The Roar Path: Baylor Football's New Season Hopes Dashed by Fourth Quarter Blunder
In this story:
Week one is in the books, and what a week that it was. Across the country there were fireworks and upsets aplenty. Baylor themselves were a 7.5 point underdog heading into their game against Auburn. The Aflac Kickoff Game in Atlanta, Georgia couldn't have asked for a better game for the fans. The Baylor fans though; they're going to want at least one big play back to do over again.
Baylor suffered a 17-16 loss to Auburn and let's dig into the facts, figures, what happened, and does someone take the blame?
Facts and Figures
- Baylor ran 99 total plays, 23 more than Auburn at 76.
- Baylor 7-22 on third down conversions (No successful third down conversions by Baylor in the entire second or third quarters) compared to Auburn going 10-18.
- Baylor's defense recorded 5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss whereas Auburn only recorded a single sack and 8 tackles for loss.
- Gavin Freeman set a personal career high in receiving yards with 154 on 12 receptions.
- Kicker Rhett Armstrong's first successful career field goal (22 yards) was the his second career field goal attempt, missing his first 42 yard attempt wide right.
- DJ Lagway set a personal career high in passing attempts with 54, completing 27 of them, also a personal best of his collegiate career.
What Just Happened?
Baylor's defense was a huge question coming into this season. The game against Auburn last season in Waco saw the Bears give up over 300 rushing yards, but this year's Baylor team is now run by defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman (formerly of Kansas State), and his influence is already paying dividends. Five sacks, eleven tackles for loss, and three interceptions is a strong showing for any defense.
The defense deserves only praise after this game. Sure there was the occasional minor mishap and missed tackle, but for a team that hadn't played together in a live game before, they performed better than many had predicted
The Turning Point
DJ Lagway's ankle injury during his first quarter fumble loss immediately changed how he was able to play. When the game started Lagway's feet were quick and he was able to move around as a healthy DJ Lagway would be expected to move.
Landing wrong on his right ankle after hurdling over an Auburn defender, Lagway moved progressively less throughout the rest of the game. By the end of the first half, the wrap and brace and further wrap around Lagway's ankle had become rather sizable and he was barely able to even move in the pocket.
At the start of the second half, the trainers and medical staff had enough time to properly wrap Lagway's ankle, but his mobility was still minimal. Mostly using just his arm strength alone to pass during the second half, his throws that were coming out as quick as lightning when the game first started had noticeably lost some of their velocity.
The Brunt of Responsibility
Undeniably, this loss will be attributed to Coach Dave Aranda by those looking to fan the flames under the hot seat, and they'll have an argument that's going to be hard to argue against. The rough truth of it, is that if the DJ Lagway pass to Klopfenstein was able to be a successful two-point conversion instead of Klopfenstein being tackled only a few feet away from the goal line, we'd be here singing the praises of a coach who's willing to trust his team to win the game right then and there.
The trust that Coach Aranda has in his players is certainly commendable, but if one side of the coin is "hit" the other side is inevitably "miss." And unfortunately, this one missed as devastatingly as possible.
The "Bear" Necessities and Things you Need to Know
- Baylor's defense was tenacious. 5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions.
- Gavin Freeman can be everywhere and can catch everything. 12 receptions for 154 yards and a touchdown.
- Dawson Pendergrass never stops moving his feet. 25 rushing attempts for 88 yards.
- Dave Aranda is still willing to risk the entire game in a single play. Failed a 2-point conversion attempt instead of kicking the extra point to send the game to overtime.
- DJ Lagway was able to finish the game, but how hurt is he really?
- 0-1 is Baylor's current success rate on 2-point conversions on the season.
A new Opponent Next Week
The Bears return to Waco for their home opener September 12th against Prairie View where they'll have a second attempt at winning their first game of the season. An estimated 40,000 Baylor fans will be in attendance at McLane Stadium for the 7:00 PM local start time, all wanting to see their Bears record their first victory. Be sure to keep an eye on this channel for your Baylor Bears news as stories develop throughout the week.
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Brad is a writer and contributes to the Baylor Bears on SI, with aspirations to share his own unique thoughts and perspectives with fans. Whether through the facts and figures of the past or the untold potential and triumphs of the future, sports have always been a large influence on Brad's storytelling and life overall. His inspiration to write began while watching sports when he first noticed the highs and lows of each game, each quarter, each play; there's a story in each of them worth telling, and he wanted to tell them.
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