By KEVIN LONNQUIST
Publisher
So Game No. 1 for 2015 has finished. When it comes to openers, the knee jerk reactions can be a bit over the top. It could be that we’ve been through such football withdrawal you want to talk about anything and everything at a million miles an hour. That’s OK. The game is back. You’ve missed it. Now, the observations from Baylor 56, SMU 21.
>Too many times fans focus so much on their team’s shortcomings and expect…well, I don’t know…perfect execution from opening kick to final whistle…that if there isn’t perfect execution then this is wrong, this won’t work and so it goes. Sometimes, you don’t want to acknowledge there’s another team out there who wants to win the game too regardless of how overmatched it was. That’s what we had at SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Given the suspensions to DE Shawn Oakman and safety Orion Stewart, Baylor did not come off as a team that unnerved by anything. The Bears just showed up and played.
>That said, give the Mustangs some credit. They wanted to play hard for their new coach Chad Morris and they did. They weren’t intimidated. They made some plays. Their WR Courtland Sutton appears to be a pretty dynamic. And keep in mind that Matt Davis originally signed with Texas A&M. So he’s a talent. Alas, what happened happened. Baylor has too much speed, athleticism and proved it in the second half. That’s what the better team does.
>Now how do you pick apart a game where the No. 4 team won with eight touchdowns and 723 yards of total offense. Well, that goes back to the opponent and trying to substitute for how it would look in Big 12 play. Probably an odd way to compare but that’s what this space is for, right?
>I can already tell that Kendal Briles is going to drive me crazy with the way he calls a game. We only had the Cotton Bowl to work with and that was a learning experience. But when Art Briles said his son was going to be more aggressive than what they were with Philip Montgomery, I really wasn’t sure how that would look. Well, I guess we know. Many of you know I’m someone who believes that running the football needs to remain the centerpiece of what this offense does. I’m not going to apologize for that. That’s what I believe, and I’m taking it to my grave. But when you have 30 plays in the first half and only 12 are with a here-and-there rushing attack and you’re quarterback reeling going into halftime at 1-5 with an interception, let it do the work. I just thought it was disjointed in the first half. Jake Shaw (LuxemBear) and I had this argument at the Cotton Bowl and we had it again Friday night on twitter. While SMU is putting seven in the box, you’re telling me that you take what the defense gives you. Well, that’s fine but then tells me that Baylor is conceding because its offensive line – led by an All America left tackle – can’t impose its will. Really? Then maybe I’m missing something. But I don’t think so. Football is a physical game. Baylor lost to Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl because it couldn’t establish anything with its run, Michigan State never respected it and the Bears didn’t grind out the clock. They wound up paying for it. Now, when they got control of SMU, they used the running attack to put this thing away. Let’s see how this looks when Baylor needs to be physical on the road in Manhattan, KS, Stillwater, OK or Fort Worth.
>Seth Russell: For a first game, I thought it went pretty darn well. Like I’ve said, I think his deep ball is not going to be an issue. There were some good intermediate balls and others that weren’t. Catch and runs on slants and out routes are a great ball in this offense. Still more work to do there. But Russell wasn’t too bad. And the good thing is that he rallied from the poor finish to the first half with an excellent second half. Drops or no drops, they all count. Russell just can’t be 50 percent (15-30-1 376 5TD). That percentage needs to be in the mid-60s. His running dynamic is a great tool.
>Corey Coleman and K.D. Cannon will be the best WR pair in college football because there’s nobody who can run like them and if you let them get to the edge on you (like SMU did), it’s church. Coleman had a tough drop but sometimes that happens. Despite his drop, I think Jay Lee should feel really good about himself and where he is going.
>You can get upset with Phil Bennett all you want. But the next time he plays a zone defense, it will be the first time. Look Bennett is just cut from a cloth where he likes to be aggressive and hard charging. SMU burned Baylor a couple of times. However, this is the reality that’s been associated with him ever since he arrived. Opposing teams are just going to make big plays in the passing game against Baylor.
>X Rays will be performed on LB Taylor Young (collarbone) who left the game. That’s not good. If it’s serious, Baylor has a problem there. Nothing against Aiavion Edwards. But there’s a reason why Young is the starter. Even if it’s not too serious, I think Baylor would be wise to hold him out for Saturday against Lamar just because it isn’t necessary to use. He would have three weeks before Rice on Sept. 26.
>Three defensive things I noticed: Grant Campbell seems pretty OK with where he is taking over for Bryce Hager. He led the team with 11 tackle and had a big sack of Matt Davis that ended SMU’s goal line threat at the end of the first half. Jamal Palmer also had a good bounce back. Not too bad for Taion Sells at safety for Orion Stewart. He had one of the two interceptions.
>Finally, if you’re Jarrett Stidham, you couldn’t ask for a better way to start your college career than with a 42-yard touchdown on your first attempt. That went to Chris Platt (Platt is going to replace Coleman as my favorite receiver with this team). This is exactly how you bring him into the college scene. I would think he could get the second half against Lamar should that game be over at the half.
>Time to enjoy this one for the weekend, watch some other college football over the weekend and get ready for home opener and some sail gating on Sept. 12.
