It's really impossible for me to watch this while I'm working the main walk of life. Will try to provide updates. If somebody IS watching, then please fill in.

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Bears placed six in double figures, shot 51 percent, 41 percent from the arc.

After a slow start, Keyonte George finished 13. Langston Love playing his first game in two years had 13 off the bench. Adam Flagler led with 21. LJ Cryer was 3-8 from 3 and finished with 16. In his debut Jalen Bridges had 13.

This was an exhibition that counted.

Home to Norfolk State on Friday.

Scott Drew
Playing the first game of the year, we wanted to start out the right way. I thought the Scream Game was outstanding. Everybody that put that together I can’t thank them enough. Our players really wanted to play well for all the future Bears out there hopefully. You score 117 points, I know people like scoring. Defensively, second half we weren’t as consistent as we were in the first half. A lot of positives, a lot of things to build on, a great way to start the season.

(Sharing the ball) Every coach in the country would take 27 assists and nine turnovers every day of the week, twice on Sunday. This group has been unselfish in practice sharing the ball. We got guys who are all capable scorers. I like how they play for us. One area that hasn’t been as good in scrimmages was the rebounding, and that’s what I was most excited to see today, just how we got better there. This week we obviously improved that area with 22-9 on offense, and 53-29 overall.

(Flagler) 8 to 1 assists-to-turnovers, 6 to 1 for Dale, 7 to 1 by Keyonte, you’re going to take that every day of the week. Adam’s done that in our scrimmages and practices. Both he and Dale have been outstanding taking care of the ball. Keyonte’s somebody that sees the floor really well, and is becoming more and more consistent with it as well.

(Slow start before started clicking) One thing about our team, we shot 34 3s, we shoot a lot of 3s. So when you shoot a lot of 3s, you can rack up points in a hurry and then you can go through a dry spell too. It’s kind of like the long ball in football. So the good thing is when we’re making them and taking the right ones, that’s why rebounding is so important because you’re not going to always make them. So you’ve got to do a great job on the glass, and if we continue to do that, good things will definitely happen for us.

(New guys blending in) Well today everybody who played did a good job, so the rotations were working today. I think one thing that is a little different with the transfer portal is you get older guys, more experienced guys, that have been in college programs. Sometimes when you bring in four or five freshmen, you might have three of them that are two years away from helping you win. They can play, but they can’t help you win. We’re blessed to have a roster full of guys that can help you win. So as competition improves, we’ll have to look and adjust and find out what we need to do better. But obviously you can play a lot of different guys. Hopefully, we won’t have injuries, but that’s why you’ve got to have depth when you do.

(Defense) Until they scored that five in a row, we were really good. I think it was around the eight-minute mark, six-minute mark, whenever it was. But before that, I thought we did a great job limiting them to one, the defense got better the more we played. A lot of nerves with basically half the team that had never put on the jersey. Even when you do scrimmages, it’s not the game, it’s not the fans. When you have family watching, it’s a hole ‘nother level. I couldn’t be more pleased with the start. I’m excited for the guys to get a day off and us to break down film. This weekend obviously the competition will get a little bit tougher.

(Keyonte all-around game) That’s something we were surprised in Canada with Keyonte, I mean he had two 30-plus games, but he really passed the ball well. You’re not going to make shots every night. The key is to take the right ones, and his shot selection has improved and will continue to improve. But his ability to get his teammates shots is something that’s tremendous. Seven assists and one turnover, that’s outstanding, and then the six rebounds are also outstanding.

(Put up 117 in the game where you guys kind of struggled a little bit really offensively to get shots to fall, what’s ceiling for this offense)

“Well, I think we definitely can score a lot of points. The question is when we’re not making shots, can we defend well enough and rebound well enough to win on those nights. So that’ll be something that we’ll keep working on and growing toward, because you don’t always make shots, and that’s why the best shooters make 40%. That means you’re missing six out of 10.”

(Offensive rebounding was one of the concerns coming in, you had more offensive rebounds than they had on the defensive end)

“That’s what I’m most pleased about. We spent a week really trying to get better in that area and we made great strides. Now we’ve got to be consistent with it. But to me, that was, for the game if you had said one stat you really want to look at, that was the one I was curious to see how it translated.”

(Josh and Flo good, seemed to be more of a team thing.).

“Yeah, and that’s what it is, it’s not going to be one guy. I think we have good rebounders, but collectively I think we have to be a great rebounding team collectively. Because when you switch on defense, you have a lot of people that sometimes your point guards are on their four man and everyone’s got to be able to help out and rebound.”

(Dale 14 points, 6 assists, how complete has his game become)

“I really think Canada helped him gain confidence. Probably the one area that he hadn’t shown what he had shown in practice is the consistent 3-ball. Today he was 3 for 4, he sot it well in practices, and that’s really the last step for him. When we recruited him, he was a 40% 3-point shooter, so last year he really improved and grew. But the shooting didn’t translate, and it did in practice. That’s what was frustrating like, he was really a good shooter in practice. But in the games, you know, I think it can become a little mental too. And I think he’s relaxed, the game’s slowed down. He’s tremendous defensively, really moves it well and that 6 to 1 assist to turnover, I mean that’s what he does. I mean that’s been his ratio, he’s been really good at taking care of the basketball.”

(Langston playing and being aggressive)

“Yeah, really excited to see that. Really excited to see how aggressive he was. And I mean, he hadn’t been back long and it’s been a process. The doctors have done a great job, Charlie and Dave had done a great job. And Langston’s really worked hard in the last month, completely different player. And I think in the next couple months, same thing, he’ll continue that upward, upward, upward swing.”

(What can you tell one point of emphasis to make in practice?)

“Yeah, I think, you know, credit the scream game because there’s some defenses we didn’t get into that we called, offenses we didn’t get into. And that’s where in an empty practice gym, it’s easier to hear everything, so communication there, those probably seven or eight plays that’s something we got to work on and make sure that we get all on the same page.”

(Grimes redshirt, do you guys approached him about and where did he put you about and how easy it is to get guys to agree to something like that).

“Yeah, that’s a great question. You know, we’ve had so much success with players redshirting and developing, from Davion, to Motley, to Ekpe Udho, to Corey Jefferson. I mean, it’s not just guys redshirting and playing, it’s guys redshirting and then leaving early. So it’s not like they’re e bad players. But the benefit to redshirting is basically you can tap out every day and not worry about keeping yourself fresh and ready to go in games, and in practice, it’s so easy, to it’s much easier to have that positive attitude not knowing, hey, the last two games I didn’t play as much as I wanted. So we present options to guys. We don’t make anybody redshirt, but it helps when you’ve got a track record of former players that it can talk from Macio to Davion, to Davon, to everyone that’s done it. And then we have four or five guys on our team, Adam’s redshirted that can all explain the benefits. And so it’s not easy not playing, but we’ll have a good support unit to help Dantwan and Dantwan’s been tremendous. Dantwan’s a really good player. He’s going to be a really good player for us. He might be our best on- ball defender in practice at times for sure, but God gave him an elite ability and burst in speed that you can’t teach. And I think if he continues to get used to the college game offensively, defensive rotations, he’s going to be someone that you guys are really going to like watching in the future”

Assuming that Reese is feeling better, is it back to the bench for Sqwirl or do they each get 15 carries?

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Each week, Big 12 coaches have their weekly meetings with the media at their press conferences during the college football season. Baylor head coach Dave Aranda’s comments have already been posted. Rankings are from the AP Poll. Here are some highlights elsewhere in the league. Quotes and notes are taken from those pressers if not specified elsewhere. All games are Saturday unless otherwise noted.

