Baylor vs Kansas State scouting report: Breaking down the Wildcats ahead of Week 6
The Baylor Bears are coming off a strong win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Baylor won in a high-scoring 45-27 showdown that saw the Bears' offense put up 612 yards of total offense. Baylor will now travel back to Waco to host the Kansas State Wildcats in hopes of improving to a 2-1 record in Big 12 play. The Bears opened as 6.5-point favorites.
Kansas State's offense
At the head of the Kansas State offense is quarterback Avery Johnson. The junior quarterback has thrown for 1,019 yards and 8 touchdowns on the season with just one interception. Johnson has also made plenty of plays with his legs, rushing for 137 yards and two touchdowns. The versatile quarterback had his best game as a runner in the team's Week 5 win over the UCF Knights, rushing for 75 yards on 12 attempts.
Running backs Dylan Edwards, Joe Jackson, and DeVon Rice have all been efficient running the ball for Kansas State, with each averaging over 4.0 yards a carry. But the Wildcats' running game has been inconsistent. The Wildcats rushed for 266 yards in their win over UCF, but just 105 yards in their loss to the Arizona Wildcats, with the bulk coming from a 75-yard carry from wide receiver Jayce Brown.
Kansas State runs a dual backfield system, with Edwards and Jackson splitting carries. Edwards has rushed for 179 yards and a touchdown on 24 attempts, averaging 7.5 yards a carry, while Jackson has rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown on 4.1 yards a carry. The Baylor defense has struggled to stop the run throughout the season, and the Wildcats' dual running back system and the rushing capabilities of Avery Johnson offer one of the biggest challenges for the Bears' defense this season.
Kansas State's defense
The Kansas State defense has allowed 25.2 points per game, which ranks them 77th in the nation. The Wildcats' early-season struggles are best defined by their Week 1 loss, which was followed by a closely contested 38-35 win over North Dakota. Outside of allowing their FCS opponent to put up 35 points, Kansas State's defense is only allowing 22.7 points per game.
The Baylor offense won't have an easy matchup against the Wildcats' defense, but for the Bears, it will come down to taking care of the ball. The Kansas State defense has 8 takeaways in five games, including 3 interceptions and 5 fumble recoveries. The Bears have turned the ball over five times in their last three games, including 3 interceptions from quarterback Sawyer Robertson.
How the Bears can win
Baylor will have to hone in on limiting the run game for the Wildcats. The Bears are allowing 168 rushing yards per game to Big 12 opponents so far in conference play and have been burned by versatile quarterbacks plenty of times this season. Baylor did a solid job in limiting Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt, but Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson is coming into Waco with momentum.
Saturday's matchup will likely end in a high-scoring affair. With a lenient defense that has struggled to limit opponent scoring, the Bears' offense will have to protect the football. The Baylor offense came out of Week 5 without turning the ball over, but now, going against a defense that has forced five turnovers in the last two weeks, there will be a bigger emphasis on not making mistakes.
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Kyle is a writer for the Baylor Bears on SI. He is a student at the University of New Orleans and studies journalism. He also covers the New Orleans Saints and has previously covered the LSU Tigers football team. Kyle loves all aspects of sports and has used that to pursue a career as a writer.