If the Bears want to keep their Big 12 Championship hopes alive, this is a must-win game against Kansas. Bouncing back from a loss to a rival is never easy, but Baylor has some key position matchups that appear to heavily favor the Bears heading into this matchup against Kansas.
Quarterback: 7/10
After the performance against TCU, I can't be too confident in DJ Lagway heading into this matchup, but I do expect him to play a much better game.
Baylor will need to get the run game going early if it wants to find success on offense. Luckily for the Bears, Kansas ranks last in the Big 12 in rushing defense. I expect Jake Spavital to find a way to establish the run, which should help open up the passing game.
Another thing to note is that Kansas has struggled to generate sacks this season, ranking near the bottom of the Big 12 in that category. This could heavily favor the Bears, especially after Baylor's offensive line struggled against TCU's defensive front last Saturday.
Given that Lagway likely won't face as much pressure as he did against TCU, I expect him to have a much better performance against the Jayhawks.
Offensive Line: 6.5/10
Facing a tough TCU defensive line exposed some of the flaws in Baylor's offensive line. After seeing what this group was capable of against Arizona State, I still have some hope that they can perform well enough to allow the offense to move the ball.
Protecting Lagway long enough to make the right reads and accurate throws was an issue against TCU. The offensive line will have to improve in that area against the Jayhawks if Baylor wants to find success through the air.
Kansas is a team that Baylor's offensive line can compete with in the trenches and use to build its confidence back up. The run blocking has been a struggle for the Bears all season, but I think they will look to establish the run early and take advantage of Kansas' struggles against the run.
Linebackers: 8/10
The linebackers had a solid performance against TCU, helping hold the Horned Frogs to just 33 rushing yards. Kyland Reed and Kaleb Burns also recorded a sack each. They will need to put together another strong performance against Kansas, as facing a mobile quarterback like Isaiah Marshall presents a different challenge.
The Jayhawks have averaged more than 200 rushing yards per game, and the duo of Isaiah Marshall and Dylan Edwards makes their rushing attack difficult to stop.
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