Chris Klieman, Kansas State (6-3, 4-2) – The No. 23 Wildcats play at Baylor: KSU surrendered too many explosive plays in the first half in their 34-27 loss to Texas. “You got to tackle better. That's the bottom line and you got to get a lot of hats on it. But everybody struggles to tackle that guy. I was pleased with the defense coming in and making some big-time strips downfield, not giving up on plays, they had a couple of explosive plays that we end up causing turnovers on so it's kind of give and take too.”

Lance Leipold, Kansas (6-3, 3-3) – The Jayhawks play at Texas Tech: Kansas is bowl eligible for the first time since 2008 following its impressive 37-16 victory over Oklahoma State. “I'm really proud of them and happy for them,’’ Leipold said. “Especially, we look at the guys that have been around a long time and everything that they've kind of gone through. They persevered. They stayed with this program. And then holistically for this group and as I told them, we're pretty demanding and things. And there's a big reason why we are; for moments like this.”

Brent Venables, Oklahoma (5-4, 2-4) – The Sooners play at West Virginia: Venables talked about Baylor physically beat up his team. "This game will punish ya," Venables said. "Gotta be disciplined. Sometimes you have to learn from your mistakes, I guess. ... We got soft on our edges and our secondary run support on us. They cracked us. We didn’t do a good job of crack-replacing. They physically got after us. We got stalled up. They got a good offensive line. They’re going to punish you when you make mistakes.
“…the other team was more physical. Why is that? I don’t know. We gotta be better there. We have to improve that. That’s an area we have to continue and improve.”

Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State (6-3, 3-3) – The Cowboys play at Iowa State: Gundy addressed this funk where the Cowboys have fallen out of the Big 12 title race. “So, we just had some new guys and just trying to get reps and get them going. But there’s nothing spiraling out of control. We just got to keep working. And I think that if you look across the country, you’ll see that there’s quite a bit of it going on. People around here have gotten accustomed to winning a lot of football games and expecting it to be every week no matter what, and sometimes when it doesn’t go that way, everybody’s like, ‘What hell’s going on?’ It’s good problem to have. My first few years here I was wondering what the hell was going on and we didn’t win any.”

Neal Brown, West Virginia (3-6, 1-5) – The Mountaineers play host to Oklahoma: The Mountaineers have fallen into the basement of the Big 12 and are one loss away from becoming bowl eligible. They only had 200 yards total offense in the 31-14 loss at Iowa State. "The story of our game was the inability of our offense to move the ball at all," Brown said. "The stats were putrid."

Matt Campbell, Iowa State (4-5, 1-5) – The Cyclones play at Oklahoma State: After catching 10 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown, receiver Xavier Hutchinson set a single-season receptions record with 87. He broke his record set in 2021 at 83. "I don't know if I can say enough great things about Xavier," Campbell said. "We wouldn't even have a chance to be where we're at today without Xavier Hutchinson."

Joey McGuire, Texas Tech (4-5, 2-4) – The Red Raiders play host to Kansas: McGuire talked about the job Lance Leipold has done at KU. “He and I, over the last couple years, have texted a lot,” McGuire said. “I sent him a text after they became bowl eligible and congratulated him. The job that he's done there is absolutely incredible. The culture that he's creating after two years and having that team bowl eligible is pretty impressive. And he’s just a great guy.”

Sonny Dykes, TCU (9-0, 6-0) – The No. 4 Horned Frogs play at Texas: TCU is 9-0 for the first time since 2010 (the year it won the Rose Bowl) and could be ranked in the Top 4 when the new CFP playoff rankings are released. But a huge two weeks awaits when the Horned Frogs travel to Texas and Baylor. "Despite everybody in the program kind of doing everything we can do to preach the one-game-at-a-time thing, I think there are times our players start to see the enormity and gravity of things," Dykes said. "It starts with us as a coaching staff and just making sure our guys feel free."

Steve Sarkisian, Texas (6-3, 4-2) – The No. 18 Longhorns play host to TCU: Texas finds itself in the same position as Baylor – in control of its Big 12 title game destiny. ESPN College GameDay will be in Austin Saturday. UT put itself in that position with a 34-27 win at Kansas State. "I told the guys, ‘We're not done. We have more work,'" Sarkisian said. "We have a great opportunity ahead of us in this entire month of November. What you do in November is what everybody remembers."

What's up, everybody!

Baylor will host Austin (Texas) LBJ three-star linebacker Latraveon McCutchin for a visit this weekend as the Bears look to add to the second level following Christian Brathwaite's decommitment. McCutchin, who is a recent Minnesota decommit, is looking to stay closer to home and Baylor fits what he would be looking for, according to multiple sources. McCutchin doesn't yet hold an offer, but it wouldn't surprise me if he has one before he gets to campus on Saturday.

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By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
There is something about a repeat that earns respect across the sports landscape. But when it comes to a threepeat, well that’s in a different stratosphere.

Scott Drew’s basketball program is in pursuit of a third straight Big 12 title as the 2022-23 season looms. The 2020-21 crown was outright, while 2021-22 was shared with Kansas.

Indeed, Baylor wants more than just a conference crown. The Bears are looking for a second national title in three seasons.

As the No. 5 Bears open the journey at 11:00 a.m. Monday against Mississippi Valley State in the Ferrell Center, the roster features another young but wildly talented roster.

There’s veteran leadership in the backcourt. There are transfers expected to fill gaps left by those who transferred, declared for the NBA draft or graduated. Gone are Matthew Mayer (Illinois), Jeremy Sochan (San Antonio Spurs), Kendall Brown (Indiana Pacers) and James Akinjo (NBA G League – NY Knicks).

The additions are national standout Keyonte George, freshman big Josh Ojianwuna, JUCO transfer Dantwan Grimes, West Virginia transfer Jalen Bridges and BYU transfer Caleb Lohner.

Baylor finished 2021-22 at 27-7 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament before being upset by eventual national finalist North Carolina.

With that, a look at the Bears.


Guards
The backcourt for this team will feature two sharp shooters who are solid with the ball. Senior Adam Flagler (13.5) was one of the best from the arc at 38.7 percent and finished with a near 2-to-1 assists to turnover ratio.

Obviously, the speculation will always remain what this team could have been like had LJ Cryer been healthy. A foot injury that surfaced toward the end of January derailed his season and reduced the number of deep threats. Now that he is all the way back, Cryer could be that dagger shooter. He left the season shooting nearly 47 percent from 3-point range and nearly 48 percent for the season. Drew can play him anywhere.

With George, he’s a big guard who is as gifted with the ball in his hands as he is without it. He’ll slash, break ankles with his crossover, up for threes and crash the glass when he needs to.

Baylor may not have a designated point guard because of how well these three handle it. With Grimes, he can handle it but may be a pretty decent defender. Averaging 14.7 points is good. Averaging 4.7 steals is better.

Then there’s the mystery candidate Langston Love, who missed all of last year with his torn ACL. He’s built like George and can do the same things as George. It might take some time to shake off the rust.


Front court
Addition by subtraction is typically not used in the form of flattery. But when Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua blew out his knee in February against Texas, it forced Flo Thamba to be more than a role big. He had to be a presence on both ends of the floor.

Thamba did that finishing averaging 6.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He scored seven more points in 11 of the last 12 games and was in double figures six times.

He’s going to be asked to do the same if not a little more since JTT is likely not expected to play this year. If JTT does somehow return, it would be late in the season.

