Baylor walked into the desert as the underdog and walked out with a statement win. By the time the first quarter was over, the Bears had taken control on both sides of the ball and never really let go, rolling past ASU 55-19 for what looked like Baylor’s most complete performance of the season.
The numbers tell the story cleanly. Baylor ran 79 plays to ASU’s 74 and piled up 564 total yards while holding the Sun Devils to 409.
On the ground, the Bears were especially sharp, finishing with 244 rushing yards at 6.8 per carry compared with ASU’s 99 yards and 3.3 per run. Baylor also won the red zone battle 41-6, converted 9 of 15 third downs and scored 14 points off turnovers while ASU had none.
It started with a defensive tone-setting exchange: both teams opened with three-and-outs, and for a stretch it looked like this might turn into a grind. ASU got on the board first with a field goal, but Baylor answered in a hurry.
On the Bears’ second drive, Ryelan Morris broke loose for a 63-yard touchdown run, and the game shifted for good. The Sun Devils then coughed up a fumble on the next possession, and Baylor turned that into a Tony Livingston touchdown catch, his first of the year.
DJ Lagway delivered the kind of night that gets attention. He threw for 306 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, and he added a rushing touchdown as well. It was a major step forward from last week’s game against Colorado and a performance that made the hype feel a lot more real.
Jadon Porter didn’t need a high-volume night to matter. He caught only three passes, but two went for touchdowns, and one came on a clutch tiptoe sideline grab that helped set up one of those scores. Every one of his catches mattered.
Gavin Freeman also kept finding ways to tilt the field. He had just caught his first pass of the night before Morris’ long touchdown run, and he remained a tough cover throughout the game thanks to his speed, his comfort lining up anywhere, his ability to catch in traffic and his willingness to hurdle defenders when he had to.
The defense deserves its share of the spotlight too. Baylor kept ASU under 20 points for the fifth straight game, and the Bears continued to build on what was already a stronger statistical profile than last season. More than anything, this was the kind of full-game effort Baylor had been chasing: disciplined, clean and without the sloppiness that had shown up in other spots earlier in the year.
The win gives Baylor its second Big 12 victory in as many games, and the Bears now head into a bye week before facing TCU on October 10th in Waco.
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 Heads Into TCU With Real Momentum After Another Statement Win
Baylor rolled into Mountain America Stadium and kept its surge going with a 55-19 rout of Arizona State, extending its winning streak to four games and sharpening the sense that this team has found its footing. DJ Lagway was central to it all, throwing four touchdown passes and adding another on the ground, while the Bears defense continued to do work on the other side of the ball by holding ASU to 20 points or less for the fifth straight game.
The result gives Baylor a real sense of momentum as it heads into the TCU matchup, where the stakes figure to rise quickly. Wins like this do more than pad a record, because they reinforce the kind of balance Baylor wants heading into a tougher stretch, with the offense producing in bursts and the defense setting a steady tone. [Read more 🡒]