Baylor’s 42-31 Homecoming win over Iowa State had a little bit of everything: a slow opening, a strong finish, and a few position groups that clearly carried more weight than others. The Bears found their rhythm and pulled away, but the grades across the roster weren’t all created equal.
DJ Lagway was the engine of the offense. He threw for 229 yards on 16-for-28 passing with two touchdowns, then added 119 rushing yards and another score on the ground. With Lagway fully healthy, Baylor’s offense looks different because defenses have to account for what he can do with his legs.
The passing game had its share of splash plays, too. Taz Williams delivered the biggest one with a 62-yard touchdown catch.
Gavin Freeman paced the receivers with six catches for 60 yards, while Dre’lon Miller added one catch for 32 yards. Louis Brown IV finished with two receptions for 17 yards, and Jadon Porter had one catch for six yards.
Tony Livingston also made his presence felt in a big way. He hauled in three passes for 49 yards and a touchdown, highlighted by an impressive one-handed grab in the end zone. Over the last two games, Livingston has become a dependable option in Baylor’s passing attack.
The ground game had a quieter day overall, but Ryelan Morris still made his touches count. He led the running backs with 50 yards on nine carries and scored twice.
Caden Knighten added 26 yards on seven attempts, and Michael Turner chipped in 11 yards on two carries. It wasn’t a dominant rushing performance from the backs, but they still helped Baylor’s offense move.
Up front, the offensive line did enough to keep things rolling. The run game never fully took over, but the blocking on designed runs for Lagway was solid and helped create space for him to work as a runner.
Defensively, Baylor had moments where it looked disruptive, but Iowa State’s rushing attack was a problem. The Cyclones ran for 216 yards, and Aiden Flora accounted for 182 of them. The Bears did get into the backfield at times, but they couldn’t consistently slow Flora down.
Still, there were some signs of pressure. Baylor finished with three sacks and nine tackles for loss, which showed the defense could create disruption. Travion Barnes stood out among the linebackers with eight total tackles, a sack, and a tackle for loss, but the overall linebacker grade takes a hit with Iowa State’s production on the ground.
Through the air, Iowa State managed 256 passing yards and two touchdowns, so the secondary had its own work to do. There were some positives in that group, but it wasn’t a clean outing.
Special teams were steady. Rhett Armstrong did not attempt a field goal, but he was perfect on extra points, going 6-for-6. Palmer Williams handled six punts and averaged 43.7 yards per kick, including two that pinned Iowa State inside its own 20.
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