Bridges is a slasher who was the Mountaineers’ second leading rebounder last year (4.6) and a role scorer (8.4). If he does that consistently, then he more than fills the gap left by Sochan. Lohner is likely one to come off the bench to the one that takes over Mayer’s spot.


Bench
It’s probably going to be a combination of Dale Bonner, Grimes, Love, Ojianwuna and Lohner who will be the options. Bonner had some good moments. Lohner will add some productive minutes. Ojianwuna probably will be like a lot of young bigs – look lost at the start and then eventually find their comfort zone toward the end of the season.


Schedule
Baylor’s non-conference schedule includes No. 18 Virginia in Las Vegas on Nov. 18 in the Continental Tire Main Event. The Bears will face then either No. 8 UCLA or No. 23 Illinois on Nov. 20. Baylor’s Big 12/Big East Challenge will be trip to Milwaukee on Nov. 29 to play Marquette. Three days later on Dec. 2 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. is a meeting with No. 2, 2021 national finalist opponent and possible future Big 12 cohort Gonzaga. The Big 12/SEC Challenge is Jan. 28 with No. 10 Arkansas at the Ferrell Center. These former SWC foes met in the 2021 Elite 8.

The Big 12 season opens Dec. 31 at Iowa State. Key dates with Kansas are Jan. 23 at the Ferrell Center and Feb. 18 at the Allen Fieldhouse. Key dates with Texas are Jan. 30 in Austin at the new Moody Center and Feb. 25 in Waco. Key dates with TCU are Jan. 4 in Waco, and Feb. 11 in Fort Worth. These are the projected top four teams in the league. The first Drew-Jerome Tang meeting is Jan. 7 when Kansas State visits.

Projected lineup
Your publisher rarely gets this right. But here’s a crack at it.
Guards – Flagler, George, Cryer
Forwards – Thamba, Bridges

Season forecast
We saw how injuries to Cryer and JTT eventually caught up with this team and led to an earlier ouster in the NCAA tournament than most would have imagined. Health is always the X-factor. But I don’t see why this team won’t be good for a third consecutive conference title, shared or outright this year, with the minimum of them playing in the Elite 8. That’s right, I said minimum.

Get used to it. Baylor is one of the new blue bloods of college basketball.

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
For only the second time in Baylor football program history, the Bears left Owen Field/Memorial Stadium in Norman, OK with a victory.

Baylor is now 2-14 all-time. The victory comes at the right time as the Bears are pushing toward trying to get into the Big 12 championship game. It seems unlikely, but when the polls are released on Sunday, this program could return to at least the receiving votes category. Baylor has won its last three. Oklahoma State was essentially knocked out of the race with its loss to Kansas.

Now, the Bears (6-3, 4-2) return home to McLane Stadium for the final two games of the home schedule. First, it’s a 6:00 p.m. meeting with Kansas State. Baylor should find out its official TV assignment Sunday. It was listed as either FOX or FS1.
SicEmSports provides reflections, observations and three Golden Bears from this one.

Upon Reflection
Consider what this program did on the road the last two weeks against Texas Tech and Oklahoma. The Red Raiders are just an OK team, while this Oklahoma team mediocre.

Not counting the periods where they were tied, when you go on the road and trail for a clock total time of 5:19 minutes out of a possible 120, that’s probably the most impressive part about this stretch.

Never under appreciate how hard it is to win on the road. Baylor is 3-1 wearing the white in the Big 12 this season. And it needs be because it’s in a schedule where the majority of the games are away from McLane Stadium.

Indeed, there were some issues with the defense. While it collected three first half interceptions to give it eight in the last two games, it still surrendered 500 yards. It’s probably going to be this way the rest of the season. But we’re also at a point where you’re just looking to find ways to win.

They did that. Now, their fate is in their own hands.


Look…Sqwirl
If a bug limited Richard Reese, the timing of Sqwirl Williams’ return to the lineup could not have been any better.

For someone who has always heard the whispers about his size, Sqwirl looked the best he ever has since 2020. This performance was reminiscent of the way he ran against TCU that Saturday afternoon. His vision was clear, read his blocks, ran with purpose, and just looked confident.

Then he presented the dagger with the 43-yard scamper to ice it. It didn’t hurt that the Oklahoma defense, the worst in the Big 12, played to its reputation. The Sooners are a bad defensive team.

However, Baylor’s running game is one of the best in college football. It’s fixed from the early season struggles. Here’s what it has done in the last four games along with YPC:
West Virginia – 169 (4.9)
Kansas – 273 (4.8)
Texas Tech – 231 (3.9)
Oklahoma – 281 (5.9)

This is what we saw consistently in 2021. It’s hitting on all cylinders. Running the football effectively late in the season will always translate well in the pursuit of a championship.


To thine own self…
Early fourth quarter. Baylor holding a precarious, 31-28 lead. Facing 4th-and-1 at its 29. Governed by analytics or just quietly loving being a river boat gambler, Dave Aranda said yep, we’re doing this.

While everyone wearing green and gold was grabbing their seats, Sqwirl squeaked through for two yards to get the first down. And you know? Baylor scored its last touchdown of the game on that possession. Baylor was 3-3 on fourth down Saturday and is 21-30 (70 percent) for the season.


Golden Bears
The yearly tradition returns where SicEmSports highlights the three players who stood out in their performance on a weekly basis. Win or lose, they deserve the recognition.

The following are from Baylor’s 38-35 victory at Oklahoma.

Sqwirl Williams, RB, Jr.: Not much more to be added from what was mentioned above. But if he, Reese returns from his illness and Qualan Jones are sharing the load and becoming running game matchup issues, it’s going to be fascinating for these final three weeks.

Notable – Rushing: 25-192 (7.7) 2 TD


Dillon Doyle, LB, 5th: A great all-around game. He was the team-leader in tackles. Had a big interception in the first quarter that led to Baylor’s go-ahead touchdown, a lead the Bears would never surrender (yes, they were tied later, 14-14). He even snuck ahead for a first down.

Notable – Defense: 5 solo tackles, 10 assisted tackles, 1 INT (9 yards); Rushing: 1-1

Josh Cameron, WR, RSFR: On a day when the passing game was pedestrian and Blake Shapen didn’t look very good, Cameron shined with his best performance of the season as he led all Baylor receivers. Just played with confidence.

Notable – Receiving: 5-72 (14.4) with a long of 20.



Honorable Mention: Devin Lemear – 8 total tackles, INT (31 yards)

Stephen got delayed with some other priorities today. Hopes to have them up Monday.

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
In Norman, OK, Baylor’s path toward playing in a second consecutive Big 12 title game is right in front of it.

In his first game since Oct. 13, running back Sqwirl Williams rushed for a career-high 192 yards and two scores as the Bears won for only the second time at Oklahoma, 38-35 at Owen Field/Memorial Stadium.

The Bears (6-3, 4-2) became bowl eligible and in the process got some help from Kansas when the Jayhawks knocked off Spencer Sanders-less Oklahoma State, 37-16. With that loss, Bears can reach the Dec. 3 Big 12 title game by winning out against Kansas State, TCU and at Texas.

Baylor not only beat the Sooners for the second consecutive season it also used the same formula to do. The Bears punished the Big 12’s worst rushing defense for 281 yards and averaged 5.9 yards per carry.

A back-and-forth first half enabled the Bears to take a 24-21 lead at halftime. Baylor used three interceptions of Sooners’ QB Dillon Gabriel to score 10 points off of them.

