3 Instant Takeaways from Baylor Shootout Victory over Iowa State

Going into the second quarter, Baylor was down 10 points on homecoming, having scored just six points in their last five quarters on home turf. The offense came out flat and the defense was struggling.

The Bears went on to completely blast the Cyclones. Lagway led the charge with a 345-yard effort, helping Baylor improve to 6-3 with a 42-31 win.

Here are three takeaways:

Baylor offense finally kicks into gear at home

In the first quarter, the Bears put up another empty frame, going 0/3 on third downs and mustering just three complete passes. It looked like it was going to be another no-show from the Baylor offense.

However, the unit finally kicked into gear in the second quarter, finding the end zone on 5 of their next six drives and ripping off 28 unanswered points. The Bears never looked back, turning the ball over zero times and notching six touchdowns.

Lagway has a top gear

Nov 7, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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While the first quarter offense was pitiful, Lagway was able to use his legs to pick up yards. Early in the second quarter, the offense got the break they needed.

After the Bears went backwards 15 yards, the Iowa State punt returner muffed the punt, and the Bears got the ball at midfield. Three plays later, the Baylor offense had doubled their yardage as Lagway found tight end Tony Livingston in the endzone.

On the next possession, the Bears converted on third down for the first time as DJ Lagway showed off his speed on a 54-yard rushing touchdown.

Lagway found his groove; it seemed like he was either going to hit Gavin Freeman or just run for 10 yards.

Flora caused problems for the defense

Iowa State running back Aiden Flora exploded for 182 yards against the Baylor defense that has thus far dominated the run game. His speed allowed him to use the long side of the field to get around the Bears' defensive line and break free on several explosive plays.

Flora averaged seven yards carry and caused issues for the entire Baylor defense. The Bears defense shut out the Cyclones in the crucial third quarter, settling in against the run game and forcing Iowa State to go through the air. But Baylor gave up a season-high 31 points and will have some kinks to work out before facing BYU on the road.

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