ANSWERING THE CHALLENGE
11/24/2019 6:16:00 PM | Football
Mims Steps Up and Delivers in 24-10 Win Over Texas
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Thinking back to last year's loss at Texas, Matt Rhule remembers one of his top receivers being sidelined with a hamstring injury as Charlie Brewer threw three passes into the end zone from the Longhorns' 17-yard line at the end of the game.
This past Monday, Rhule was told by the medical staff that that same receiver, senior Denzel Mims, might not be able to play because of an injury.
"He went out and played. And I mean, he played," Rhule said of Mims, who hauled in seven catches for 125 yards and one touchdown in the 11th-ranked Bears' 24-10 win over Texas on Saturday that earned Baylor (10-1, 7-1) a spot in the Dec. 7 Big 12 Championship game against No. 8 Oklahoma (10-1, 7-1).
"I just think he's one of those young people that answers the call, man. He answers the challenge. He steps up, he fights for it. He finds a way to make it happen."
To get himself ready for Saturday's game, Mims said he spent every waking hour either practicing, watching film or getting treatment.
"I knew that my brothers needed me, so I was at the facility all hours of the day," he said. "I would wake up at 6 and wouldn't leave till 8 o'clock (at night). . . . It was just treatment, treatment, treatment, trying to get it right."
After making just two catches for 26 yards in the first half, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound senior receiver came alive with five receptions for 99 yards and one TD in the second half and came up with some more highlight reel-worthy catches.
"It was just good play-calling by the coaches," Mims said. "We adjusted to what they were doing, and it put me in the right spot to make plays."
On Baylor's opening drive of the second half, Brewer hooked up with Mims on a 20-yarder and then found him again for 26. He was stripped from behind by Texas defensive back DeMarvion Overshown on the second catch, but the ball rolled out of bounds, and the Bears scored four plays later on a one-yard keeper by Brewer.
After Rhule jumped him on the sidelines for the fumble, Mims responded with one of the biggest plays of the game and one of the best catches for a guy who's made a ton of them in his four-year career.
With the Bears facing fourth-and-five at the Longhorns' 44 and holding a 14-3 lead, Brewer drew the defense offsides and made the most of the free play. Mims somehow hauled in a 16-yard pass in front of UT rover Ayodele Adeoye that looked like it was beyond his reach.
"(Adeoye) grabbed my facemask, and I kind of couldn't see (the ball)," Mims said, "but I saw it just a little bit at the last minute and just tried to make the catch."
Four plays later, Brewer hit Mims on a quick slant for the 12-yard touchdown pass and 21-3 lead.
"I know I can't keep focusing on that fumble the whole time," Mims said. "I know I just had to trust my training and protect the ball. And I knew that I had to respond because Coach Rhule was going to be mad if I didn't respond. So, I knew I had to do that."
Even though he had best season statistically two years ago, when he caught 61 passes for 1,087 yards and eight touchdowns, Mims admits that he didn't completely buy into Rhule's process until at some point last year.
"I bought into what he wanted me to do, and I actually listened to him," Mims said. "And it turned out to be a good thing because he made me a better man on and off the field, maturing me a lot and showing me what I needed to work on just to be a good football player and a good person outside of football."
On Saturday, he was one of Baylor's 19 seniors that walked off the field as winners on their final game at McLane Stadium. A team that was 1-11 two years ago is now 10-1 and headed to its first Big 12 Championship game.
"I knew we would be here eventually," said Mims, who has 57 receptions for 892 yards and 11 touchdowns, which is second in the Big 12 and tied for eighth nationally. "Two years ago, we were young and we didn't have that much experience. But, I knew that if we kept coming to play every day, we would get here eventually."
Baylor, now ranked 10th by the coaches and 11th in the AP poll, closes out the regular season with a road trip to Kansas (3-8, 1-7). The game kicks off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kan., and will be televised nationally by ESPN.
