What Baylor (2-3, 1-1) was able to accomplish in Orlando was simply remarkable and hopefully the turning point of the season this team desperately needed. Blake Shapen left no doubt that he's the guy leading the way for Baylor, and he’s apparently the only person who knows what it takes to get Monaray Baldwin involved in the offense.
There were numerous players who finally stepped up and made an impact, including freshman cornerback Caden Jenkins who came away with a fumble recovery and a crucial interception against UCF. Another young Bear who made a significant impact was redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Cooper Lanz.
Lanz has been wreaking havoc all season, so when his name was credited for blocking a 32-yard field goal attempt by UCF kicker Colton Boomer nobody should have been surprised.
While so many Baylor players deserve credit for the 36-35 historic comeback victory, my “Underrated Player” this week is freshman-long snapper Dylan Schaub. Schaub was tossed into duty after starting long snapper Garrison Grimes was injured in the first quarter and he didn’t miss a beat.
When the Bears took the field for their first attempt at the uprights with Schaub, you could see the emotions of the moment on his face. The guys on the line around Schaub did a good job of communicating with him and helping him keep his cool at the moment, and he delivered.
Schaub would have one more opportunity to deliver the snap that would help secure the 28-point come-from-behind victory, as he put the snap right on the money, and sophomore kicker Isaiah Hankins drilled a 25-yard field goal with 1:21 remaining in the game to give Baylor the lead.
The Bears will be back in action at McLane Stadium on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. as they welcome Texas Tech (2-3, 1-1) to Waco and the game will be televised on ESPN.