For what may very well be the last time, the Longhorns will travel to Waco to take on the Baylor Bears on Saturday. Today, our Devon Messinger and Dylan DeRaud break down Baylor on both sides of the football.
To watch the video form of our Baylor scouting report, simply click on the video above.
Messinger’s Scouting Report of the Baylor Offense:
At quarterback for Baylor is where the question marks start. On Monday, Baylor head coach Dave Aranda stated that redshirt junior quarterback Blake Shapen is expected to be out on Saturday due to injury. If Shapen is unavailable to go, redshirt sophomore quarterback Sawyer Robertson will have another opportunity to start for the Bears. Unfortunately for Baylor fans, Robertson has struggled so far this season and has thrown three interceptions to just one touchdown pass. Either way, whoever starts at quarterback this weekend will have to step up if the Bears want to give the Longhorns a run for their money.
At running back, Aranda has 2022 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Richard Reese at his disposal. Along with Reese, Oklahoma State transfer running back Dominic Richardson has also gotten a large majority of the snaps at running back. Last weekend against Long Island, even freshman Dawson Pendergrass eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark.
When Baylor lines up to throw, 6’3″ Ketron Jackson and 6’2″ Hal Presley are the weapons at wide receiver. Height is definitely an advantage that the two junior wideouts possess over the Texas secondary and, when you add in 6’5″ red zone threat Drake Dabney at tight end, things are bound to get a little messy for the Longhorns defense.
Lastly on offense, the Baylor Bears offensive line allowed three sacks to Texas State in week one, however has bounced back with consecutive clean sheets to Utah and Long Island.
DeRaud’s Scouting Report of the Baylor Defense:
On December 29th, 2022, Baylor welcomed back defensive coordinator Matt Powledge, who previously coached at Oregon for one season. The Bears’ defense have faced some challenges in the 2023 season though, allowing an average of 333.7 yards per game. While their pass defense has ranked 19th in the country, they have struggled against the run, ranking 108th. Notably, Texas State managed 441 yards of total offense against them, including 143 rushing yards, while Utah rushed for a whopping 224 yards.
The Baylor defense has shown flashes with two interceptions in the season, coming against Utah and Long Island. Key defensive players include senior linebackers Matt Jones and Mike Smith Jr, who have made significant contributions this season with 17 and 15 tackles respectively. Senior linebacker Byron Vaughns recorded two sacks against Long Island, but overall has had limited tackles.
On the defensive line, senior T.J. Franklin and Gabe Hall have each secured a sack, with Hall also missing last weekend’s game against Long Island. Hall will be one to watch as he is a threat in the trenches due to his sheer size, and also possesses NFL-caliber upside.
In the secondary, Bryson Jackson has stood out as a seasoned veteran, while sophomore Devyn Bobby has also contributed with 12 tackles. Outside of them, the secondary for HC Dave Aranda is very young and will be the matchup to watch against the talent of Texas’s receiving corps.
