Baylor kept rolling Saturday, handling Louisiana Tech 36-19 in a mid-afternoon game at McLane Stadium.
The Bears improved to 2-1 with their second home game of the season, while LA Tech dropped to 1-2 in front of a crowd dressed in gold on a hot Texas afternoon. Baylor’s win came with a few clear storylines, and the biggest one started at quarterback.
Bennett made his second career start and delivered again in place of Lagway. His command looked sharper, his reads were cleaner, and the arm talent was there all afternoon.
He kept finding open receivers downfield and looked comfortable running the offense. The numbers backed it up: 21-for-24, 253 yards and four total touchdowns, with no interceptions.
That kind of performance fits the definition of a “next man up” effort, and Baylor got exactly that from Bennett. Fans are waiting to see Lagway back next week against Colorado, but Bennett’s last two outings gave the Bears a steady hand when they needed one.
The defense had its own test in the heat. Louisiana Tech put together some longer drives in the first half, but Baylor’s secondary didn’t fade. The Bulldogs still had the ball down 13 to open the third quarter, but a stop on a midfield 4th and 1 helped Baylor seize control and stretch the game out.
Early on, Baylor’s first-down pass coverage stood out, with LeVar Thornton and Bo Onu both turning in strong stretches. Even so, the pass rush never really took over.
Baylor had piled up nine sacks over its first two games, but Trey Kukuk was brought down in the backfield only once. One of the Bears’ first-half sacks was wiped out by a face mask on linebacker Kyland Reed, and the only strip sack came late in the third quarter.
Kukuk also made Baylor work on the ground, running for 75 yards on 11 carries. Pressure from the front didn’t seem to bother him much, and the Bears struggled to keep him contained.
There was also a quiet afternoon for the tight ends. That group finished with just one catch, and the blocking didn’t offer much either. If Baylor wants the offense to look more complete, that area seems like the place that needs the most work.
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Baylor Win Brought A New QB Question Fans Didn't Expect
Baylors 36-19 win over Louisiana Tech gave the Bears plenty to like, especially on a night when backup quarterback Nate Bennett stepped in and made the offense look steady and productive. He threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns, added a rushing score, and helped Baylor keep control while freshman Ryelan Morris supplied valuable late-game carries. The defense also did its part, forcing a fumble and coming up with a stop on fourth down when the Bulldogs tried to answer.
Still, the broader picture after the game is a little murkier than the final score suggested. Baylor is already dealing with the loss of Devonte Tezino, and the run defense remains an issue that needs work, which means the Bears have some real concerns to sort through even after a solid showing. Add in Bennetts performance, and the win leaves Baylor with a new quarterback question it probably did not expect to be asking this soon. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor's Quarterback Picture Just Got A Lot More Interesting
Nate Bennett gave Baylor exactly what it needed in a 36-19 win over Louisiana Tech, and he did it in just his second straight start. The quarterback was efficient from the jump, completing 21 of 24 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns while adding another score on the ground, a performance that helped keep the Bears in control throughout the afternoon.
Baylor also got a defensive showing that should not get lost in the shuffle. The Bears held Louisiana Tech to 19 points and 362 total yards, a strong enough effort to make this the first time since 2019 that they have allowed fewer than 20 points through their first three games. With Bennett settling in and the defense stacking results, Baylors quarterback situation suddenly looks a whole lot more compelling. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Exposed A Baylor Problem That Could Decide Two Games
Texas Techs recent showing against Houston offered a clear look at the kind of challenge Baylor is about to face in the Big XII, and it was the sort of game that can expose more than one weakness at once. For the Bears, the matchup problem is not just about one opponent or one scheme. It is about how well they handle a team that can create stress from multiple spots on the floor, while also staying sharp enough to avoid being dragged into a game that turns on matchups and reaction time.
Baylors own path now runs through both Texas Tech and Houston later in the season, with home and road meetings that will ask different questions each time. The Bears will need a clean plan for Techs multi-position threats, and they will also have to make life difficult for Houston quarterback Conner Weigman by keeping pressure on him throughout the night. Those are separate tests, but they point to the same issue Baylor has to solve if it wants to keep its conference hopes on track. [Read more 🡒]