Baylor’s Homecoming win over Iowa State gave the Bears plenty to feel good about, but it also left a clear picture of what still needs cleaning up as the season tightens. Under interim head coach Joe Klanderman, Baylor kept the turnaround rolling with a 42-31 comeback at McLane Stadium, erasing an early 10-point hole and locking up bowl eligibility for the first time since 2024.
The Bears are now 6-3 overall and 4-2 in Big 12 play, and the offensive surge under Klanderman has been dramatic. Baylor has piled up 83 points in two games with him at the helm after managing just 30 combined in the previous two. That said, the win wasn’t a perfect performance, and with three ranked opponents still on the schedule, there’s still plenty to sort through.
One of the biggest bright spots was the run game. Baylor finished with 194 rushing yards and four touchdowns, a welcome change for an offense that has had trouble finding consistency on the ground.
DJ Lagway led the way with 119 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown, while Ryelan Morris added 50 yards and two scores on nine carries. Iowa State’s tackling helped Baylor break a few big ones, but the offensive line also did its part to open lanes.
The most memorable moment from that group came in the second quarter, when center Koltin Sieracki recovered Lagway’s fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. That play swung the game in Baylor’s favor and made Sieracki the first offensive lineman to score for the program since Mike Miller in 2004.
Baylor also cleaned up one of its biggest self-inflicted issues from the week before. After drawing 12 penalties for 85 yards against UCF, the Bears were flagged just once for 15 yards against Iowa State. That mattered even more because Baylor was playing from behind early; instead of piling on mistakes, the Bears kept themselves in position to rally.
Tony Livingston continued to emerge as a trusted target for Lagway in the red zone. After scoring twice against UCF, the senior tight end caught a one-handed, 19-yard touchdown against Iowa State to get Baylor on the board in the second quarter. Livingston finished with three catches for 49 yards and now has four receiving touchdowns this season, which ranks sixth among Baylor tight ends in single-season program history.
Still, the defense had a tougher afternoon. Iowa State rushed for 216 yards, including 182 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries from Aiden Flora.
The sophomore opened the scoring with a 40-yard touchdown run and kept Baylor honest all game. The Bears did get into the backfield with three sacks and nine tackles for loss, pushing their season sack total to 37, which ranks fourth in program history.
But that pressure didn’t stop Iowa State from averaging 5.1 yards per carry.
That kind of vulnerability has shown up before. Kansas ran for 209 yards in its Oct. 24 win over Baylor, with Dylan Edwards going for 156 on 30 carries. Baylor’s defensive line has been the most reliable unit on the roster this season, but Saturday showed it can still be challenged by a strong rushing attack.
The other concern was the slow start. Baylor was blanked in the first quarter, mustering only 60 yards while Iowa State jumped ahead 10-0.
The Bears’ first touchdown didn’t come until the second quarter, and it came after a recovered muffed punt set up a short field. That pattern has shown up before, too: Baylor was shut out in the first quarter against TCU, and its only first-quarter touchdown against UCF came after an interception gave it the ball in Knights territory.
The comeback against Iowa State was impressive. There’s no getting around that.
But Baylor can’t keep leaning on second-half rescues forever, especially with a trip to BYU next on the schedule. The Bears have shown they can finish.
Now they need to start faster.
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Iowa States Biggest Problem Is Wasting Its Own Offensive Breakthroughs
Iowa State finally found enough offense to give itself a real chance, piling up more than 450 yards in a 42-31 loss to Baylor on Nov. 7. Jaylen Raynor and Aiden Flora both turned in strong individual efforts, and for stretches the Cyclones looked capable of turning a productive day into a much-needed Big 12 win.
Instead, the familiar issues showed up in the other phases, with defensive breakdowns and special teams mistakes helping sink a performance that should have been enough to compete. Jimmy Rogers and his players were clear afterward that the execution has to tighten up quickly, because at 4-5 overall and 2-4 in league play, there is little margin left in the final stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Baylors Offense Looked Dangerous But One Concern Still Lingers
Baylors Homecoming win over Iowa State had the kind of offensive balance that can make a team look dangerous in a hurry. DJ Lagway was a major part of it, helping the Bears move the ball both through the air and on the ground while different position groups took turns making an impact. The result was a 42-31 victory that showed how much variety Baylor can bring when the offense is clicking.
Even with the points piling up, there was still a reminder that the Bears are not quite complete yet. The defense generated pressure with three sacks and nine tackles for loss, and special teams did its part with clean extra points and solid punting, but Iowa State still found room to run. For a Baylor team trying to keep building momentum, that lingering issue is the one thing that could matter most as the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Finally Took Control After An Early Warning Sign
Iowa State spent the first half getting a reminder that even a home game at Hilton Coliseum can get sticky if the pace slips away. Eastern Illinois hung around long enough to make the Cyclones work, but Iowa State steadied itself after the break and turned a close game into a 77-61 win behind Tjaa Turneks 20 points and Xiao Zhangs 14.
The second-half separation was the part Iowa State needed most, especially with tougher tests ahead and Howard next on the schedule at home. After an early warning sign, the Cyclones did what good teams are supposed to do: settle in, tighten up and finish with control. [Read more 🡒]