Bringing back the good times - A Baylor Dynasty

[Klaus_GSD]

WEEK 10

No. 3 Baylor Bears (9-0) @ Kansas State Wildcats (3-3)
Manhattan, KS
Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium



Game Summary

Kansas State frustrated the Baylor defense in the first half keeping the score close at the break, 24-13. But the Bears blanked KSU in the second half while adding to their lead finishing off the game with a 33-13 win, their 10th of the season.

Notable Stats
Quarterback Ronald Wood: 34/48, 334 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Running Back James Serrano: 15 carries, 43 yards
Wide receiver Edwin Forest: 7 receptions, 108 yards, 1 TD
Kicker Corey Kelly: 3/3 FG, 3/3 PAT
Cornerback Darwin Arteaga: 6 tackles, 1 TFL
Cornerback Michael Lorenz: 2 tackles, 2 INT

*Michael Lorenz won BIG XII Defensive player of the week

Team Stats

Total Yards: BAY 421, KSU 343
Passing Yards: BAY 347, KSU 251
Rushing Yards: BAY 74, KSU 92
Turnovers: BAY 2, KSU 3

Recruiting Update

Week 10 was an absolute gut punch to Baylor's recruiting. 4* T Charles John jumped on an LSU offer despite Baylor being the only team on him for 7 weeks. 3* LB Timothy Lopez selected SMU over Baylor. 3* DE Gary Ratcliff committed to Boise State. 4* QB Bernard Thomas selected Nebraska. And 3* C Anthony Coombs selected Texas A&M.

The lone bright spot was 3* cornerback Robert Garris (6-1, 185 Pflugerville, Texas) committing. He is the No. 795 player in the country.

So far, the class is nowhere near what you would expect for the now No. 2 ranked team in the country.

[Klaus_GSD]

WEEK 11

No. 2 Baylor Bears (10-0) @ No. 18 Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-2)
Stillwater, OK
Boone T. Pickens Stadium



Game Summary

Baylor's undefeated season was on the ropes at the end of this one. Quarterback Ronald Wood threw a interception that was returned for a touchdown to tie the game with 12 minutes to go. But Wood bounced back and led the Bears on two consecutive touchdown drives in a row to preserve the perfect record.

FINAL SCORE: BAYLOR 33, OKLAHOMA STATE 19

Notable Stats

Quarterback Ronald Wood: 45/66, 478 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT ** Won Big XII Offensive Player of the Week
Running Back Daniel Caudle: 19 carries, 64 yards, 1 TD
Wide Receiver William Kemp: 11 receptions, 160 yards, 2 TD
Cornerback Michael Lorenz: 7 tackles, 3 passes defensed, 1 INT

Team Stats

Total Yards: BAY 576, OKST 317
Passing Yards: BAY 478, OKST 302
Rushing Yards: BAY 98, OKST 15
Turnovers: BAY 1, OKST 2

Recruiting Update

Finally, a breakthrough for the coaching staff. The Bears collected five commitments after the Oklahoma State win. 4* running back Donald Mock out of Albuquerque, New Mexico joined the class. The 5-10, 188lb prospect is the No. 222 recruit overall. 3* cornerback Gregory Crabtree out of Russelville, Alabama picked Baylor over late interest from Auburn. He is the No. 523 prospect in the country and is 5-11, 176. 3* Linebacker Rupert Dial gave Baylor a huge boost at a major position of need. The 6-3, 216 lb player hails from Santa Teresa, New Mexico. Ross Freeman, a 3* DE at 6-1, 242 picked Baylor over Rutgers and Colorado State from Cuba, Missouri. Finally, Antonio Green, a 3* FS from San Antonio, Texas picked Baylor. He is the No. 876 player in the country.

The Bears did miss out on Christopher Dellinger, a 4* CB, to TCU and 3* DE Kevin Kuntz to UCLA.

Baylor now has 11 commitments, 3 4* and 8 3*.

WEEK 12 - BYE WEEK

*Baylor moved to No. 1 overall in the polls at 11-0.

Recruiting Update

Baylor got an unexpected and hugely welcomed surprise with 4* G Kevin Niles committing. Niles is the No. 155 player in the nation. 3* DT Michael Hales, 616 overall, committed to Baylor. 3* DE Todd Pinkerton, 1495 overall, also committed moving the class to 14 commitments.

[Klaus_GSD]

WEEK 13

No. 1 Baylor Bears (11-0) @ Texas Christian Horned Frogs (6-4)
Ft. Worth, TX
Amon G. Carter Stadium



Game Summary

Everything that went wrong, did. Baylor imploded in their final game of the season at TCU. Turnovers and penalties were killers. Seemingly every time the Bears were ready to cash in, a crazy penalty happened. At no time all season had the defense folded the way they did in this game. An incredibly disappointing game for a team that was on a magical run.

It will be interesting to see how the polls shake out to see if this Baylor squad is still alive for the national championship.

