By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
SicEmSports continues its look at Baylor’s 2022 opponents. Game 3 is the second home game of the season against Texas State. The Bears opened the 2021 season in San Marcos, struggled but won. Just an early FYI that this is already an 11:00 a.m. kickoff at McLane Stadium for FS1 television.
Opponent: Texas State
Head Coach: Jake Spavital (4th season, 9-27)
2021 Record: 4-8, 3-5
Conference Affiliation: Sun Belt
Record vs. Baylor: Baylor leads, 5-0; Bears won 29-20 in San Marcos in 2021
Returning Starters: The Bobcats return 19 starters
Offensive Formation: One-back
Defensive Formation: 3-3-5
Key Returners: WR Javen Banks, OT Dalton Cooper, RB Calvin Hill, LB London Harris, DT Samuel Obiang, LB Sione Tupou
This may be a season that defines where the Spavital era is going. He’s tried building strictly through the portal and the results haven’t shown to this point. For all of the talk of him being a phenom in the wings when he was on the staffs at Texas A&M and West Virginia, it hasn’t worked out.
Where this season for the Bobcats rests is if Spavital can settle on a starting quarterback. Most forecasts having the job going to Arkansas State transfer Layne Hatcher. But there’s Syracuse transfer Dillon Markiewicz, NC State transfer Ty Evans. Former Baylor walk on CJ Rogers who just arrived in June.
Hatcher enjoyed a very strong career in Jonesboro, AR throwing for more than 7,400 yards and 65 scores in three seasons. Consistent QB play really hurt the Bobcats last year as that position completed just 58 percent of its passes and threw 12 interceptions. The completion percentage needs to rise. The interception numbers need to fall.
Defensively, this team must find a way to keep offenses in front of it instead of chasing. Opponents averaged 33 points and 430 yards per game in 2021. Combine that with the fact this unit collected just 18 sacks and that’s why you lose eight ball games.
Every area needs to improve, especially against the run. The Bobcats likely won’t be in contention for the Sun Belt West Division title. They just need to show that they will be in position to win five or six games.
2022 Schedule
Sept. 3 at Nevada
Sept. 10 vs. Florida International
Sept. 17 at Baylor
Sept. 24 vs. Houston Baptist
Oct. 1 at James Madison (Note: This is James Madison's first year in D and will play in the Sun Belt 1; I mistakenly still had them in FCS when I did the Albany preview)
Oct. 8 vs. Appalachian State
Oct. 15 at Troy
Oct. 22 vs. Southern Miss
Nov. 5 at Louisiana-Monroe
Nov. 12 at South Alabama
Nov. 19 vs. Arkansas State
Nov. 26 vs. Louisiana
Publisher
SicEmSports continues its look at Baylor’s 2022 opponents. Game 3 is the second home game of the season against Texas State. The Bears opened the 2021 season in San Marcos, struggled but won. Just an early FYI that this is already an 11:00 a.m. kickoff at McLane Stadium for FS1 television.
Opponent: Texas State
Head Coach: Jake Spavital (4th season, 9-27)
2021 Record: 4-8, 3-5
Conference Affiliation: Sun Belt
Record vs. Baylor: Baylor leads, 5-0; Bears won 29-20 in San Marcos in 2021
Returning Starters: The Bobcats return 19 starters
Offensive Formation: One-back
Defensive Formation: 3-3-5
Key Returners: WR Javen Banks, OT Dalton Cooper, RB Calvin Hill, LB London Harris, DT Samuel Obiang, LB Sione Tupou
This may be a season that defines where the Spavital era is going. He’s tried building strictly through the portal and the results haven’t shown to this point. For all of the talk of him being a phenom in the wings when he was on the staffs at Texas A&M and West Virginia, it hasn’t worked out.
Where this season for the Bobcats rests is if Spavital can settle on a starting quarterback. Most forecasts having the job going to Arkansas State transfer Layne Hatcher. But there’s Syracuse transfer Dillon Markiewicz, NC State transfer Ty Evans. Former Baylor walk on CJ Rogers who just arrived in June.
Hatcher enjoyed a very strong career in Jonesboro, AR throwing for more than 7,400 yards and 65 scores in three seasons. Consistent QB play really hurt the Bobcats last year as that position completed just 58 percent of its passes and threw 12 interceptions. The completion percentage needs to rise. The interception numbers need to fall.
Defensively, this team must find a way to keep offenses in front of it instead of chasing. Opponents averaged 33 points and 430 yards per game in 2021. Combine that with the fact this unit collected just 18 sacks and that’s why you lose eight ball games.
Every area needs to improve, especially against the run. The Bobcats likely won’t be in contention for the Sun Belt West Division title. They just need to show that they will be in position to win five or six games.
2022 Schedule
Sept. 3 at Nevada
Sept. 10 vs. Florida International
Sept. 17 at Baylor
Sept. 24 vs. Houston Baptist
Oct. 1 at James Madison (Note: This is James Madison's first year in D and will play in the Sun Belt 1; I mistakenly still had them in FCS when I did the Albany preview)
Oct. 8 vs. Appalachian State
Oct. 15 at Troy
Oct. 22 vs. Southern Miss
Nov. 5 at Louisiana-Monroe
Nov. 12 at South Alabama
Nov. 19 vs. Arkansas State
Nov. 26 vs. Louisiana