Baylor built a 38-28 lead early in the fourth on Qualan Jones on a 10-yard run. The Sooners cut the lead to 38-35 with 4:05 to play on Eric Gray’s 1-yard run. However, the Bears ran out the clock thanks to Williams’ 43-yard run that converted a 3rd-and-3.

Sqwirl missed games against Kansas and Texas Tech because of concussion he suffered at West Virginia. He scored his touchdowns in the first half.

Baylor plays host to Kansas State next Saturday at 6:00 p.m. in what likely will be an elimination game for both.

We'll see what happens. Trying for win No. 2 all-time in Norman.

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@seguinagave picked up his first weekly win with a 7-3, and coming closest on the spread among all the 7-3 pickers. Other 7-3 pickers were @tjspears @ekluxhoj @Nelson6 and @efernandez14 . ekluxhoj was the only one who saw the Kansas State beatdown of OSU coming. @kentowens came closest to hitting the spread, guessing a 17 point win for the Bears.



This week, all games are on Saturday, November 5. Tiebreaker is point spread between Baylor and Oklahoma.

Big 12 Games
#RV Baylor (5-3, 3-2) @ Oklahoma (5-3, 2-3)
Texas Tech (4-4, 2-3) @ #7 TCU (8-0, 5-0)
#18 Oklahoma State (6-2, 3-2) @ Kansas (5-3, 2-3)
West Virginia (3-5, 1-4) @ Iowa State (3-5, 0-5)
#RV Texas (5-3, 3-2) @ #13 Kansas State (6-2, 4-1)

Other Games
#2 Tennessee (8-0, 4-0) @ #1 Georgia (8-0, 5-0)
#6 Alabama (7-1, 4-1) @ #15 LSU (6-2, 4-1)
#5 Clemson (8-0) @ Notre Dame (5-3)
#20 Wake Forest (6-2, 2-2) @ #21 North Carolina State (6-2, 2-2)
Houston (5-3, 3-1) @ SMU (4-4, 2-2)

Not sure when the rest is coming. But here’s the first part.


Dave Aranda

I think to get a win when you don’t play your best, to get a win when you’re almost fighting against yourself, and I think there were multiple times in that game just on the sidelines where we’re remembering West Virginia. It felt a lot like that game. To pull it out somehow and to grit it out, all of it is a credit to the players for sure. I’m thankful for their effort and appreciative of their grit. When you get a win and you’re not at your best, and there’s a lot to improve on, it shows good for your team. So we’re looking forward to being home. I think the two weeks on the road is a whole thing, and so to be home and play in front of a big crowd and play a really good K-State team that I have so much respect for, I’m looking forward to that.

(Sqwirl’s game) It’s really cool. Sqwirl ran hard, I mean the dude’s like 160 pounds, and is pulling guys with him, right? And O’linemen see that, and they’re tired and they want to go back to maybe where the ball’s going to be placed eventually. They see him running into dudes that are twice his size, and that now inspires them to push a pile. So all of that is way cool. I think prior to that last one, we’re talking about hey this is no mas, and we just get a first down and that can close it out. We’ve been in that before where everyone says that in a time out, and it’s not executed, and so for him to have the awareness and to do it just speaks so highly of him. I’m thankful for it.

(Reese) We’re kind of battling a flu bug that’s gone throughout the team, so he’s battling that right now.

(Last TD drive) Going into the game, the previous defense earlier in the year, odd fronts, four-down fronts, edge pressure, inside pressure, twists, everything. These last two games, kind of four-down fronts, some corner pressure, some linebacker plugs, interior stuff, and really that’s kind of it. So not knowing what we’re going to get, and then getting into the game, they brought some corner pressure, they brought some mike plugs, and they brought the jack and the will from the boundary. So having to make the adjustments for that and the identification for all of it, that’s one thing. But the other thing is the O-line knowing we’ve got to do this to win this game. That’s way impressive to see, and you can build off that for sure.

(Fourth and short any hesitation) No.

(Closing out games) I think you just kind of keep coaching. But then the relationship has to be good enough that when you want something and you’re not doing it and it’s all wrong, and then there’s a scoreboard and the losses pile up and the criticism comes, to stay together so you can still coach and get what you were trying to get the whole time in the first place. I think losing complicates things so much. So I thought everyone did a good job with that and staying aligned and not losing themselves amidst the losing. So that’s allowed us to get back to really who we are. I think there’s a bunch of learning and growing for coaches, and then there’s a bunch of immaturity that’s got to be shed from players.

From Baylor SID

TEAM NOTES
• Baylor is 6-3, 4-2 in the Big 12 Conference and Oklahoma is 5-4, 2-4 in the Big 12.
• Oklahoma leads the all-time series, 28-5, including a 14-2 mark in games played in Norman.
• This marked the second win for BU in Norman and its first since 2014.
• Baylor won its second straight vs. OU for the firs ttime since the 2013-14 seasons.
• The Bears are bowl eligible for the second consecutive season, the fourth time inthe last five years and the 11th time in the last 13 years.
• Baylor captains: Dillon Doyle, Connor Galvin, Gabe Hall and Trip Mitchell.
• Baylor is 20-12 under third-year head coach Dave Aranda.
• Baylor is 6-1 when leading at halftime in 2022 and 17-3 under Aranda.
• The Bears are 121 on natural grass in 2022.
• Baylor rushed for five TDs in the game, its fifth game with 5+ TDs in a game in 2022.
• Baylor has 61 takeaways and 37 giveaways in 32 games under Aranda.
• After going for five interceptions last week at Texas Tech, Baylor had three interceptions on Saturday at OU, marking the most in a two-game span since picking off four passes in 1980 vs. TCU and San Jose State.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
• Junior RB Craig Williams set career highs in carries (25), yards (192) and TDs (two).
• It was the first 100-yard rushing outing of the career for Williams.
• Williams rushed for his career-high third and fourth TDs of the year and has seven his career.
• Williams ripped off a career-long 51-yard rush in the second quarter. It was the second-longest rush of the year for the Bears.
• Senior John Mayers connected on a second-quarter field goal from 49 yards and was 5 of 5 in PATs. • Mayers has 218 career points, ranking sixth in program history.
• Mayers has made 113 career PATs, good for fifth in BU history.
• Mayers has made 32 career field goals, ranking sixth in program history.
• Mayers has made 80.0 percent of his field-goal attempts, ranking tops in program history. • Mayers has made 99.1 percent of his PATs, ranking fourth in BU history.
• Mayers is 4 of 4 from 40-49 yards in 2022.
• Junior S Devin Lemear had a career-high eight tackles and an interception.
• Lemear intercepted his second career pass and it was his second consecutive game with an interception. • After also recording a fumble recovery vs. Kansas, Lemear has a takeaway in three straight games.
• Freshman RB Richard Reese carried it four times for seven yards and a score. • Reese rushed for his team-leading 13th TD of the year.
• Junior OLB Garman Randolph had five tackles and a sack.
• Randolph recorded his fourth sack of the year and has six in his career. • Randolph has 8.5 tackles for a loss in his career and 5.5 in his career.
• Sophomore QB Blake Shapen was 14 for 23 for 132 yards.
• Freshman WR Josh Cameron set career highs in catches (five) and yards (72).
• Baylor senior OL Connor Galvin made his team-leading 46th-career start and made his team-high 35th-straight start.
• Galvin ranks second in program history in career starts, equaling Ivory Wade (2009-12). • Senior LB Dillon Doyle had a team-leading and career-high tying 15 tackles.
• Doyle notched his third 10+ tackle game of the year and the seventh of his career.
• Doyle intercepted his career-best second pass of the year and the third of his career. • Freshman WR Jordan Nabors rushed three times for 33 yards and a score.
• Nabors rushed for his second career TD, a six-yard scamper in the first quarter. • Senior S Al Walcott went for seven tackles and a PBU.
• Walcott broke up his fourth pass of the year and the ninth of his career. • Junior LB Matt Jones finished with seven tackles.
• Junior DL Gabe Hall had a career-high seven tackles.
• Hall has a career-high three QB huries on the year and seven in his career. • Senior DL TJ Franklin finished with two tackles, a QB hurry and a PBU.
• Franklin had his second pass break-up of the year, swatting a ball in the first quarter and led to a Dillon Doyle interception.
• Franklin has three QB hurries on the year and six in his career.
• Junior RB Qualan Jones carried it nine times for 47 yards and a score.
• Jones rushed for his sixth TD of the year and the eighth of his career. • Sophomore CB AJ McCarty made his first career start.
• Senior LB Bryson Jackson had two tackles and a stop for a loss.
• Jackson has 4.5 tackles for a loss on the year and 9.5 in his career.
• Senior DL Chidi Ogbonnaya played in his 55th career game, ranking fourth in program history.

