DJ Lagway put Baylor in control early and kept the Bears there all night, accounting for five touchdowns in a 55-19 blowout of Arizona State on Saturday at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe.
Lagway threw four touchdown passes, ran for another score and finished 25 of 40 for 306 yards as Baylor rolled to its fourth straight victory. The Bears improved to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in Big 12 play, while Arizona State fell to 2-2 and 1-1 in the league.
Baylor’s offense came at Arizona State in waves. The Bears piled up 564 total yards, with 320 through the air and 244 on the ground, and they paired that with another sharp defensive outing. Arizona State managed 409 total yards, but only 99 of them came rushing.
The first half set the tone. Arizona State opened with a 46-yard field goal from Carson Smith, but Baylor answered almost immediately with a 63-yard touchdown run from freshman Ryelan Morris, his first career score. From there, Lagway started carving up the Sun Devils, hitting Michael Turner for a 3-yard touchdown, then connecting with Louis Brown IV from 10 yards out to stretch the lead to 21-3.
The Sun Devils trimmed the margin twice before halftime, first with a 32-yard field goal and then with a touchdown pass from Cutter Boley to Omarion Miller. Baylor still took a 24-13 lead into the break after Rhett Armstrong drilled a 36-yard field goal to finish the half.
Then the Bears broke it open. Baylor took the opening possession of the second half 77 yards in nine plays, with Lagway finding Hawkins Polley for a 3-yard touchdown. On the next Arizona State drive, Ryan Davis intercepted a Boley pass, and Baylor quickly cashed in with another Lagway touchdown, this one an 8-yard strike to Jadon Porter.
Arizona State got a 36-yard field goal from Smith to pull within 38-16, but Baylor answered again, this time with a 75-yard touchdown run from sophomore Caden Knighten. Lagway later added an 11-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Armstrong capped the scoring with a 23-yard field goal.
Lagway spread the ball around, hitting four different receivers for touchdowns. Gavin Freeman led the Bears with seven catches for 115 yards, his third 100-yard game of 2026. Brown had six catches for 68 yards and a score, while Porter finished with three receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown.
Baylor also got explosive runs from both Morris and Knighten. Morris carried nine times for 84 yards, and Knighten matched him with six carries for 84 yards. Michael Turner added 51 rushing yards, and Dawson Pendergrass ran for 29.
Defensively, Baylor kept its usual edge. The Bears entered the game ranked in the nation’s top six in sacks and tackles for loss, and they backed that up with three sacks and six TFLs.
Devon Jordan set a career high with 11 tackles and added a pass breakup, while Kaleb Burns had a career-best seven tackles. Daniel Cobbs and Travion Barnes each recorded sacks, with Traevon Mitchell and Ryan Davis adding half-sacks.
Davis, a Phoenix native, also grabbed his first career interception. Tyler Turner forced a fumble, and Baylor recovered two turnovers overall, with Barnes and Stilton McKelvey also landing on loose balls.
Palmer Williams continued to handle punting duties at a high level, averaging 62.7 yards on three punts, including a 72-yarder. Rhett Armstrong made two of his three field-goal tries, connecting from 36 and 23 yards.
Baylor now turns to Oct. 17, when it hosts TCU at McLane Stadium.
In Other News...
ASU's Blowout Loss Exposed A Problem Fans Can't Ignore
A lopsided win over Arizona State gave Baylor exactly what it needed: momentum, confidence and a clearer sense that the offense is finally settling in. The Bears rolled to a 55-19 victory behind DJ Lagways career-high four touchdown passes, while the run game and offensive line both looked far more coordinated than they had earlier this season. The defense did its part, too, helping turn the afternoon into one of Baylors most complete performances of the year.
For a team that has spent stretches searching for consistency, the bigger takeaway may be how different this version looked from the one fans saw in September. Baylor has now won four straight, and the improvement up front was hard to miss against Arizona State. If the Bears can keep that balance going, the next few weeks could tell us a lot about whether this run is a true turnaround or just a hot stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Dave Aranda Finally Had A Baylor Answer For The Critics
Baylors win over Arizona State offered a little bit of everything the Bears have been looking for under Dave Aranda, starting with an offense that finally looked capable of carrying the day. The 55-point outburst gave the program a jolt after plenty of outside criticism, and Aranda made clear afterward that hes more interested in how his team responds than in whether opponents are polite along the way.
Ryelan Morris gave that response some real punch. The freshmans 63-yard touchdown run changed the feel of the game and put a spotlight on the kind of burst Baylor has been waiting to see from its younger players. For a coach who has spent plenty of time answering questions, it was the sort of day that at least hinted at a cleaner, louder answer still to come. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Fans Got The Breakout Performance They'd Been Waiting For
Baylors win over Arizona State gave the Bears the kind of balanced performance fans have been waiting to see, with the offense finally stringing together explosive plays and the defense controlling the game from start to finish. DJ Lagway delivered a breakout afternoon at quarterback, throwing four touchdown passes and piling up 306 passing yards, while Gavin Freeman kept the chains moving with seven catches for 115 yards.
The ground game added its own jolt when freshman back Morris broke loose for a 63-yard touchdown and finished with 84 yards on just nine carries, giving Baylor another dimension beyond the passing attack. On the other side of the ball, the Bears were just as sharp, producing three sacks, two fumble recoveries and six tackles for loss while holding Arizona State under 100 rushing yards, the kind of complete effort that can change how a team looks moving forward. [Read more 🡒]