For ticket information for the Dec. 7 Big 12 Championship game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, click HERE.
Baylor Bear Insider
Thinking back to last year's loss at Texas, Matt Rhule remembers one of his top receivers being sidelined with a hamstring injury as Charlie Brewer threw three passes into the end zone from the Longhorns' 17-yard line at the end of the game.
This past Monday, Rhule was told by the medical staff that that same receiver, senior Denzel Mims, might not be able to play because of an injury.
"He went out and played. And I mean, he played," Rhule said of Mims, who hauled in seven catches for 125 yards and one touchdown in the 11th-ranked Bears' 24-10 win over Texas on Saturday that earned Baylor (10-1, 7-1) a spot in the Dec. 7 Big 12 Championship game against No. 8 Oklahoma (10-1, 7-1).
"I just think he's one of those young people that answers the call, man. He answers the challenge. He steps up, he fights for it. He finds a way to make it happen."
To get himself ready for Saturday's game, Mims said he spent every waking hour either practicing, watching film or getting treatment.
"I knew that my brothers needed me, so I was at the facility all hours of the day," he said. "I would wake up at 6 and wouldn't leave till 8 o'clock (at night). . . . It was just treatment, treatment, treatment, trying to get it right."
After making just two catches for 26 yards in the first half, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound senior receiver came alive with five receptions for 99 yards and one TD in the second half and came up with some more highlight reel-worthy catches.
"It was just good play-calling by the coaches," Mims said. "We adjusted to what they were doing, and it put me in the right spot to make plays."
On Baylor's opening drive of the second half, Brewer hooked up with Mims on a 20-yarder and then found him again for 26. He was stripped from behind by Texas defensive back DeMarvion Overshown on the second catch, but the ball rolled out of bounds, and the Bears scored four plays later on a one-yard keeper by Brewer.
After Rhule jumped him on the sidelines for the fumble, Mims responded with one of the biggest plays of the game and one of the best catches for a guy who's made a ton of them in his four-year career.
With the Bears facing fourth-and-five at the Longhorns' 44 and holding a 14-3 lead, Brewer drew the defense offsides and made the most of the free play. Mims somehow hauled in a 16-yard pass in front of UT rover Ayodele Adeoye that looked like it was beyond his reach.
"(Adeoye) grabbed my facemask, and I kind of couldn't see (the ball)," Mims said, "but I saw it just a little bit at the last minute and just tried to make the catch."
Four plays later, Brewer hit Mims on a quick slant for the 12-yard touchdown pass and 21-3 lead.
"I know I can't keep focusing on that fumble the whole time," Mims said. "I know I just had to trust my training and protect the ball. And I knew that I had to respond because Coach Rhule was going to be mad if I didn't respond. So, I knew I had to do that."
Even though he had best season statistically two years ago, when he caught 61 passes for 1,087 yards and eight touchdowns, Mims admits that he didn't completely buy into Rhule's process until at some point last year.
"I bought into what he wanted me to do, and I actually listened to him," Mims said. "And it turned out to be a good thing because he made me a better man on and off the field, maturing me a lot and showing me what I needed to work on just to be a good football player and a good person outside of football."
On Saturday, he was one of Baylor's 19 seniors that walked off the field as winners on their final game at McLane Stadium. A team that was 1-11 two years ago is now 10-1 and headed to its first Big 12 Championship game.
"I knew we would be here eventually," said Mims, who has 57 receptions for 892 yards and 11 touchdowns, which is second in the Big 12 and tied for eighth nationally. "Two years ago, we were young and we didn't have that much experience. But, I knew that if we kept coming to play every day, we would get here eventually."
Baylor, now ranked 10th by the coaches and 11th in the AP poll, closes out the regular season with a road trip to Kansas (3-8, 1-7). The game kicks off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kan., and will be televised nationally by ESPN.
For ticket information for the Dec. 7 Big 12 Championship game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, click HERE.
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