A cool video about 3 minutes about what the staff does to help the football team throughout the year. Good watch.

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By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher

Baylor (5-3, 3-2) at Oklahoma (5-3, 2-3)
Site: Owen Field/Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK
Time/Day: 2:00 p.m. Saturday
TV/Radio: ESPN+/ESPN Central Texas
Betting Line: Oklahoma -3.5
Series: Oklahoma leads, 28-4

The November Big 12 championship game appearance tournament is here. For those participants who already have two league losses, it is a single-elimination format.

Baylor is among the three teams involved in the highwire category. The Bears are joined by Texas and Oklahoma State. One loss and the season transforms from the chase to playing for the best bowl possible.

With the impressive 45-17 victory at Texas Tech last Saturday allowing for November to be a high-stakes month, Saturday’s trip to Norman, OK takes it to the next level.

Until they’re on the wrong side of one of these games, the Bears are in a win-or-else mode.

“For us to go out and play the way we did, I’m way proud of the team,’’ Baylor head coach Dave Aranda said. “There are so many examples of here’s something in practice, here’s a drill, here it is showing up in a team period, and here it is showing up in a game. We continue to build with that thought in mind, I think just really keeps us focused on a process and gets us better and better, which we’re going to need to be for this next one.”

What’s equally important is for this team is to keep stringing these types of performances together. Texas Tech was reminiscent of the 2021 season. This team must validate that last week wasn’t a one-off.

Injury wise, the Bears lost tight end Drake Dabney (broken leg) for the rest of the season. There is some hope running back Taye McWilliams can return in some kind of role since Sept. 10 against BYU. Running back Sqwirl Williams (concussion) and wide receiver Monaray Baldwin (hamstring) didn’t play last week. Their status for Saturday is questionable.


Here are some key elements to look for
>Both running back Richard Reese and quarterback Blake Shapen are nearing season milestones. At 791 yards, Reese needs 209 to reach 1,000. With 1,819, Shapen needs 181 to eclipse 2,000.

>With a victory, Baylor accomplishes the first goal of becoming bowl eligible. The Bears will have done that for the 11th time in the last 13 seasons.

>Oklahoma’s rush defense is last in the Big 12 at 189.8 yards per game. Baylor’s rushing attack averages 201 yards per game. It’s going to be a battle of whose front can impose the agenda throughout the contest.

>For as much as these teams can move the ball offensively, the Bears and Sooners are eighth and ninth in red zone offense. The Sooners have 25 of their 29 possessions (86.2 percent). The Bears are 30-36 (83.3).


Notable I
Baylor has scored 10 non-offensive touchdowns in 31 games under Aranda – three kickoff returns (Trestan Ebner x 3), five interception returns (Jalen Pitre x 2, A.J. McCarty, Al Walcott, JT Woods), one punt return (Gavin Holmes) and one fumble return (Woods).

Notable II
There is 101-yard difference in total defense. Baylor allows 337 yards per game. Oklahoma yields 438.


Keys to the Game
>Contain Dillon Gabriel – While missing 1.5 games with a concussion, the Oklahoma signal caller is third in the Big 12 in total yards per game at 278. He’s a danger with his legs not only for taking off and running with it but also the ability to keep plays alive. Baylor may consider putting a spy on him.

>Dance with who brung ya – Baylor’s rushing attack has been very strong the last three games against West Virginia, Kansas and Texas Tech. With Oklahoma’s rushing defense still struggling, Baylor must do everything to exploit that.

>Going for 2nds – There’s always one quarter that is lopsided one way or another. For the Bears, that the second period where they have outscored opponents, 93-43. In the last three games, they’ve won that quarter, 49-13. Momentum at the half is a big thing.

>Challenge OU – Even though Baylor has won only once in Norman, OK (2014), the Bears have played that game up there very well. Look for the Bears to be aggressive probably more in this game than they ever have been.


Prediction
Since the reverse psychology ploy worked so well last week for Lubbock, I thought about picking Oklahoma in this one simply because the Sooners have started to figure out some things and they are playing at home. In my preseason prediction, I penciled this game as the only loss.

That prediction is in the furnace, I’m going to put stock in the idea that Baylor has solved the riddle and will play at a higher level. This Sooner offense is more balanced with Gabriel, running back Eric Gray (796 yards) and receiver Marvin Mims (558 yards). They will move it and score.

However, the Sooners defense is the issue. It shut down a very anemic Iowa State team. Baylor will create enough success with the running game and lives to see another week in the race for the Big 12 title game.

Baylor 34, Oklahoma 29

In Board business action, Regents approved $78.6 million for phase 2 construction of the Fudge Football Development Center that will house the day-to-day operations for Baylor football coaches and support staff as well as provide a distinct experience for Baylor student-athletes. The total project budget, including phase 1 design and early construction work that began over the summer, is $89.6 million. The facility is expected to be completed during spring 2024.

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By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher

The Topper
Baylor men’s basketball preview coming late Sunday night. The No. 5 Bears open the 2022-23 season at 11:00 a.m. Monday against Mississippi Valley State.

Senior guard Adam Flagler is on the Jerry West watch list for the top shooting guards in the country.

Meanwhile NCAA.com national college basketball writer Andy Katz has named Keyonte George as one of the Top 11 impact freshmen.

Also, note Baylor’s first three games against Mississippi Valley State, Nov. 11 against Norfolk State (Baylor met them in the first round of the 2022 NCAA tournament in Fort Worth) and Nov. 14 against Northern Colorado will all be televised on ESPN+.

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Kansas 2025 DE talks Baylor
Jayden Woods is just starting to scratch the surface when it comes to P5 programs pursuing him.

Baylor made sure it was one of the first to get the Shawnee (KS) Mill Valley weakside defensive end’s attention. When the Bears offered the rising standout, they joined Iowa, Kansas State, Kansas and Iowa State.


“I think it’s an amazing school from what I’ve read and talked to the coaches about,’’ “I haven’t gotten the chance to visit yet because of distance but I am looking forward to when I do.”

And Woods seems serious of making the effort to visit once Mill Valley’s season concludes. For now, his focus is on Mill Valley’s playoff run. That’s becoming old hat for this program. It’s in pursuit of it fourth consecutive state championship in its Kansas classification.

The playoffs begin Friday.

Like a lot of 2025s, who have reached growth spurts but still have a little more growing and development to do, Woods is one of those who could play defensive end or linebacker at the P5 level.

