Final Baylor injury report for Big 12 opener vs Arizona State
The Baylor Bears and Arizona State Sun Devils square off later this afternoon to open Big 12 play. Both squads have Big 12 Championship aspirations, but have already suffered a loss early in the season. They'll start with a clean slate in conference play, but one of these two contenders will begin Big 12 play with a loss, putting them on the back foot for the rest of the season.
Game Breakdown
This should be a high-scoring affair. Both teams have great offenses, which are led by elite quarterbacks. Sawyer Robertson has inserted himself into Heisman conversations with his play early this year, and while Sam Leavitt hasn't peaked at Arizona State yet, it's only a matter of time before he has a big game.
The difference in these two teams is their defenses. Baylor's defense has been horrible, surrendering 41.5 points per game to Power Four opponents. They have played two very good teams in Auburn and SMU, but that's not an excuse for how they've played defensively.
On the other side of the field, Arizona State's defense has played one Power Four opponent this year - Mississippi State - and gave up 24 points. They were very poor against the pass, allowing 279 yards and three scores, but held the Bulldogs' running backs to under 4.0 yards per carry.
If Baylor wants to win this game, they'll need Sawyer Robertson to have a big day. He's capable of throwing for 400+ yards, and if Arizona State's secondary struggles like it did against Mississippi State, it's hard to envision them stopping the Bears' passing attack.
Injury Report
Heading into this matchup, Baylor is actually pretty healthy. They have a handful of players who have been ruled out, but there aren't too many starters missing this game. The most notable name missing this week is Phoenix Jackson, who suffered a foot injury and has been ruled out for the year. Outside of that, there weren't too many surprises.
Here's Baylor's full list of inactives for their Big 12 opener against the Arizona State Sun Devils:
Out
- CB Carl Williams IV
- DL Cooper Lanz
- S Devin Turner
- WR Mason Dossett
- LB Phoenix Jackson
- WR Brody Day
- RB Dawson Pendergrass
- TE Brody Wilhelm
Game Time Decision
- TE Michael Trigg
- CB Kyler Beaty
- DL Devonte Tezino
- OL Colton Price
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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.