Publisher
So Game No. 1 for 2015 has finished. When it comes to openers, the knee jerk reactions can be a bit over the top. It could be that we’ve been through such football withdrawal you want to talk about anything and everything at a million miles an hour. That’s OK. The game is back. You’ve missed it. Now, the observations from Baylor 56, SMU 21.
>Too many times fans focus so much on their team’s shortcomings and expect…well, I don’t know…perfect execution from opening kick to final whistle…that if there isn’t perfect execution then this is wrong, this won’t work and so it goes. Sometimes, you don’t want to acknowledge there’s another team out there who wants to win the game too regardless of how overmatched it was. That’s what we had at SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Given the suspensions to DE Shawn Oakman and safety Orion Stewart, Baylor did not come off as a team that unnerved by anything. The Bears just showed up and played.
>That said, give the Mustangs some credit. They wanted to play hard for their new coach Chad Morris and they did. They weren’t intimidated. They made some plays. Their WR Courtland Sutton appears to be a pretty dynamic. And keep in mind that Matt Davis originally signed with Texas A&M. So he’s a talent. Alas, what happened happened. Baylor has too much speed, athleticism and proved it in the second half. That’s what the better team does.
>Now how do you pick apart a game where the No. 4 team won with eight touchdowns and 723 yards of total offense. Well, that goes back to the opponent and trying to substitute for how it would look in Big 12 play. Probably an odd way to compare but that’s what this space is for, right?
>I can already tell that Kendal Briles is going to drive me crazy with the way he calls a game. We only had the Cotton Bowl to work with and that was a learning experience. But when Art Briles said his son was going to be more aggressive than what they were with Philip Montgomery, I really wasn’t sure how that would look. Well, I guess we know. Many of you know I’m someone who believes that running the football needs to remain the centerpiece of what this offense does. I’m not going to apologize for that. That’s what I believe, and I’m taking it to my grave. But when you have 30 plays in the first half and only 12 are with a here-and-there rushing attack and you’re quarterback reeling going into halftime at 1-5 with an interception, let it do the work. I just thought it was disjointed in the first half. Jake Shaw (LuxemBear) and I had this argument at the Cotton Bowl and we had it again Friday night on twitter. While SMU is putting seven in the box, you’re telling me that you take what the defense gives you. Well, that’s fine but then tells me that Baylor is conceding because its offensive line – led by an All America left tackle – can’t impose its will. Really? Then maybe I’m missing something. But I don’t think so. Football is a physical game. Baylor lost to Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl because it couldn’t establish anything with its run, Michigan State never respected it and the Bears didn’t grind out the clock. They wound up paying for it. Now, when they got control of SMU, they used the running attack to put this thing away. Let’s see how this looks when Baylor needs to be physical on the road in Manhattan, KS, Stillwater, OK or Fort Worth.
>Seth Russell: For a first game, I thought it went pretty darn well. Like I’ve said, I think his deep ball is not going to be an issue. There were some good intermediate balls and others that weren’t. Catch and runs on slants and out routes are a great ball in this offense. Still more work to do there. But Russell wasn’t too bad. And the good thing is that he rallied from the poor finish to the first half with an excellent second half. Drops or no drops, they all count. Russell just can’t be 50 percent (15-30-1 376 5TD). That percentage needs to be in the mid-60s. His running dynamic is a great tool.
>Corey Coleman and K.D. Cannon will be the best WR pair in college football because there’s nobody who can run like them and if you let them get to the edge on you (like SMU did), it’s church. Coleman had a tough drop but sometimes that happens. Despite his drop, I think Jay Lee should feel really good about himself and where he is going.
>You can get upset with Phil Bennett all you want. But the next time he plays a zone defense, it will be the first time. Look Bennett is just cut from a cloth where he likes to be aggressive and hard charging. SMU burned Baylor a couple of times. However, this is the reality that’s been associated with him ever since he arrived. Opposing teams are just going to make big plays in the passing game against Baylor.
>X Rays will be performed on LB Taylor Young (collarbone) who left the game. That’s not good. If it’s serious, Baylor has a problem there. Nothing against Aiavion Edwards. But there’s a reason why Young is the starter. Even if it’s not too serious, I think Baylor would be wise to hold him out for Saturday against Lamar just because it isn’t necessary to use. He would have three weeks before Rice on Sept. 26.
>Three defensive things I noticed: Grant Campbell seems pretty OK with where he is taking over for Bryce Hager. He led the team with 11 tackle and had a big sack of Matt Davis that ended SMU’s goal line threat at the end of the first half. Jamal Palmer also had a good bounce back. Not too bad for Taion Sells at safety for Orion Stewart. He had one of the two interceptions.
>Finally, if you’re Jarrett Stidham, you couldn’t ask for a better way to start your college career than with a 42-yard touchdown on your first attempt. That went to Chris Platt (Platt is going to replace Coleman as my favorite receiver with this team). This is exactly how you bring him into the college scene. I would think he could get the second half against Lamar should that game be over at the half.
>Time to enjoy this one for the weekend, watch some other college football over the weekend and get ready for home opener and some sail gating on Sept. 12.