“I’m talking with coach [Caleb] Collins right now,’’ he said. “The vibe is great. They take a real interest in you beyond what you do in football. But he likes the physicality of how I play the game. I’ve watched Baylor a couple of times, and I love how their defense swarms to the football.’’

It’s a spread the wealth approach with the Mill Valley defense. Woods leads the defense in sacks (4.5) and second in TFLs (7.0).

“I would say mainly say effort and how I will make plays are my strengths,’’ Woods said. “I know I have to keep working on my game.’’

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National 2025 DB talks Bears
It’s very early in the recruiting process. But Baylor has offered Katy Paetow defensive back Deyjhon Pettaway.

Rivals’ has him ranked as the No. 27 prospect for this state. However, there is a good start on Baylor’s part. Bears QB coach Shawn Bell, who covers the greater Houston area, has started the recruiting process with Pettaway.

https://n.rivals.com/content/athletes/deyjhon-pettaway-297603

“I’ve had a couple of great conversations with him,’’ Pettaway said. “He likes my ball skills and that I can get physical with receivers.’’

The SEC has taken notice in Pettaway. Texas A&M, LSU and Ole Miss have also offered. There are plans for Pettway to check out Baylor either for the Kansas State or TCU game. But if those don’t work out, look for Bell to swing by the school during the December contact period when coaches can visit schools.

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Baylor Players Talk Oklahoma
Safety Devin Lemear, right guard Grant Miller and place-kicker John Mayers spoke with the media about the upcoming road trip to Oklahoma.

(On getting more INTs) Yeah, it was a confidence builder for sure. We’re a young secondary so I feel like we were all waiting to make plays for the team. And it was just nice to do it, especially against (an) old coach whose whole movement was “take three.”. So, a little extra added motivation for that.

(What happened, why were y’all able to do that?) I feel like we had a lot of motivation going into that game. You hear the noise from outside, you try to block it out as much as possible, but you hear it and it just adds a chip on your shoulder.

(Showed a little bit of that chip on your INT, right?) I don’t even know what I was thinking. I was just kind of in the moment. So, whenever you have a moment like that you don't really think too much about what you're doing. You (are) just living in it.

(How big was the pass rush?) It was huge. I mean, their quarterbacks were flustered the entire game. I think we had six sacks. So, they didn’t have any time to get the ball off. So, when you cause a quarterback to throw the ball off balance, off his back foot, it allows us to make plays.

(What will it take to keep forcing INTs?) It starts here in practice. Just practicing how you play. So, whenever the ball is in the air, turn to the receiver (and) go get it. I feel like (the) first couple of weeks we didn't do a great job at that. Just being intentional about going to get the ball in practice. And then in the game whenever we had our opportunities, it slipped.

(What do you see from Dillon Gabriel) He's experienced, real experienced. I feel like he knows where he wants to go with the ball. And if he doesn't have his read, he's gonna run the ball. So, he doesn't turn the ball over a lot. (He) has 14 touchdowns, one interception on the year. So, he takes care of the ball.

(Where has DB room taking biggest step?) Confidence. I feel like that's the main thing. As a DB on the field, you got to have confidence. Every every mistake is highlighted. So, it's not like you're a D-lineman, you get in the wrong gap. It's hard to tell who messed up. But when you’re a DB, every mistake is … it's very easy to see who messed up. So, just having the confidence to know, even if you make a mistake, we're still here to support you. So, go out there, have fun, play loose.

(How do you get confidence as a DB?) It has to start in practice. Because if you do it in practice, then you'll have the confidence that it will translate to the game. But if you're not intentional in practice, then you can't expect results.

(How do you balance that confidence with staying hungry and wanting to prove yourself more?)
Hmmm. I don’t know. I feel like we're always hungry. We're young. So, we feel like we have something to prove every week. So, even though we had five interceptions last week, we feel like people are still doubting us. So, we're gonna go out there and try to do it again. Lock our man down. Make sure they don't have a lot of yards, stuff like that.

(What do you see from Gabe Hall) He's a monster. I mean, three sacks is crazy. So, he works hard every day. The entire D-line room, really. I mean, we were just in meetings talking about intentional practices and stuff and how the drills are correlating to the game. And I mean, it was kind of crazy to see the exact drills that they were doing would show up in the game. And six sacks.

(What was going through your mind on that Tevin INT?) I didn't see the entire play. I just see Tevin had the ball and I saw the ref point our way and I went crazy because I think that was Tevin’s first drive of the game, or one of his first drives of the game. And I know that he was a little nervous coming in. So, it was just awesome to see him make a play. Because I mean he works hard in practice. Him, Coach Curtis pushes the corners every day just to be intentional in practice and focus on the reps that they do take. So, it was awesome to see that.

(Have y’all gotten a little more comfortable playing on the road?) Yeah, I think so. I mean, I like to think of it as like a SWAT mentality. Kind of like, there's a lot of noise happening. So, just to get in there, do our job and get out. That's kind of like the mentality that I like to take to it. I feel like a lot of the defense takes the same mentality as that.

(Standard JT, whole secondary set, how difficult is that to live up to?) I would say it's difficult. But you got to realize that you're a different type of player, so you can't try and be JT. JT was JT, Jalen Pitre was Jalen Pitre. So, what makes us, “us?” What makes us unique? So, play to our strengths. They had their strengths, so we gotta play to ours.

(Importance of Christian Morgan) It’s huge. I mean, the main thing I learned from Christian is just to go out there and have fun. I feel like it's easy to go in there inexperienced and kind of be real stiff, robotic and not wanting to make a mistake instead of going out there, playing free, playing green. So, Christian emphasized that a lot, just going into it. Just go out there, have fun. If you make a mistake, it's okay.


Grant Miller
(Is O-line playing better in recent games) Yeah, we had some huge tweaks in the offseason in terms of our scheme and everything like that. So I just think it takes a few tweaks sometimes to get everybody on the same page and get that synergy or chemistry back that we had. We had a few guys that were injured working back in the fold. It plays in with everybody a little bit, not just the O-line but the whole offense catching their stride and playing up to the level that we’re capable of.

(Getting Khalil back) It’s definitely good to have him back. I mean everybody knows the talent and skill set that Khalil brings to the table. But I think between Gavin Byers and Khalil, I mean I wouldn’t want to be a D-lineman lined across from either one of them when they’re rotating in the game and both of them are fresh. Getting Khalil back, and getting Gavin and Khalil more rest and bringing them into the game and rotating, I think that was a great thing for the O-line to have him back.

(What inspires O-line to want to block for Reese) I think he just has a real natural feel of the game as well as he’s not afraid to put his shoulder down and fight for extra yards, just kind of a mentality that all our running backs have. It really makes us want to go out there and win the line of scrimmage and fight for every extra yard. I mean if the guys in the backfield do that, it makes the guys up front to want to do that as well.

(Offensive success) It feels really good to keep on scoring touchdowns. Like they say in football, touchdowns are forever, you can never those them back. We never take one for granted. They just kind of up our run efficiency and impose our will, especially as offensive linemen, that’s what you love to see week in and week out. No matter what the score is, we’re never satisfied. We’re always looking to put more on top of what we’ve already got.

(OU defense) Oklahoma really isn’t afraid to run anything. They’ll throw everything but the kitchen sink at you, so you know there will be twists on the line of scrimmage, a lot of blitzes, even a lot of safeties getting into the mix in terms of like their front seven. They’re going to have a lot of moving pieces up front, they play physical, they have a lot of twitchy guys up front who can pass rush really well. I think we can see almost anything from Oklahoma, so we’ve got to prepare for a lot of different things when you’re playing their front.

