3 keys to a Baylor victory over Oklahoma State
The Baylor Bears will hit the road and travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma to face the Oklahoma State Cowboys this weekend. After a heartbreaking loss to Arizona State last time out, the Bears will look to get back on track with a win over the Cowboys, who just fired their head coach.
Here are three things Baylor must do if they want to beat Oklahoma State this week.
1. Run the ball and control the clock
After a slow start to the season, Bryson Washington has really got going in the past few games. He's up to 415 yards and four touchdowns in four games and has added another dimension to the Bears' offensive attack.
Last time out, the Bears struggled to consistently move the football, and they kept giving Sam Leavitt and Arizona State chances to score. The Bears' defense did a great job for most of the game, but it always felt like it was a matter of time before Arizona State made a big play on offense.
This week, Baylor needs to consistently move the football on the ground and control the clock. The fewer possessions Oklahoma State gets, the better. Baylor's defense has proven they can get stops, but they haven't been able to do it over the course of a 60-minute game. By limiting how often they're on the field, you limit how many times they can get beat.
2. Don't let the Cowboys beat them over the top
Last week, Baylor's defense had success when they kept everything in front of them. Arizona State couldn't connect on a big play to save their lives in the first three quarters, but when the Bears finally got beat, it was because of a busted coverage.
This week, if Baylor's defense wants to play a great game, they cannot let those explosive plays happen. Again, for three quarters last week, they did a great job of keeping everything in front of them, but eventually they broke. This week, they can't have those busted coverages.
3. Get Josh Cameron involved early
Josh Cameron had a rough outing last weekend. He caught six passes for 65 yards, but coughed up two costly fumbles. He's been great these past two seasons, so he can't let one bad game affect him.
If I'm Sawyer Robertson, I'm targeting Cameron early and often. Get the ball in his hands and let him go make some plays and put the fumbles behind him. They're going to need him to have a good game, so let him build some confidence early so he can dominate later.
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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.