an option. There has to be more high percentage, low trajectory throws until you switch sides. I’ll give Shapen a little benefit of the doubt in some of those situations. Shapen averaged 6.3 yards per attempt. That’s not all bad considering the elements.
Look at Kansas’ first punt that giftwrapped Baylor’s first score.
Drops
I know Ben Sims is still smarting after the gimme touchdown he dropped in the end zone right before the end of the first half. It happens to the best of them. Baylor had a golden opportunity to put this beyond out of reach following the Devin Lemear fumble return that set up the Bears at the Jayhawk 14.
What makes it more frustrating is that Shapen gets picked on the next play. Still I thought the Jeff Grimes message to Sims was perfect: how are you going to respond?
Go back to Gavin Holmes against Oklahoma State and what he did at West Virginia. It’s football. You gotta still keep playing.
Turnover issue
We have a problem, here, folks. A real problem. And its mostly coming from the quarterback. I tweeted out something late Saturday afternoon that Baylor had committed six turnovers in the last two games.
Well, mix in Oklahoma State and it’s eight in the last three. Shapen is responsible for six of them, four interceptions and two lost fumbles. Opponents have scored 24 points off of them. That’s not horrible. It’s not great either.
Kansas scored seven. West Virginia 14. Oklahoma State 3.
There’s no way to excuse any of them or say this receiver should have been here when the ball was traveling there. The bottom line, it all counts.
This is what Dave Aranda said, ‘’I think there’s also decision-making improvement. Both of those are kind of combining for the turnovers that we’re seeing. I think a week ago, out of the pocket, I’m no longer a thrower, I’m a runner, he’s got to secure the football. This one, I’m trying to decide, am I still a thrower, am I turning into a runner, those decisions being quicker. There’s a pause and a hold and wait, and the ball comes out.”
Baylor is -3 in the turnover ratio this season.
Notables
>Can’t say enough about the emergence of Richard Reese with a career and breakout day. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know what this running game looks like. But that’s why you have depth.
>Another good day with the flags (3-30). For all of the frustrations that Baylor has dealt with during this season, beating itself here isn’t one of them.
>Baylor held Kansas to 56 net rushing yards. That’s what partly led to this win because the Jayhawks are pretty solid running football team. Still, they like to establish the run and really couldn’t afford to do that in the second half trailing, 28-3. They could mix it to try and keep Baylor off balanced.
>We saw the oddity of two 90-plus scoring drives. The Bears going 99. Kansas going 95. It’s an all-or-nothing feeling. Feeling pretty pumped up when your team doesn’t. Feeling frustrated when your team surrenders it.
Golden Bears
The yearly tradition returns. No matter the outcome, we select the three who had the most impact on the Bears’ performance. The following are from Baylor’s 35-23 victory over Kansas.
Richard Reese, RB, Fr.: When we saw him in the opener against Albany, there was “Ya know…” kind of thought. Then he has just kept delivering week after week. A banner performance from the best offensive player on the field Saturday.
Notable – Rushing: 31-186, Receiving: 2-26
Devin Lemear, S, RFR – The talent from Manor is putting together a pretty strong season. He will lay the wood. His stat line won’t show it. However, Lemear can impact a game because he can influence where the ball goes out of the QB hands. Nifty return on the fumble.
Notable – 2 solo tackles, 1 TFL, FR 18 yards
Qualan Jones, RB, Jr. – It stands to reason that when Baylor rushes collectively for 273 yards and averages 4.8 yards per carry, there needs to be a Robin to Batman. Jones was that to Reese. He actually averaged more yards per carry (7.9) than Reese (6.0). And each of those numbers are exceptional.
Notable – Rushing: 9-71, Receiving: 2-3