(Feeling more comfortable on the road) Yeah, I think a lot of that comes from maturity. We’ve got a lot of younger guys playing, redshirt guys who maybe weren’t traveling last year, true freshman guys who haven’t necessarily been on some of these road games yet. I think a little bit of that was just getting their feet wet. We didn’t play great on the road last year, us older guys. That was just a self evaluation and thinking how can we improve in that situation in a hostile environment. So I think it’s another thing we’re catching our stride in and we’re feeling confident going into the weekend.

(Has there been a big difference in the approach to road games from BYU game to Tech) Yeah, I mean I thought we were just a lot more intentional in practice. We had in our heads what we want to do that weekend against Texas Tech, what we were setting out to accomplish, and we weren’t really thinking about the environment of the situation we’re heading into. We were more self evaluating and reflecting on what we needed to improve on, what we need to get better at to come out victorious.

(Do you think about this being your last few college games) Yeah sometimes those thoughts creep into your head. As a senior, you won’t want to take your moments for granted. You think about what’s life going to be like when you don’t have those moments every day in the locker room with you and your teammates. But there’s a certain part of that where you have to be where your feet are and focusing on each week because any week can be your last week when you’re playing football, no matter if you’re a senior or a freshman, whatever. So you can be too focused on thinking about the future. You’ve got to focus on what you can accomplish every single day, what you can get better at, and really focus on the game on Saturday.


John Mayers
(How satisfying has this year been, winning your job back, making some big kicks) Just ready for OU...Personally, for me, it feels really good, obviously. I’ve always been a team player and contribute, and feel like I have been ever since 2019 when I started playing. It certainly feels good and glad to be contributing and helping the team win.

(How do you stay engaged when you’re not the starter and you’re not getting those in-game chances) Yeah, it was tough. I feel like I really learned that last year, just to really be grateful for any opportunities I got, whether that was a few kicks in practice here and there, working with the scout team or whatever it was, just kind of learn to be grateful. I felt like it was God teaching me patience or gratitude or however you want to word it. Certainly new for me, because I hadn’t really experienced that since my true freshman year in 2018. So, it was kind of a weird flashback of going back to that, but certainly made me more grateful, for sure.

(Feel like you have to shake off the rust when you haven’t been kicking in games) I certainly hope not, and I feel like so far I’ve done fairly well. Just getting back into it, I think the Texas State game really helped me. That was the first game I started again, I believe. Just getting back into that game really helped me get ready for the conference schedule. But, I think just really practicing against the best line in the country in terms of field goal rush really helps to give me game-like looks. And then, just getting those game-like scenario reps in two minutes every week a couple times really helped a lot.

(What did you work on to get better) Yeah, I worked on a lot this offseason. Obviously, I had the goal of coming back in 2022 and winning the job back, having lost it in 2021. So really my height and elevation, getting the ball up quickly from the start to avoid blocks and things like that. And then also, just overall power, strength, distance. Getting with Coach Vic (strength coach Vic Viloria) in the weight room, getting stronger. Getting under the squat rack and just increasing my distance on field goals and kickoffs and anything else, if needed, as well.

(Defense has jackers and robbers, offense has RVO, what is the calling card for special teams) We like to say we have big quads. We like to break it out on ‘Quads!’ I feel like we’re the special bunch of the group. I feel like to be on special teams you’ve got to be an oddball a little bit. We break out with Quads. We say some crazy stuff to each other that I probably can’t say in front of the cameras. But, it’s good fun. We have a good time.

(You made so many clutch kicks in 2019, do you like being in those situations) I mean, I’d certainly rather it be on me than on the other team’s kicker, because I feel more confident in me making it than having to rely on their kicker missing it to win or lose the game. But, I feel like in the pressure moments, I think part of it is natural and part of it is we work on it in practice. Like I said, we practice two minutes and mayday situations, stuff like that. When it’s on the line and it matters most, you’ve just got to focus in your technique and your craft and just do your job and help your team win when it matters the most.

SicEmSports Big 12 Power Rankings
Each week, SicEmSports unveils its looks at the league who in its view deserves to be ranked where. Agree or disagree, here’s how they look.
1. TCU – Horned Frogs with CFB playoff hopes
2. Kansas State – HC Chris Klieman mum about starting QB vs. Texas
3. Oklahoma State – How does this team respond to 48-0 blowout KSU loss?
4. Baylor — Now, it’s about stringing it together
5. Texas – Longhorns on the Big 12 title race edge
6. Oklahoma – Night and day when Gabriel is the QB
7. Kansas – Hope that QB Jalon Daniels returns
8. Texas Tech – Playing musical QBs is very dangerous
9. West Virginia – Unfortunately, QB J.T. Daniels good season getting lost
10. Iowa State – Running game the worst in the Big 12 (97.5)

Big 12 Weekend
A look at the Big 12 schedule for the upcoming weekend. All games are Saturday unless otherwise listed. Rankings are from the coaches and AP polls. All times are central. TV is listed. All 10 teams are in action.

Texas Tech (4-4, 2-3) at No. 7 TCU (8-0, 5-0); 11:00 a.m., Amon Carter Stadium, Fort Worth (FOX)
Series: Texas Tech leads, 32-29-3
Notable: TCU QB Max Duggan leads the Big 12 in total TDs (26). Red Raiders appear to be sticking with freshman QB Behren Morton.

Baylor (5-3, 3-2) at Oklahoma (5-3, 2-3); 2:00 p.m., Owen Field/Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK (ESPN+)
Series: Oklahoma leads, 28-4
Notable: Baylor’s only win in Norma was in 2014. Sooner RB Eric Gray has the best ypc (6.8) in the conference.

West Virginia (3-5, 1-5) at Iowa State (3-5, 0-5); 2:30 p.m., Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, IA (ESPN+)
Series: West Virginia leads, 6-4
Notable: Cyclones the worst scoring offense in the league (21.3). Mountaineers the worst scoring defense in the league (34.6). Something should give.

No. 18 Oklahoma State (6-2, 3-2) at Kansas (5-3, 2-3); 2:30 p.m., Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS (FS1)
Series: Oklahoma State leads, 41-29-2
Notable: Cowboys last in total defense (455.3). Kansas +4 in the turnover ratio.

No. 24 Texas (5-3, 3-2) at No. 13 Kansas State (6-2, 4-1); 6:00 p.m., Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, KS (FS1)
Series: Texas leads, 12-10
Notable: Both KSU QBs Will Howard and Adrian Martinez worked out this week. Unclear who will start. Texas QB Quinn Ewers coming off his worst outing (19-49) two weeks ago at Oklahoma State.

Harsin it out after less than 2 years. It's media speculation but Baylor OC Jeff Grimes is mentioned as a possible candidate. One would think he would in the mix but not the first choice. What helps him is that he knows the SEC with his time at LSU.

I do think Grimes is getting to a point in his career where the window to become a HC is closing. He's 54. The offense has looked really good in the two seasons he's been at Baylor.

Liberty's Hugh Freeze and Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin seem to be creating the most buzz now.

Auburn is about to hire Mississippi State's AD John Cohen as its new AD.

This would be awesome.

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By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Saturday’s game in Norman, OK for Baylor is about identification. Both the Bears and Oklahoma Sooners are trying to rediscover who they are.

This 33rd all-time meeting with the Sooners could do a lot to determine where each of these seasons are heading. While Oklahoma knows it would take a miracle to get into the Big 12 championship game conversation, Baylor needs to win out to keep hopes alive.