FINAL SCORE: BAYLOR 10, TCU 37

Notable Stats

Quarterback Ronald Wood: 35/66, 361 YDS, 0 TD, 2 INT
Running back James Serrano: 13 carries, 34 yards
Wide Receiver Edwin Forest: 8 catches, 100 yards

Team Stats

Total Yards: BAY 403, TCU 407
Passing Yards: BAY 361, TCU 291
Rushing Yards: BAY 42, TCU 116
Turnovers: BAY 5, TCU 0 (WOW)

Recruiting Update

Baylor went 0/3 on 3* prospects Clyde Oswalt (CB), John Spriggs (CB), and Joe Mann (RB).

Baylor now has 7 open scholarships, and only one or two needs. The staff will begin to try to find some diamonds in the rough heading into the postseason.

Week 14 Recruiting

Baylor picked up two cornerbacks a week later including 3* Maurice Pike from hometown Midway HS in Waco, Texas. 3* Benny Chaney also committed out of Houston's Macarthur HS.

Only one player, 3* CB Fred Floyd remains on the board. No other prospects interest the staff at this point, despite having 4 open scholarships. They will continue to monitor and scout.

On a rankings front, Baylor was punished for their loss to TCU by falling from 1 to 8.

Week 15 Recruiting

3* CB Fred Floyd jumped into the boat committing to Baylor to complete the recruiting of the position.

[Klaus_GSD]

Conference Championship Week

No. 21 Oklahoma Sooners (9-3) @ No. 8 Baylor Bears (11-1)
Arlington, TX
AT&T Stadium



Coach Klaus and the Baylor Bears have capped off an incredible 2018 regular season with a conference championship. In what was another struggle, Baylor came out on top against Oklahoma with a 21-13 win even though they were never comfortable. The win moved Baylor to a 12 win season, but being ranked 8th, they are very unlikely to make the Playoff Field.

Notable Stats

Quarterback Ronald Wood: 24/50, 363 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
Running Back James Serrano: 15 carries, 39 yards
Wide Receiver William Kemp: 6 receptions, 98 yards
Wide Receiver Orlando Wills: 5 receptions, 101 yards, 1 TD *Won Big XII Offensive Player of the week
Defensive tackle Richard Scott: 7 tackles, 1 sack

Team Stats

Total Yards: OU 291, BAY 439
Passing Yards: OU 174, BAY 381
Rushing Yards: OU 117, BAY 58
Turnovers: OU 0, BAY 4

Recruiting Update

Baylor added a 3* punter in Corey Sanchez out of Myrtle, Missouri. He chose the Bears over UCLA and Iowa and will be an upgrade at the position next season, in all likelihood.

[Klaus_GSD]

PLAYOFFS - ROUND 1

No. 4 Baylor Bears (12-1) vs. No. 1 Oregon Ducks (13-0)
New Orleans, LA
All State Sugar Bowl



Game Summary

Unbelievably, Baylor jumped up big time in the polls and sneaked in the Playoff as the 4 seed.

A tall task facing the Oregon Ducks, the No. 1 team in the nation. But the Bears were up for shocking the world. This time, it was Baylor getting the turnovers with 2 fumble recoveries that led to points. And Ronald Wood had a huge game with three touchdown passes. Despite being outgained by Oregon, it was Baylor that would come out on top.

FINAL SCORE: BAYLOR 37, OREGON 31

Notable Stats:

Quarterback Ronald Wood: 23/43, 291 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT
Fullback John Spaulding: 10 carries, 37 yards, 1 TD
Wide Receiver Orlando Wills: 7 catches, 92 yards, 2 TD
Wide Reciever Edwin Forest: 8 catches, 86 yards, 1 TD
Linebacker Patrick Joyner: 7 tackles, 1 pass defended, 1 fumble recovery

Team Stats:

Total Yards: BAY 353, ORE 519
Passing Yards: BAY 291, ORE 427
Rushing Yards: BAY 62, ORE 92
Turnovers: BAY 0, ORE 2

*No recruiting news

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

No. 4 Baylor Bears (13-1) vs No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (13-1)



Game Summary

Baylor raced out to a 20-7 halftime lead and looked relatively dominant. Moving the ball at will, the Bears looked to be on their way to a national championship. Then disaster struck. Ronald Wood broke his foot and was out for the game.

Ohio State stormed back with 13 points in the third quarter and 14 in the fourth.

Despite the 34-23 loss, the program looks to be in great shape in the future. What an unbelievable first season.

FINAL SCORE: BAYLOR 23, OHIO STATE 34

Notable Stats:

QB Ronald Wood: 27/45, 242 yds, 1 TD
QB Robert Cota: 15/26, 125 yds, 0 TD, 1 INT
WR Orlando Wills: 6 catches, 48 yds, 1 TD
RB James Serrano: 7 carries, 19 yds, 1 TD

Team Stats:

Total Yards: BAY 389, OSU 484
Passing Yards: BAY 367, OSU 229
Rushing Yards: BAY 22, OSU 145
Turnovers: BAY 1, OSU 1


*Note: I hope you all enjoyed reading about season 1. Next season, I will be doing less updates periodically through the season. Just don't have as much time as I'd like to do them for each game.

