The Roar Path: Special Teams and Defense Shine as Baylor Beats Colorado in Opening Big 12 Game
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The final home game of a three game stand sees the Bears go 3-0, including Saturday's win over Colorado. Bringing the Bears to 3-1 on the season and 1-0 to start Big 12 play, it marks the best start to a season that Coach Aranda has had since the 2021 season (where they started 4-0). The Bears won the Big 12 that season, and will be aiming for similar goals this year if this kind of play can continue and improve.
Colorado and Coach Prime showed up in Waco and put up a strong fight, but the Bears proved to be the team who wanted it more this week. Though the offensive line still struggled to establish the running game, and another ten penalty game showed a recurring issue that still hasn't been worked out yet, the Bears' defense and special teams earned them the win against the Buffaloes.
Actual Factual
Total Plays: Baylor 74 - Colorado 81
Total Yards: Baylor 337 - Colorado 363
Time of Possession: Baylor 28:34 - Colorado 31:26
Penalties: Baylor 10 (89 yards) - Colorado 9 (82 yards)
Sacks: Baylor 5 - Colorado 1
Tackles for Loss: Baylor 13 (-55 yards) - Colorado 9 (-22 yards)
Punt Returns: Baylor 7 (130 yards) - Colorado 1 (22 yards)
What Just Happened?
The first half wasn't pretty from either team with self-inflicted penalties aplenty hurting both teams. Baylor's defense started sluggish but ended up finding more a rhythm as the game went on. A key stop on 4th and 1 by Micah Gifford and the Bears defense was the spark that ignited the next drive that saw DJ Lagway connect with Gavin Freeman for the only touchdown of the first half.
A Lagway interception could have spelled disaster right before the end of the half, but luckily enough for Baylor, the defense was able to stop any hope of the Buffaloes getting any points before time expired.
The second half showed more of the same with Baylor never truly being able to deliver that finishing blow to Colorado. Multiple three-and-outs from Baylor's offense leave questions about their efficiency, but again, the defense would not let the Bears lose this game. Whether sacking the quarterback or smothering as many run plays as possible, this Bears defensive unit has been consistent throughout this entire year.
Turning Point
There were a few points in this game where the momentum shifted to Baylor's favor, all of them led to the eventual Bears victory against Colorado.
- Jayden McGowan fielding Colorado's first punt of the game at the two yard line and providing the Bears solid field position by bringing the punt back to the Bears 39 yard line.
- Micah Gifford and Kedrick Walker forcing a turnover on downs, leading to a short drive by Baylor riddled with penalties by Colorado that saw DJ Lagway complete a touchdown pass to Gavin Freeman.
- Freeman hurdling over a Buffalo defender after a reception, spinning, and managing to stay on his feet to pick up even more yards. The excitement in the crowd and the rest of the Baylor team was solidified in this moment and was truly the moment that the game became assuredly out of reach.
The "Bear" Necessities and Things You Need to Know
Baylor's defense deserves some credit as they once again did their part (and then some) to win the game against the Buffaloes.
The Bears' special teams are truly special with Armstrong going 3/3 with a long of 54 yards, and Palmer Williams having 7 punts average 50.4 yards with 3 of them ending up inside the 5 yard line, 4 total ending up inside the 20.
Jayden McGowan serving as punt returner is only ever one good block away from something special. McGowan didn't break one for a touchdown in this game, but it's bound to happen this season.
Gavin Freeman is a competitor and an absolute nightmare for defenses even if he's only 5'9" tall and undersized for a wide receiver.
Micah Gifford might be hurt. After taking a hit during the course of play Gifford had to be helped off of the field, seemingly not able to put any weight on his right leg. As of the time of this publication, no further information is available on the potential injury.
Bear of the Week
With a few strong contenders this week, the choices for Bear of the Week goes to the Baylor Special Teams squad. Rhett Armstrong was a perfect 3-3 with two PATs, Palmer Williams seems to be able to stop the ball inside the five yard line at will, and Jayden McGowan consistently provided the Bears with good field position after fielding a punt. Only slightly edging out the effort of the Bears defense for "Bear of the Week" as while the Bears defense didn't break today, the sluggish start to the game was the ultimate deciding factor.
Next Week Brings a New Opponent
Baylor leaves the comfort of McLane Stadium and Waco, Texas to travel to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona to take on Arizona State on Saturday, October 3rd. As the second of nine Big XII games that Baylor will play, and the Bears first road game since week one's heart-breaking loss against Auburn, it will be interesting to see how the Bears handle their road test against the Sun Devils. Be sure to stay tuned to this channel throughout the week as stories unfold and new information becomes available and the Baylor Bears continue "The Roar Path" through the season.
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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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