TCU came to Waco to challenge a Bears team that was favored, on a four game winning streak, and touting one of the best defenses in the country; how else could this have gone? Baylor lost 17-6 to the Horned Frogs. I hate that I got part of this right, but I kind of called this exact scenario, only I may have given Baylor too much credit.
Actual Factual
Total Plays: Baylor 87 - TCU 66
Average Yards per Play: Baylor 3.6 - TCU 5.0
Time of Possession: Baylor 28:26 - TCU 31:34
Total Rushing Yards: Baylor 54 - TCU 33
4th Down Conversions: Baylor 4/6 - TCU 0/0
Final Score: TCU 17 - Baylor 6
What Just Happened?
The Horned Frogs came into this game with a defense on par with Baylor's, and a defensive battle is what we got. The first half saw TCU only gain a yard on the ground but 140 through the air compared to Baylor's 46 on the ground and 113 through the air. Baylor would run 18 more plays than TCU at halftime (48-30) but would trail by a point, 7-6.
TCU scored on their first drive of the game, but would either punt or turn the ball over the rest of the half. Baylor wouldn't score any touchdowns in the first half, but would connect on 2/3 field goals from Rhett Armstrong.
Scoring on a drive that only lasted 44 seconds, TCU would use their first drive of the second half to extend the lead to 14-6. Baylor's offensive struggles from the first half would continue through the third quarter as they would trail 17-6 at the start of the fourth and throughout the rest of the game, serving as the final score.
Turning Point
Baylor's sixth drive of the game; things were starting to work and the offensive line had literally just pushed Ryelan Morris several yards further down the field against the TCU defensive line. And then, as quick as the momentum started to build it was stripped away from the Baylor fans just like the ball was stripped out of the hands of Morris. It was right before the half, and right after Micah Gifford had just made an interception on defense that set the Bears up in great field position; just devastating.
The "Bear" Necessities & Things You Need to Know
The Defense is still fantastic. Another 4 Sacks,10 TFLs, and 1 INT.
The offensive line had a rough day, but that's been about every week so far, something needs to be fixed.
Neither team could run the ball.
DJ Lagway fumbled once (though it wasn't lost), threw an interception, and went 22-53 for 256 yards, well shy of his previous marks from previous weeks. If he's not going to be allowed to move around, different pass routes are going to have to be devised so that not every pass is just a heave 20+ yards downfield.
Gavin Freeman will fight for every yard he can and do whatever he can to get open. Another 7 catch 76 yard performance, Freeman was team leader in both categories.
Bears of the Week
Palmer Williams, Gavin Freeman, as well as the entirety of the Bears defense, have been the most consistent performers on the team.
Palmer Williams: 46.6 Yards per Punt
Gavin Freeman: 7 Receptions for 76 Yards
Micah Gifford: 3 Tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 1 FF
Next Week Brings a New Opponent
The first of a two game road stretch, Baylor will be looking to learn from and improve what they can take away from the 17-6 loss against TCU. The Bears head into Lawrence, Kansas, October 24th to take on the Kansas Jayhawks, no longer on a winning streak, and no longer undefeated in the Big 12 (2-1), Baylor no longer controls their own destiny at this point of the season.
How will the Bears handle this most recent setback and how will they contend as they move forward? No time has currently been given as to kickoff time, but an update should be coming today on this channel.
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