[Klaus_GSD]

2019

Weeks 1-3



Summary

Coach Klaus made one offseason change to his staff bringing in a new offensive coordinator, 2.5* Theodore Norris. Defensive Coordinator Genaro Simmons was kept on staff after the 13-2 season.

Coach also knew this year's squad would be younger, and thinner, than the National Championship Runners-up team from last year. The recruiting class was OK, but not as good as it should have been. With that being said, Baylor opened up with three home games against Texas State, UTEP, and Texas San Antonio. Three games that should be an easy tune up for the season to get everything going. The Bears changed up their offense a little more in year two. Still a pass happy, spread look, they will now be a little more multiple capable of lining up and running the football, too.

Everything has gone according to plan. Baylor romped all three opponents with 51-10, 55-9, and 70-3 wins.

Baylor currently ranks No. 6 in the polls. The Bears are 1st in points per game at 59, 1st in yards per game at 573.3, and 1st in rushing yards per game at 294.3. The passing offense checks in at 23 nationally at 279 yards per game.

Running back James Serrano has racked up 364 yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground and 2 Big XII Player of the Week Awards. Wide receiver James Large won the other one for offense. Serrano leads early voting for Most Outstanding Player, Most Outstanding Offensive Player, and Most Outstanding Running Back. A lot of this will change with more competition, but it is a great start.

Texas State 10, Baylor 52
UTEP 9, Baylor 55
Texas San Antonio 3, Baylor 70

Recruiting

Baylor has yet to get a recruit through three weeks, but is definitely in the running for a good amount of 4* prospects. There is some worry that we will end up losing out to several of them, so we are keeping a close eye on any guys that might be slipping. Defensive tackle, linebacker and running back are the biggest positions of need. Baylor has 22 available scholarships for this cycle.

[Klaus_GSD]

WEEKS 4-6



Summary

Baylor's next three-game stretch had one very important and difficult contest, home against Oklahoma, and two manageable games in West Virginia and away to Iowa State.

After being upset in Atlanta by Georgia Tech in their first game, the Sooners traveled to Waco to take on the undefeated Bears. Baylor did what they would have set out to do by jumping on the reeling Oklahoma squad with a 13 point lead out of the gates, that eventually was a 23-10 lead at halftime. Oklahoma was limited to just two field goals in the second half as both defenses engaged in a battle of attrition. Baylor forced three turnovers that turned out to be the difference, as they were outgained by their opponents, a rare sight, even if only by a 403-390 margin. Baylor's improved running game did make an impact with 150 yards on the ground.

The 2-2 West Virginia Mountaineers came to town in week 5. Baylor needed to stay undefeated in conference in a game they should be winning. The Bears defense completely dominated as they outgained WVU 424-169. West Vriginia only managed 3 yards rushing. Baylor ran for three touchdowns and quarterback Ronald Wood accounted for a 30-yard pass for the other score. West Virginia only scored in the last 1:32 of the game from 7 yards out.

Finally, Baylor headed on their first road trip of the year to take on the winless Iowa State Cyclones. Coach Klaus was extremely pleased with the business-like attitude of his team as they smashed their opponents in a methodical manner. Baylor gained an astonishing 656 yards of offense, 376 through the air, and 280 on the ground. Wood had another big game with 305 yards passing and 2 touchdowns and the ground game accounted for 5 touchdowns spread between 4 players.

Scores

Oklahoma Sooners 16, Baylor Bears 30
West Virginia Mountaineers 7, Baylor Bears 28
Baylor Bears 52, Iowa State Cyclones 3

Notes after week 6

* Ranked No. 3 in the country in the polls
* No. 1 in Points Per Game with 47.8
* No. 1 in Yards Per Game with 531.7
* No. 1 in Rushing Offense Per Game at 236.3, No. 13 in Passing Offense Per Game with 295.3
* Baylor is No. 1 in scoring defense, total yards defense, and rush defense. No. 10 in Pass defense.
* Running back James Serrano is 4th nationally in rushing with 528 yards and first in rushing touchdowns.
* Baylor, Texas Tech and Texas are the only undefeated teams left in the Big XII.

Recruiting

Baylor earned their first commitment after the win at Iowa State in 4* defensive tackle Terry Sweeney out of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Sweeney is 6-3, 309 and the No. 183 player in the country at Baylor's top position of need. A huge get for the staff.

The second and third biggest positions of need, linebacker and running back, respectively, have not been going well. Somehow, Baylor lost out to a 4* RB to Cincinnati, and Texas Tech was able to beat us out for a 3* linebacker despite us having better ratings in every category.

The next couple of weeks will make or break the class in terms of quality. Several 4* prospects are approaching their decision.

[Rizzo]

Man, that's a tough break (literally!) in the title game! Hell of a season for Baylor and being able to go into the season ranked high should definitely help you on the recruiting trail this season. That way you should be able to replenish the cupboards as you said this year's team is not as deep.