As Baylor’s 55-19 win over Arizona State settled in, the biggest takeaway sat right there in the red zone: DJ Lagway finally looked like the quarterback the Bears had been waiting for.
In his second game back from a severe ankle sprain, Lagway played with none of the movement restrictions that showed up a week earlier. He was smooth in the pocket, accurate on back-shoulder throws, and sharp enough to keep threading passes into tight windows.
For Baylor, Week 5 wasn’t just a blowout. It was the offense’s cleanest, most complete showing of the season.
The Bears reached the red zone eight times on Saturday, matching their total from the previous two games combined. They scored touchdowns on all but one of those drives, and even the lone non-touchdown possession still ended with a field-goal attempt. Arizona State, which came in ranked 46th overall by ESPN’s SP+, had no real answer.
Lagway was the engine of it all. He looked locked in with his receivers, and several of the scoring throws came on back-shoulder routes. But the throw that may have said the most came on his connection with Jadon Porter.
Dimes. @DerekLagway ➡️ @PorterJadon #SicEm pic.twitter.com/xyanHgE3lz
That play mattered on its own, but it also fit the broader story of Lagway’s night. He had dealt with passing-mechanics issues at Florida and during his short time at Baylor, yet this was the version of him that made him such a sought-after recruit.
He wasn’t just efficient. He was creative.
His last play of the night showed that too. When Arizona State’s hook defender left his area to carry the tight end, Lagway saw the opening and used it.
The cherry on top 🍒#SicEm | @DerekLagway pic.twitter.com/KhREoQJbfY
By the end of the game, Lagway had matched or set career highs with four passing touchdowns and one rushing score, and every one of those scores came inside the red zone.
Baylor didn’t exactly open the night by rolling downhill. Its first drive went three-and-out and lost yardage.
Even after freshman running back Ryelan Morris broke free for a 63-yard touchdown to put the Bears ahead 7-3, Arizona State answered by moving into Baylor territory and threatening to swing the game back. A forced fumble shut that down, but earlier this season Baylor had not been able to turn those kinds of moments into points.
This time, the Bears did.
Lagway led a measured drive that carved up the Sun Devils and got Baylor all the way to the 3-yard line. From there, he found former Florida teammate Tony Livingston, who finished the play by overpowering a defender in the end zone.
Big Body Vol. 10 💪#SicEm | @Tonylivingston_ pic.twitter.com/qfZ6mOsMwP
That touchdown made it 14-3, and Arizona State never got the margin back to one possession.
The natural question after a game like this isn’t what Baylor has to fix. It’s how much of this performance can actually hold up.
The Bears probably won’t repeat what they did in Tempe, and Lagway almost certainly won’t have five total red-zone touchdowns again. He had never scored more than three total touchdowns before Saturday.
Still, the timing matters. Baylor’s next opponent, TCU, has scored more than 13 points only once this season against FBS competition. The Bears may not need another night like this one to be in position to win.
In Other News...
Baylor Vs TCU Just Got A Bigger Stage Than Fans Expected
Baylors midseason meeting with TCU just picked up a little more shine. The Big 12 announced that the rivalry game in Waco will kick off at 6 p.m. CT in Week 7 and air on FS1, giving the Bears a prime-night backdrop for a matchup that already carries plenty of weight in conference play. Baylor enters at 4-1, and the program also plans to lean into the occasion with blackout uniforms for the occasion.
The timing only adds to the intrigue for a series that has delivered its share of memorable moments over the years. With both the current seasons momentum and the history between the two programs in play, this one was already going to matter inside the league race. Now it will do so under the lights, with a little more attention than fans may have expected when the schedule first came out. [Read more 🡒]
Baylors Arizona State Breakout Just Turned Into Something Bigger
DJ Lagway and Ryelan Morris turned Baylors trip to Arizona State into a showcase, and the Big 12 took notice. The junior quarterback and freshman running back were both honored for Week 5 after helping the Bears roll to a 55-19 win, with Lagway earning Offensive Player of the Week and Morris taking home Freshman of the Week.
Lagway piled up 306 passing yards and accounted for five total touchdowns, giving Baylor the kind of efficient, explosive night it has been chasing. Morris added another layer to the rout with 84 rushing yards and the first touchdown of his career, a strong follow-up that gives the Bears more reason to feel good about their young backfield as the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Just Sent A Strong Message About What This Team Can Be
Baylors latest result did more than add another win to the ledger. It gave a clearer picture of what this group can look like when it puts together a complete performance, and that matters in a Big 12 race where every week seems to reshape the conversation. The Bears decisive victory over Arizona State stood out in a weekend that also featured TCU pushing BYU to the wire and Pittsburgh beating Virginia Tech despite losing starting quarterback Mason Heintschel to a torn ACL.
The broader ripple effect is easy to see from here, too. BYU is headed to UCF soon and arrives ranked No. 8 in the AP poll after surviving that tight game against TCU, while Pittsburghs rise into the AP Top 25 shows how quickly the national picture can shift. Baylors performance, though, may have been the most convincing reminder that this team still has a higher ceiling than its record sometimes suggests, and the next few weeks will go a long way toward proving whether that message holds up. [Read more 🡒]