In The Web: What "They" Are Saying About Baylor in Week 3

I’m not one for sunshine pumping or sugarcoating, so if that’s what you’re looking for this might not be the article for you. Baylor (0-2) did look much improved against No. 12 Utah (2-0), but there remain glaring issues for the Bears as they look to end their six-game losing streak this week against Long Island (0-2).

A lot of people are still upset about the no-call on the pass interference to end the game against the Utes — which it was interference — but Baylor had plenty of missed opportunities on the day that could have negated the missed call. 

Plenty of people who watched the game on television with multiple slow-motion replays will completely agree with the sentiment of Baylor fans, including Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports.

While there is no denying the missed opportunity, Baylor literally collapsed in the fourth quarter. Utah was made one-dimensional against the Bears due to the inability of backup quarterback Bryson Barnes to throw the football. The Utes finally made the switch to third-string quarterback Nate Johnson, who ran all over the Bears and helped lead the charge for a Utah victory 20-13.

The Bears were forced to start sophomore quarterback Sawyer Robertson against Utah due to the MCL injury suffered by starter Blake Shapen. Robertson showed some promise at times as he finished the day with 218 yards through the air and one touchdown with his legs. 

Given the quality of the opponent and the struggles of the offensive line, I’m not sure what kind of stat line the fans were hoping that Robertson would accumulate. Here’s a look at how Robertson’s QBR stacked up against the other signal callers in the Big 12.

Thanks to Houston collapsing against Rice, Baylor was able to pull themselves completely out of the cellar of the Big 12 Power Rankings following Week 2.

11. BAYLOR BEARS (LAST WEEK: 14)
Yes, Baylor is 0-2, but I have them here after playing three very strong quarters of football against a quality Utah team ranked in the Top 15. I know they lost, but I give credit for playing high-end competition, especially when you were a drive or two, along with a potential missed PI call, from winning the game with a back up quarterback.

Baylor is not only trying to remain relevant on a national scale, but within the Borders of Texas as well. As more and more programs from the Lone Star State are being launched onto the same level playing field as the Bears (Houston, SMU) others are on the rise as well. 

Here’s a look at where Baylor stands in the State of Texas Rankings.

Baylor desperately needs a win on Saturday against Long Island to put some sense of life back into the program before they welcome the Big 12 front-runner No. 4 Texas Longhorns (2-0) into McLane Stadium for the final time as a Big 12 opponent and likely ever next Saturday night.