Baylor’s first Big 12 win of the season came with plenty to like, but it also had some rough edges that showed up fast. The Bears handled Colorado, and the final result was a welcome one, yet the performance still had enough uneven stretches to leave a clear split between the players who carried the day and the ones who didn’t.
DJ Lagway’s first home game as a Baylor Bear was a shaky one. He finished 19-of-39 for 221 yards and two touchdowns, but the stat line didn’t do much to quiet the questions around him.
After missing the previous two games with a right ankle injury, his mobility still looked uncertain, and the overall feel of his performance never really clicked. For a player who came into the season with plenty of hype, this was not the kind of showing Baylor wanted to see.
The offense did get major help elsewhere, especially from Gavin Freeman. He was busy again, catching six passes for 59 yards and a touchdown, and he kept showing the kind of knack that makes him so hard to deal with.
Freeman also delivered one of the day’s more memorable moments with a hurdle in the fourth quarter. As the source put it, “when he's covered, he's open” - and that idea keeps proving true.
The special teams unit made a real difference, too. McGowan only caught two passes for 34 yards, but his biggest impact came as a returner.
He brought back seven punts for 139 yards, including a long of 36, and kept setting Baylor up with field position already past midfield. Several of those returns looked like they were one block away from breaking all the way free.
McGowan is going to return a punt for a touchdown at some point this season.
Rhett Armstrong was just as important in his own way. He hit all three of his field goal attempts and both extra points, with a long of 54 yards, and 11 of Baylor’s 23 points came directly from his leg.
Palmer Williams also helped tilt the field, repeatedly pinning Colorado deep in its own territory with punts downed inside the five. He can not only drop the ball near the goal line, but also flip field position with kicks of 50-plus yards.
Baylor’s defense was the biggest collective strength of the afternoon. It started a little slowly, but once it settled in, it turned into a smothering unit.
The defensive line made every yard hard to earn, the secondary stayed tight on Colorado’s receivers, and the linebackers kept the pressure coming. The Bears finished with five sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble and recovery.
One of the turning points came in the second quarter, when Baylor stuffed a fourth-and-short attempt. That stop swung momentum back toward the Bears, who then scored a touchdown on the next drive when Lagway found Freeman.
Ryelan Morris also flashed his talent in a limited role. The true freshman saw more snaps against Colorado than he had in any other game this season, and while his overall workload was still modest, his quickness and elusiveness stood out when he got on the field. He may not be the biggest player on the roster, but he looked like one of the most explosive.
The one area that still needs work is the run game. Dawson Pendergrass, Caden Knighten, Michael Turner, and Ryelan Morris all have ability, but Baylor’s ground attack never found much rhythm.
The Bears averaged just 3.3 yards per carry, and that kind of production makes it hard to keep an offense balanced. Even with a better stretch late in the game, the overall lack of consistent rushing output was a problem.
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Among the returners are senior attackers Teagan Ryan and Jaimey Hill, along with junior goalkeeper Elena Oh, giving Colorado a core that fans can recognize as the team takes an early look at the coming season. Admission is free, which only adds to the appeal of a rare chance to see the Buffs on the football field again, even if the real test still comes later. [Read more 🡒]