Baylor opened conference play with a 23-13 win over Colorado, and the Bears got enough strong play in key spots to get the job done. Even so, there’s still a lot to clean up before next Saturday’s trip to Arizona State.
The biggest question mark came at quarterback. Lagway was back after being injured, but he never looked fully settled.
He finished 19-for-39 for 221 passing yards with two touchdowns and one interception. There were also several moments when he had room to run for a chunk gain, yet he stayed in the pocket instead.
That raised real questions about how comfortable he was on the ankle. He still has some learning to do in Jake Spavital’s offense, and this game showed it.
Baylor did get solid production from its pass catchers. Gavin Freeman paced the group with six catches for 59 yards and a touchdown.
Dre'lon Miller added three receptions for 31 yards against his former team, which was a welcome sight after a quiet start to the season. Jadon Porter also found the end zone on a 33-yard touchdown after sitting out last week.
Hawkins Polley chipped in a 28-yard grab, and Tony Livingston finished with one catch for three yards.
The run game had mixed results. Dawson Pendergrass was the clear bright spot, carrying 16 times for 85 yards and averaging a little over five yards a pop.
Caden Knighten, though, struggled to get much going and averaged just 1.8 yards per carry. Freshman Ryelan Morris had four carries for 11 yards, and more of him could be coming as the season moves along.
The offensive line never consistently opened things up on the ground. Outside of a few decent Pendergrass runs, the running lanes just weren’t there, and the same problems that have shown up earlier this season were still present.
Baylor’s defensive front, on the other hand, was a force. The Bears piled up five sacks and 13 tackles for loss while holding Colorado to 2.1 yards per carry and just 83 rushing yards.
Travion Barnes had two tackles for loss, Micah Gifford added one, and the two combined for 17 total tackles. The group was active throughout the day, with the exception of Colorado’s 95-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.
Colorado did throw for 280 yards, though, and part of that came after the Buffaloes benched Julian Lewis for Isaac Wilson. Baylor’s secondary also logged six pass breakups, but the air-yard total kept the grade from climbing much higher.
Special teams delivered one of Baylor’s cleanest performances of the day. Rhett Armstrong went 3-for-3 on field goals, including a 54-yarder.
Palmer Williams averaged 50.4 yards per punt and repeatedly pushed Colorado deep. Jayden McGowan added 130 punt return yards, good for 18.6 per return.
It was a strong day for the Bears in the kicking game, and enough of the other pieces held up to get Baylor the win.
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