WHAT? We even lost a recruit…that everyone knew was going to de-commit?
Advertisement
No. 6 Baylor football moved to 8-0 on the season after a tight 31-24 win over Kansas State on Thursday in Manhattan, Kan. The main reason is because Baylor has had a very soft schedule so far with with only one win over an FBS school with a winning record, 5-4 Texas Tech. “Yeah, of course (it’s a little too close for comfort)”. Against their toughest challenge in Notre Dame, they still ran for 318 yards. K – State has had a historically strong team, and their coaching staff is quite good, but if the Bears heed the warnings of their coaches to respect and treat the Wildcats like they would any other strong Big 12 team, that shouldn’t be an issue. The Bears gave up a season-high 258 rushing yards to the Wildcats just one week after giving up 232 yards to Iowa State.
Kansas State (3-5, 0-5) outscored Baylor 14-3 in the fourth quarter to get back into the game.
“I think that motivated the whole team, but especially Jarrett”, Baylor running back Devin Chafin said about the rankings. “I tried to throw it away and I didn’t get all of it. I tried to get it out of bounds but I left it in”.
True freshman quarterback Jarrett Stidham leads the high-powered Baylor offense and will make his first start for the Bears Thursday night. Coleman caught 11 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 58 catches for 1,178 yards and 20 touchdowns this season.
When asked if the offense would be tweaked for Stidham, Briles said “heck no”. “I’m glad to get this first one under my belt”. Can he get Baylor to the playoff, or will his inexperience cost a team that likely needs to run the table to secure a spot in the top four? The Bears’ secondary will be looking to pad their stats when they face off against the Wildcats, who rank 122nd in terms of completion percentage with an average of only 45.6%. After Coach Bill Snyder’s team responded with an 88-yard touchdown march, Stidham trotted back onto the field as poised as ever. Notice his shoulders are squaring up to the throw and he has the football in a good arm-slot.
I think the Wildcats could act as a threat to Baylor if the Bears let their guard down. Sure, they have only given up 950 yards on the ground this year but how much of that is because they give up over 315 through the air each game? “You know a lot of us, myself included, have not really been here before”, Kansas State coach Bill Snyder told reporters of the losing streak. The freshman finished 23 of 33 for 419 yards and three touchdowns. The Wildcats quarterback has rushed for more than 250 yards on the season and has a team-high six rushing touchdowns.
So was Baylor’s lessened production a product of a new quarterback, or was it Baylor finally playing a road game someplace besides SMU or Kansas? That included a slew of drops which could have led to big plays. Memphis is led by their incredible QB Paxton Lynch who has thrown for over 2,700 yards and has an impressive 18 touchdowns to only one interception.
Advertisement
On the ensuing Baylor drive, Stidham hit wide receiver KD Cannon with a 55-yard strike over the middle for the go-ahead score. The Cowboys, added Patterson, enjoy something of an advantage in all this since they play three of their remaining four games at home. Kansas State has forced seven turnovers and has eight of their own.
