TCU walked into Waco and made life miserable for Baylor’s offense in a 17-6 win, and the Bears spent most of the night searching for answers that never really came. The defense gave Baylor enough to hang around, but the offense never found a rhythm against a TCU group that controlled the game from start to finish.
DJ Lagway had a rough night under that kind of pressure. TCU didn’t leave much breathing room for open targets, but Lagway also forced too many throws into traffic or double coverage, and several others sailed out of bounds. His unwillingness, or inability, to take off running when space opened up only made the night harder.
Even in a tough offensive showing, Gavin Freeman kept working and came away with the Bears’ best receiving line. He finished with a team-high 7 catches for 76 yards, fighting through tight coverage all game and giving Baylor its most productive option through the air.
Baylor’s defense, meanwhile, kept doing what it has done for six straight games: holding opponents under 20 points. This one still wasn’t perfect, but the unit again gave the Bears a real chance to stay in it.
The stat sheet backed it up with 4 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and an interception. Micah Gifford, Hosea Wheeler, "Slug" Traevon Mitchell, Kaleb Burns, Travion Barnes, Garrick Ponder, Reggie Bush II, and the rest of the defense all deserved credit for the way they battled.
Palmer Williams also turned in another steady night in the punting game. Even with TCU’s J.
Chance putting up more total punts at 8 and more yardage at 323 for a 40.4 average, Williams finished with a better average. He punted 5 times for 233 yards, a 46.6 average, and placed two kicks inside the 20 despite not always working with ideal field position.
He’s continued to be one of Baylor’s most reliable pieces.
The bigger issue sat up front. TCU’s defense showed exactly why it has been talked up, and Baylor’s offensive line couldn’t create enough room or protection to change the shape of the game. The Bears managed only 54 rushing yards, another sign of how thoroughly TCU dictated things.
That has been a season-long problem, and it has to get sorted quickly. If not, the rest of the Big 12 is going to look at TCU’s blueprint and try the same thing against Baylor.
In Other News...
Baylor Still Has One Harsh Problem After Rivalry Loss
Baylors latest loss in the Revivalry came with a familiar frustration attached, as TCU handled the Bears 17-6 in the 122nd meeting between the longtime rivals. The Horned Frogs also were working with a new offensive line setup, but the bigger story was their defense, which kept Baylor from finding much rhythm and put the Bears in a tough spot for much of the afternoon.
For Baylor, the concern goes beyond one rough showing against an in-state rival. TCUs front repeatedly disrupted the Bears offense, and Hayward was a major reason why, finishing with five tackles and three sacks while setting the tone for a unit that controlled the game. The result left Baylor with another harsh reminder of how thin the margin is when the offense cannot answer a defense playing at that level. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Softball Gets Its First Real Test With A Reworked Roster
Baylor softball is using its annual Green and Gold World Series at Getterman Stadium as a first real chance to see how this reworked roster comes together before the 2027 season. The intrasquad event gives Glenn Moore and his staff a live look at the group in a competitive setting, while also offering players a chance to start building the chemistry that can be hard to find in fall workouts alone.
The series is free and open to the public, which gives Baylor fans an early peek at how the Bears might look after a busy roster reset. With multiple games on the schedule, the focus is less on the scoreboard and more on sorting out roles, sharpening depth and finding out which players are ready to handle the pressure that comes with a roster still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Gets A Huge Revivalry Test With Home Momentum On The Line
Baylor walks into another chapter of its rivalry with a real chance to keep early momentum rolling at home, and the setup is familiar enough to make the stakes easy to understand. The Bears have started well, the crowd should be into it, and the matchup with TCU brings all the usual tension that comes with a game that means more than a normal conference weekend.
There is still plenty of room for the kind of details that can swing a rivalry game, from injuries to how each side wants to attack on Saturday. Baylor will be watching its defensive availability closely while trying to protect the edge it has built so far, and TCU arrives with enough history in the series to make this one feel less like a formality than a test of whether the Bears can keep their home surge intact. [Read more 🡒]