Baylor is 4-1 going into the bye week, but the Bears are still sorting out exactly what this offense wants to be. That much was on display in the lopsided win over ASU last Saturday, a game that showed Baylor can spread the ball around and score in plenty of different ways.
Even with Gavin Freeman and DJ Lagway standing out as the obvious headliners, there are a few other pass catchers who could make a real difference if they see more work over the final seven games. A little more volume for those players could help both the offense and their own production.
Jadon Porter was targeted just four times against ASU, but he made the most of it. Three of those targets were completed, and two ended in touchdowns. The other was the kind of sideline grab that turns heads: a clutch “good-on-Sundays” tip-toe catch to move the chains on third and long.
Porter missed the first two games of the season after a preseason injury, but he looks like he could be a strong complement to Freeman. At 6-foot-1, he brings size to the group, and that sideline catch showed strong body control and awareness. He has also held up well as a run blocker when Baylor needs him in that role.
Jayden McGowan has also made a habit of turning limited chances into production. He has nine catches, the same total as Porter, but has already turned his into four touchdowns, compared with Porter’s two.
His breakaway speed has already shown up in the end zone, and his quick feet and reliable hands make him tough for defenses to pin down. At 5-foot-7, McGowan is not going to win with size, but he makes up for it with elusiveness.
He also handles kick and punt return duties for the Bears.
Then there are the tight ends, Matthew Klopfenstein and Hawkins Polley. Both have dependable hands and can run routes when called on, even if they are usually asked to do more dirty work as extra blockers or serve as occasional check-down options. Giving them more targets could force defenses to account for them more seriously, which would spread things out and create more room elsewhere in the passing game.
In Other News...
Baylor Golf Faces A Big Test In A Format That Changes Everything
Baylor mens golf heads to Salt Lake City this week for the Big 12 Match Play Tournament, a three-day event at The Country Club of Salt Lake City that can look nothing like a standard stroke-play week. Instead of chasing a cumulative score from start to finish, the Bears will be navigating pool play from Oct. 12-14, with the format setting up a very different kind of pressure before anyone even reaches the semifinal round.
For Baylor, the challenge begins with the draw and the margin for error that comes with it. The Bears are in Pool D with Kansas, TCU and West Virginia as the No. 13 seed, which means every match will matter in a setting built around momentum, quick swings and the kind of head-to-head battles that can reward a team playing its sharpest golf at the right time. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Soccer Returns Home With Something To Prove Sunday
Baylors soccer team is back at Betty Lou Mays Field on Sunday, and the timing feels right for a little reset at home. The seventh-ranked Bears bring a 10-2-1 record into a noon kickoff against Kansas State, with Aryanna Jimison again expected to be central to what Baylor does. Free admission should help create a lively setting, and those who cant make it will be able to follow along on ESPN+.
Kansas State comes in at 5-4-4, with Gabby Demers among the Wildcats players to watch, but this is also the kind of match Baylor wants to handle cleanly as it settles back into conference play. The Bears have spent much of the fall carrying the burden that comes with national ranking and local expectations, and Sunday offers another chance to reinforce that place near the top while adding a little more clarity to where they stand. [Read more 🡒]
Baylors Bye Week Puts New Focus On A Tense Stretch Ahead
Baylors schedule gets a brief reset this week, with the Bears off in Week 6 and the long-anticipated Revivalry also pushed back. That pause only sharpens what comes next, because the stretch from Week 7 through Week 13 is packed with familiar Big 12 pressure points, road trips, and opponents with varying momentum as the calendar turns deeper into October and November.
The next run starts with a home date against Kansas State before Baylor heads to TCU, then returns to Waco for a game with UCF and a visit from Utah. From there, the Bears face a trip to Cincinnati, a home matchup with Arizona, and a late swing to Houston to close the regular-season buildup. A few of those future opponents are in action during Week 6, giving Baylor and its fan base one more chance to monitor how the rest of the league looks before the seasons most demanding part arrives. [Read more 🡒]