Oklahoma recovered from a 3-game losing streak and has won consecutive games against Kansas and Iowa State.

A look at the Sooners.

Opponent: Oklahoma Sooners
Head Coach: Brent Venables (1st year)
2022 Record: 5-3, 2-3
Record vs. Baylor: Oklahoma leads, 28-4
Returning Starters: 4 offense, 5 defense
Key Returners: WR Marvin Mims, LT Anton Harrison, C Andrew Raym, DT Jalen Redmond, CB Woodi Washington, LB DaShaun White
Common Denominator: Former Baylor RB coach Jeff Lebby is OU’s offensive coordinator
Offensive Formation: Multiple
Defensive Formation: 4-3

About Oklahoma on Offense: When he was knocked out of the TCU game and didn’t play the following week against Texas with a concussion, it revealed how vulnerable the Sooner offense was without QB Dillon Gabriel. He’s a dual threat and has been very efficient. He’s thrown for 1,766 yards and 14 TDs against just one INT. The protection has been iffy as Gabriel and other Sooner QBs have been sacked 17 times, second most in the Big 12. Receiver Marvin Mims has taken advantage of some departures to become the No. 1 receiver. He’s at 558 yards and three scores. Baylor likes to the use the TE in this offense and has relied on Braydon Willis who averages 14.5 ypc and leads all receivers with five TDs. The Sooner running game has found some life with Tennessee transfer Eric Gray who is now in his second year. At 796 yards and six scores, he’s on his way to a 1,000-yard season. Combined, OU running backs are averaging 4.9 ypc.

About Oklahoma on Defense: It’s stunning to see the Sooners’ No. 8 in the Big 12 in total defense at 438 yards per game. They are still last in the league in rushing defense (189.75). Oklahoma’s defense is funneling the right way as linebackers David Ugwoegbu, Danny Stutsman and DaShaun White are the three leading tacklers. It’s been feast or famine with the pass rush. Oklahoma’s 16 sacks are near the bottom of the Big 12. But they have nine interceptions. Ethan Downs and Jalen Redmond are the leaders on the defensive front.

About Oklahoma on Special Teams: Michael Turk is one of the best punters in college football. He’s averaging better than 45 yards per boot. He’s had 13 efforts fair caught, 13 land inside the opponent’s 20 and 13 travel 50+ yards. PK Zach Schmidt is having a tremendous season. He hasn’t missed a PAT and is 8-9 on fields including going 4-4 between 40-49. OU hasn’t returned many punts. However, when it’s Mims’ turn there’s been some juice at nearly 20 yards per return. Jalil Farooq and Billy Bowman are the primary kick returners.

Bottom Line: This is a Jeckyll and Hyde type of season. The 3-0 start was pretty impressive including a blowout win at Nebraska. The Sooners climbed to No. 6. But when the Sooners lost at home to Kansas State, 41-34, everything fell apart. Since they have returned from their bye, they appear to have righted things. There are still issues with the rushing defense as well as the defense overall. Gabriel’s knock is can he really deliver when it matters. That really hasn’t been answered to this point. The Sooners will also sometimes misfire in the red zone. OU also has the most penalty yards (428) of anyone in the Big 12. What everyone wants to know Saturday is if this team has indeed found itself.

We talk about the Texas Tech game, Oklahoma upcoming, basketball season starting, and pick a few games. We forgot to pick Baylor-OU, so I'm going Baylor 28-17.
Thanks to Pat Carrigan for letting me use his photos.



Came in at 25:00 even.

Listen to the podcast here



By the way, I was working with this crew during the Kansas game. Vehicle rescue class. They'd just torn that Chevy pickup apart.

Tweeted this out but wanted to make you aware of this as well...

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By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Playing its most complete game of 2022, Baylor stormed through and past Texas Tech this past Saturday, 45-17. The win kept the Bears (5-3, 3-2) in the hunt for the Big 12 Championship game.

Now, it’s on to Norman, OK where the Bears meet the Oklahoma Sooners. Baylor has won only once at Owen Field at Memorial Stadium. That was in 2014 when the Bears were on their way to a second consecutive conference title.

So what was trending from a buying and selling mode? SicEmSports continues its new segment that began with the conference opener against Iowa State and runs through the rest of the season.

Buying: Blake Shapen to Gavin Holmes
They have connected 22 times this season for 470 yards. That equals out to Big 12-best 21.4 yards per catch. Surprisingly, they’ve only been the duo for three touchdown passes. However, you can see the trust and connection building between these two. Against Oklahoma State, that faith was never shaken. Even after a couple of drops, Shapen went right back to Holmes who didn’t let him or his teammates down.

Selling: Containing running QBs
If you looked at Texas Tech QB Behren Morton’s rushing yards, you’d shrug your shoulders (6-6). But those three sacks accounted for rushing totals. For the other three attempts he had 32 yards including a 14-yard scramble score. Baylor had issues with Spencer Sanders Oct. 3. The Bears are going to see this Saturday against Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel. When a QB is a dual-threat, the Bears have had some contain issues.

Buying: Turnover ratio
What a difference a week makes. When a team goes from -3 to +1 in the turnover ratio in one game, it’s pretty startling but for a good reason. Forcing five of them – all interceptions – against Texas Tech was impressive. Now, the challenge for this team is to stay on the right side of it. Most importantly, Shapen has to be pretty clean in November in order for this team to have a chance for Dec. 3.

Buying: Using 2022 class
There has been burn used for the likes of TE Kelsey Johnson, who probably will see more now that Drake Dabney (broken leg) is done for the year, wide receiver Jordan Nabors and of course, running back Richard Reese. But they are the trio that is contributing in important segments of games. This isn’t where they’re getting burn at the end of blowouts.

Hold: Stringing this together
There was and should be a lot of euphoria coming a big-time performance in Lubbock. Baylor played a near perfect game to win by four scores on the road. Does this mean the ship has been righted? Well, let’s wait and see on this. Through the first seven games, the Bears were an erratic team. If they can play at a similar level at Oklahoma and win it, then you can feel really good about their chances in the final three. The light needs to stay on.

PFF OL Grades
To start, your publisher goofed and forgot to add these after West Virginia and Kansas. Getting back on track.

Thanks to Rivals’ relationship with Pro Football Focus, each week we’ll share with you how Baylor’s offensive line graded from the previous week. This one comes following Oklahoma State. We’ll break it down from run blocking, pass blocking and overall in that order.
Grant Miller: 91 snaps, 63.5 run, 62.0 pass = 64.1 overall
Jacob Gall: 91 snaps, 61.6 run, 52.3 pass = 60.8 overall
Khalil Keith: 78 snaps, 49.1 run, 74.3 pass = 56.5 overall
Gavin Byers: 13 snaps, 58.3 run, 72.7.0 pass = 59.8 overall
Micah Mazzccua: 91, snaps, 64.4 run, 59.6 pass = 64.6 overall
Connor Galvin: 91 snaps, 69.8 run, 76.7 pass = 74.2 overall

This has been a year for the commitment injuries. I've never seen one like this. LeVar Thornton's season is over. Trent Thomas said his season is over. Don't look for Isaiah Robinson to play his final game Friday. Bryson Washington suffered a shin injury last week.

But here's a cool stat. Dawson Pendergrass scored his 100th varsity touchdown last week. I don't think it was all this season. Ha Ha. It just seemed like it. A couple of seasons have ended as you'll see.

Commitment Chart

It was a busy month of decommitments around the country: