Baylor Football Report Card: How Each Position Graded in Win Vs. Colorado
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To open up conference play, the Bears took down Colorado 23-13. There is still plenty to fix before heading to Arizona State next Saturday.
Here's a look at the positions that stood out and those that struggled.
Quarterback: C+
I know it was Lagway's first game back after being injured, but he did not look great. He ended the game going 19-for-39 with 221 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.
There were times when Lagway could've taken off and gained 15 yards, but he chose to stay in the pocket. Plays like that made me question whether he was fully comfortable running on his ankle going into this game.
Lagway still has some learning to do when it comes to his role in Jake Spavital's offense, and this game was a good example of that.
Wide Receivers: B
Gavin Freeman led the group with six receptions, 59 yards, and a touchdown. Dre'lon Miller reeled in three catches for 31 yards against his former team, which was good to see after not getting much from him to start the season.
Jadon Porter also scored a 33 yard touchdown after not playing last week for the Bears. Overall, this was a solid performance for the receivers.
Runningbacks: B-
Dawson Pendergrass had a good game with 16 carries for 85 yards, averaging just over five yards per carry. Caden Knighten didn't have a great game, as he only averaged 1.8 yards per carry.
Freshman running back Ryelan Morris had four carries for 11 yards. I expect to see more of him throughout the remainder of the season.
Tight End: B
Hawkins Polley came away with a 28 yard reception and Tony Livingston had one reception for three yards. Not a bad performance for this group, but nothing special.
Offensive Line: C
Other than a few good runs by Pendergrass, the offensive line was never able to create any running lanes. The same issues we've seen with this group so far this season were still seen today. This group will have to improve as the season goes on.
Defensive Line: A
Another good performance by the defensive line. This defense had five sacks and 13 tackles for loss, and held Colorado to just 2.1 yards per carry. The Buffaloes were only able to pick up 83 rushing yards.
This group continues to impress me, and is proving to be one of the top defensive lines in the Big 12.
Linebackers: A-
Travion Barnes contributed to the tackles for loss with two of his own. Micah Gifford had one tackle for loss. Gifford and Barnes combined for 17 total tackles
Besides the 95 yard touchdown drive by the Buffaloes in the 4th quarter, this group was active and looked good in this matchup.
Secondary: B
Although Baylor's defense held the Buffaloes to 13 points, Colorado still threw for 280 yards. A big part of that was Colorado benching Julian Lewis for Isaac Wilson.
The secondary had six pass breakups, but I couldn't grade them too high after giving up that many yards in the air.
Special Teams: A+
This group played a great game. Rhett Armstrong went 3-for-3 on field goals, including a 54-yarder. Palmer Williams had another impressive performance, averaging 50.4 yards per punt and pinning Colorado deep in its own territory
Jayden McGowan was impressive on punt returns, totaling 130 yards and averaging 18.6 yards per return.
Overall, it was a great day for the Bears' special teams.
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Grant is a writer for Baylor Bears on SI with a focus on Baylor football and basketball. He is a Texas A&M Sport Management graduate and longtime Baylor fan who has followed the Bears closely for more than a decade. His passion for sports drives him to find the stories, stats, and perspectives that matter most to Baylor fans
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