Keys to the Game: What Baylor Must Do To Avoid An Upset in H-Town

Now that they’ve secured bowl eligibility and Dave Aranda’s future, Baylor (6-4, 4-3) needs to avoid a trap game in Houston against the Cougars (4-6, 3-4) and keep their momentum rolling. In order to avoid the upset, the Bears need to achieve three keys in H-Town.

1: Establish the Run Early

It's easier said than done, given the strength of Houston’s defense, which is stopping the run. Baylor’s success over the past few weeks has been predicated on their rushing attack (1,038 yards in the past four games), and nobody has been able to slow them down to this point. 

The Coogs’ defense has only allowed 11 rushing touchdowns all season, and they held K-State to just 89 yards rushing, while the Wildcats came into the game averaging 223.3 YPG during their last game at TDECU Stadium.

2: Make Zeon Chriss Uncomfortable 

After replacing Donavon Smith (Sr.) as QB1 five games ago, Zeon Chriss (So.) has sparked Houston’s offense. Since he’s taken over as the starter, Chriss has emerged as one of the more accurate underclassmen quarterbacks in the nation, completing 65.9% of his passes (54 of 82) for 542 yards.

Baylor’s defense needs to make Chriss uncomfortable in the pocket while also being cautious of his rushing ability (349 yards) as well. 

3: Expect the Unexpected 

Under first-year head coach Willie Fritz, Houston needs to win its last two regular-season games to become bowl-eligible and is playing with house money. Add in the fact that quarterbacks coach Shawn Bell will be looking to make a statement against the program that helped shape him; things could get weird in the Third Ward. 

Conclusion:

Baylor is the better team overall and should be able to withstand the Coogs’ best blow and keep rolling. I took the Bears to win 34-17 during our weekly staff picks and feel confident about an outcome somewhere in that ballpark.

Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. from TDECU Stadium and will be televised on FS1. Be sure to tune into the 365 Sports pregame show from 9-10:30 a.m. on YouTube or KWTX.