Baylor Bears Will Need 'Jackers and Robbers' Defense to Beat Oklahoma State
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After the season they had in 2021, it seems unthinkable that the Baylor Bears got their first interception of the year in game number four last Saturday against Iowa State. Yet, that was the case, and the secondary has plenty of work to do to earn the ball-hawking reputation last year‘s outfit had.
They will need to continue building those turnover numbers not only to beat the Oklahoma State Cowboys this Saturday but also to defend their Big 12 title crown.
Before Devin Neal intercepted Hunter Deckers at the beginning of the third quarter, it had been 13 quarters since the Bears had even forced a turnover, a fumble they forced just minutes into the season-opening game against Albany.
“Coming in here and having two turnovers was a big emphasis,” linebacker Bryson Jackson said. “That’s something we absolutely needed coming into conference play.”
The Bears didn’t have to wait nearly as long for their second interception of the year as they did for their first, with Christian Morgan picking off a pass later in the quarter. While it felt like the plan was finally coming together, Coach Dave Aranda knows there is more to be done.
“I’m happy to see them get some reward for some of their efforts,” Aranda said. “That’s something we still need to get better at, but you could see they were trying.”
Last year, A huge part of Baylor’s success was The turnover margin, as they ranked in the top 10 in that category nationally. In 14 games, the Bears forced 29 turnovers, Including 19 interceptions. With a new look secondary that doesn’t include last year’s leading pick man, JT Woods, it has been a slow burn as the Bears have only won the turnover battle twice.
Thankfully for them, they’ll be looking across the line at Cowboys quarterback Spencer Sanders this Saturday, the guy they picked off seven times last year in two games, accounting for more than half of the interceptions he threw all year.
These Cowboys, however, seem determined not to make the mistakes they did last year, with Sanders having thrown just one interception this year as opposed to 10 touchdown passes.
“They are a challenge because they are a strong team," Aranda said. "They don’t crack under pressure, you have to beat them."
The Bears will certainly do all they can to force the Cowboys to keep it on the ground and play right into the hands of their stingy run defense. The best way to force the Cowboys to run the ball is to make Sanders as comfortable as possible, starting with making him a defensive back's best friend yet again.
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