3 bold predictions for Baylor vs Kansas State
The Baylor Bears got an 18-point win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys this weekend, but it wasn't as convincing as it should've been. The Cowboys came into this game near the bottom of the FBS in scoring, but still put up 27 points on the Bears' defense. It should've been a massive blowout, but instead, they let Oklahoma State hang around a bit too long.
This week, the Bears will host the Kansas State Wildcats and look to earn their second Big 12 win of the season. The Wildcats have not lived up to expectations this season, but are still a dangerous team.
It should be a fun game to kick off the Saturday slate, and here are three bold predictions for the game.
Baylor sets season-high, rushes for 225+ yards as a team
The Baylor Bears have really gotten their rushing game going after a slow start against Auburn. Bryson Washington has averaged over 6.4 yards per carry in each of his last three games, and Caden Knighten has turned into a really nice compliment to the redshirt sophomore. This week, they face a Kansas State team that's struggled to stop the run, so they could be in for a massive game.
Kansas State's defense has given up 181.6 rushing yards per game this season, which ranks 116th in the nation. They have one of the better pass defenses in the Big 12, but just cannot stop the ground game. Sawyer Robertson is going to get his, but I wouldn't be surprised if Baylor leans on the run game this weekend and sets a new season-high with 225+ yards between their two backs.
Avery Johnson throws for 300+ yards for the second time in his career
Baylor's passing defense has been pretty bad this season. They held Auburn to just over 100 yards passing, but that was largely due to the fact that the Tigers ran for over 300 yards and four touchdowns. Since then, SMU, Arizona State and even Oklahoma State have found success through the air against this defense.
Avery Johnson entered the season as some people's dark horse to win the Heisman Trophy. However, that hasn't come to fruition. He's struggled this season, especially in recent games, but this is a perfect opportunity to turn his season around. He's only thrown for 300+ yards once in his career - this season against North Dakota - but I believe he could do it again this weekend if the Bears' defense plays how it did last week.
Baylor and Kansas State combine for 75+ points
If you've followed Baylor at all this year, you'd know that they have one of the best offenses in college football, but also one of the worst defenses. They can score 40+ on any given night, but their defense is prone to mistakes and is not afraid to give up 40+ of their own against a good offense.
While Kansas State's offense certainly hasn't been great this season, they're much better than Oklahoma State, who just scored 27 on the Bears last weekend. I know they played well against Arizona State, but that was a sloppy game for both offenses for three quarters, and when it mattered most, the Sun Devils put up 14 points in the fourth quarter alone.
There's going to be a lot of points put on the board this weekend, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see a final score in the 42-35 range.
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Luke is a writer for the Baylor Bears On SI. He's an LSU graduate and previously covered the Tigers for two years. He also covers the New Orleans Saints and Formula 1. Luke's passion for sports and storytelling led him to become a sports writer.