In the Web: What "They" are saying about Baylor in Week 3
As Baylor gets set to host Texas State at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday at McLane Stadium, it provides an ideal opportunity to see what media figures from across the nation have to say about the Bears.
While it wasn’t the ideal ending for Coach Aranda and Baylor in Provo, the Bears and BYU were able to unite and prove that you don’t have to be a Pac-12 program to play at night and get ratings. If you were able to stay awake and watch the game in its entirety, then you were part of the 2.4 million viewers that gave ESPN its highest-rated late-night game since 2016.
Blake Shapen finished the night with a 35.9 QBR following the loss to BYU, which ranked him 9th out of the ten Big 12 quarterbacks for Week 2. Shapen finished the night 18-28 for 137-yards and 1TD, despite being under duress for most of the night.
Baylor’s defense was what really kept them in the game at times. According to former Rice QB and current ESPN College Football Analyst, Taylor McHargue, the Bears might not face a team as good as BYU again this season. From his weekly Ranking the Region piece on gallerysports.com:
“1. Baylor – Baylor’s contest in Provo turned into a rock fight as both offenses struggled to gain traction and put together sustained drives in a 26-20 Double OT win for BYU. The Cougars front seven was extremely active and disrupted Blake Shapen’s timing, resulting in just 137 passing yards on 28 attempts and held the Bears offense to just 289 total yards. Baylor’s offensive struggles aside, this defense is still an elite unit even after the production it lost from last season. I’m not sure Baylor will see a defense of BYU’s caliber the rest of the regular season. For Big 12 fans this is just a taste of what Provo will provide week in and week out as a home venue when BYU makes the switch next year to their new home in the Big 12.”
The Bears weren’t the only Top-10 ranked team to get upset last week, as they joined Texas A&M and Notre Dame. If there is a silver lining, Baylor’s loss at least came on the road against a ranked opponent, while the Aggies and Irish were both upset by Sun Belt programs at home.
Heading into Saturday, the Bears have a stranglehold on the moneyline and the spread for their tilt with the Bobcats according to Fan Duel.
Moneyline: TXST: (+2000) | BAY: (-7000)
Spread: TXST: +29.5 (-106) | BAY: -29.5 (-114)
Total: 52.5 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
Baylor enters this contest as the clear favorite on the moneyline and the spread. This 12 p.m. ET clash also features a total of 52.5 points, which is about average compared to this week's college football projected totals.
Shapen also received some high praise from Texas State head coach Jake Spavital, as he joined 365 Sports on Monday.
As always, get the latest on Baylor Football from SicEm365.com and tune into our pregame show on the 365 Sports YouTube Channel or KWTX on local television in Central Texas!