The Good, The Bad & The Ugly from Baylor's Week of Football

A week of angst and disappointment was followed by flashes of optimism by Saturday, as the Bears nearly captured an unexpected win over #12 Utah. Keyword: nearly, as that upset bid instead became another excruciating loss for a program now at 0-2. 

Here's a look at The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly for Baylor Football. 

THE GOOD 

The Energy: We're far from seeing Deion and Colorado or Texas beating Alabama energy levels or attitude, but the Bears' seemed to have more bounce and belief this week. It appeared there was more intensity and physicality. There are some things to build on, far more so than the week prior. Starting with maintaining the energy levels and increasing them as the season progresses. 

The Effort: That was a Baylor team that played hard and left it all on the field. 

Grab Bag of Good: The OL didn't surrender any sacks and played far, far better. Kyler Jordan got an interception. Sawyer Robertson had some good moments, especially in the first half. I’m not hitting everything, but there were plenty of positives spread around.

Young Faces: True freshman safety DJ Coleman was heavily in the mix on Saturday. So were fellow freshmen like Caden Jenkins and redshirt Devonte Tezino. True freshman Trey Wilson earned a sack.

THE BAD 

Robertson's Ankle: As we learned in the postgame, he rolled his ankle on a misread keeper, limiting some of their play options. Aranda flatly said he didn't play the same afterward. I understand that will or has caused eyes to roll, as it's not an overall excuse for the offensive shortcomings, but that doesn't make the point any less valid. Especially, seeing as how he'd scored a running TD prior. Regardless of how much weight you put on the injury, it is something to monitor and unwelcome news. 

The Offensive Anemia: Some of the offensive struggles are a credit to Utah and also to Roberton's ankle, apparently, but that was an awful second-half showing, in particular. I couldn't help but admire Texas on Saturday night as they went for the jugular against Alabama. They had nothing to lose and everything to gain. That was Baylor against Utah, but it's almost like they raised the white flag on a couple of drives. Maybe I'm wrong, and if so, happily. Penalties and interceptions were significant causes, as well. 

Get Off the Field: I complimented the defense above, but giving up 8/17 third downs attempts will lead to many similar results. 

Jalen Pitre: The Baylor great had to leave the Texans' season-opening loss to Baltimore in the second quarter due to a bruised lung after a sack attempt on Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. As you'll see below, the contact looked relatively harmless, but he was clearly hurt immediately as Jackson's knee hit his chest. Pitre was taken to the hospital for treatment, and thankfully, the injury wasn't considered severe, but it's not how you want to start the year. Glad he's okay.

THE UGLY 

The Second Half: The Bears led 13-3 after an Isaiah Hankins field goal opened the second half but were outscored 17-0 over the remainder, including two touchdowns in the final two minutes. That's a surefire way to lose football games. The offense couldn't muster a diddly squat, and the defense couldn’t get stops late on back-to-back drives. Clearly, learning how to finish is still a process. 

The Execution: Lots of missed tackles. More false starts. Not finishing drives. Turnovers. Penalties. Not enough complementary football. An inability to finish. All of those items, and whatever else you'd like to throw in the mix, helped pull defeat from the jaws of victory. And will continue to every week until they can properly execute a cleaner brand of football. 

The Interceptions: Sawyer Robertson is bound to make mistakes as he gets his bearings, but his two picks were costly — the second an absolute killer, setting the table for Utah to win the game. I'm pretty sure I audibly gasped in horror in the press box when the second interception occurred. I couldn't believe it, and then again, I could. He'll get better and learn from the experiences, but right now, that doesn't lessen the pain of losing another winnable game against the #12 ranked team, no less. 

The No-Call: I am not one to criticize officiating often, but that was a clear PI on the game's last play. Imagine what drama could have followed with another play, whoever won out. But, instead, the Bears were robbed of the opportunity as officials swallowed their whistles, or perhaps they melted in the Texas sun. At least, that'd be a valid excuse.

Of course, that's not the only reason they lost, but it definitely prevented any remaining chance to win. It did provide an opportunity to appreciate Ketron Jackson more, as he made no excuses in the postgame and put the onus on himself to make that type of play regardless of interference. How you'd want your #1 receiver to feel, but the proof will be in the pudding the next time a similar situation arises.

The Streak: Everyone could use a win, and that should come this Saturday. If not, heads are rolling. This team, with a ton of newcomers, has only lost two straight. But new or old, six games have passed since this program celebrated a win, and there's no way to spin that spiral.