Five Keys to Saturday's Game
11/19/2021 2:44:00 PM | Football
Bears Focused on Keeping Deuce From Getting Loose
#11/13 BAYLOR at KANSAS STATE:
FIVE KEYS TO SATURDAY'S GAME
FIVE KEYS TO SATURDAY'S GAME
- DON'T LET THE DEUCE LOOSE: Since allowing back-to-back 200-yard games against Iowa State and Oklahoma State, Baylor's run defense has shut down some of the best backs in the country. In a gauntlet that included BYU's Tyler Allgeier, Texas' Bijan Robinson and Oklahoma's Kennedy Brooks, the Bears have given up just 86.2 yards rushing per game and 2.8 per carry over the last five games. K-State's Deuce Vaughn is 13 yards shy of 1,000 and averaging 5.5 per pop. "Before, we were defending the run on the way to rushing the passer," Baylor coach Dave Aranda said. "To pull back the curtain on that and say we're going to defend the run and this is what it takes to defend the run: You're going to get hit in the face, you have to do all these things, and hey, we've still got to rush the passer. That's probably a pill. And to be able to swallow that and be able to learn and grow from that, I think is a full-on credit to (the defensive line). Dennis (Johnson) has done a great job motivating them."
- FELIX THE (WILD) CAT: Baylor's offensive line will have its hands full with 6-3, 255-pound defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah, who is leading the Big 12 and tied for second nationally with 11 sacks. "We've, obviously, seen on film that he's a guy who can play," Baylor senior right guard Grant Miller says of Anudike-Uzomah, "but we see that across their whole defensive line. They're all guys who have great ball get-off, they have great motors, great football IQ. They just play the game hard. Him specifically, he's obviously a great athlete, he has great length. That's something you've got to be aware of, especially when you're talking about pass rushers."
- PATIENCE, GERRY: Using a 3-3-5 defensive formation very similar to Iowa State's, the Wildcats will give you the underneath routes, but they like to keep everything in front of them and not give up the big play. Baylor quarterback Gerry Bohanon will have to be patient and take what the defense gives him rather than trying to thread the needle on a deep ball. "This is going to be a big test for us," Aranda said. "What we've gone through before (against Iowa State) has given us the ability to pass this test, but it's certainly a test."
- YOU CAN TAKE IT WITH YOU: According to playwrights Kaufman and Hart, You Can't Take it With You. But, the Bears need to take the energy they created in the 27-14 win over Oklahoma and take it on the road with them to Manhattan. "We just have to bring the energy," senior safety Jalen Pitre said. "We don't have as many people, obviously, when we're away . . . and we don't have as many guys traveling. The guys that are playing, whether that's offense or defense, have to bring that energy on the sidelines and, in turn, translate that energy on the field and help us make plays on the road."
- RATTLE THE QB: Baylor's defense did it early and often against Oklahoma, combining to sack quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Spencer Rattler five times and forcing two turnovers. Skylar Thompson is a sixth-year veteran who's been around the block a few times and seen a ton of defenses. But, he's not as mobile as he was before suffering injuries each of the last two seasons. If Baylor's front can get to him early, it could be a long day for the Wildcats. "We can still be better at affecting the quarterback," Aranda said. "They're very similar to our offense with the play-action passes and two-man routes, so our ability to play the run and transition to pass is going to be a big emphasis this week."
Players Mentioned
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