How Baylor's Successful Second Half Of The Season Can Be Sustained
WACO, Texas – Sitting at 2-4 in mid-October, the Bears looked dead in the water, and a majority of the fanbase called for head coach Dave Aranda to pack his bags and hit the road.
Baylor overcame its well-documented sluggish start with unwavering confidence inside the locker room and closed out the regular season with six consecutive wins and a 45-17 thrashing of the red-hot Kansas Jayhawks in the finale on Saturday, Nov. 30.
There’s clear optimism about what’s to come in Waco for the first time in a few years, and it starts with one of the nation’s top emerging quarterback-running back tandems of Sawyer Robertson (RJr.) and Bryson Washington (RFr.).
Robertson and Washington sat next to each other and fielded questions following the victory over Kansas, in which the offense totaled a season-high 603 yards.
One thing for certain is that nobody wants to face the Bears right now, and Robertson reiterated that when asked whether Baylor was the best team in the conference.
“I would say so,” he said. “Kansas was hot too, and they had a lot to play for — playing for bowl eligibility — they had just beaten three ranked teams in the conference. To do what we did today, it’s hard to argue. A lot of other teams are playing really well right now, but we’re hot.”
Robertson, who replaced an injured Dequan Finn (6Sr.) in week three against Air Force, got his opportunity as QB1 and never relinquished it, throwing for 2,626 yards and 26 touchdowns this fall. Robertson finished the regular season with the nation's fifth-highest quarterback rating (83.9) and was the only non-senior in the top five.
When asked if he envisioned his improbable path to becoming the starting signal caller before the year, he said, “It’s a good question. God is bigger than the situations and circumstances we find ourselves in — the 2-4 start or if I’m the starter or backup — He’s bigger than all of that.”
As for Robertson’s backfield mate, Washington rushed for 192 yards and a touchdown against Kansas, becoming the first freshman in program history to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in a single season. During Baylor’s six-game winning streak, Washington rushed for over 100 yards five times.
After the game, a reporter told Washington about his accomplishment, and Robertson smiled from ear to ear and gave his friend a big pat on the back.
“It’s a blessing, honestly,” Washington said. “I’m so grateful for the O-line, the coaching staff and the guys around me. These guys push me to be the best I can be, like Sawyer, for sure. I believe it’s God’s plan; it was already written.”
On Monday, Robertson and Washington earned all-conference awards for their stand-out performances against the Jayhawks. Robertson joins Robert Griffin III as the only player in program history to earn Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors twice in a season.
In the meantime, the backfield duo will have one more opportunity to break even more records with a bowl game awaiting. Baylor’s bowl pairing will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 8, but most current projections have the Bears facing off against an SEC team in the Texas Bowl.
“We want to go to a good bowl game, but I’m just grateful for whatever,” Washington said with a big smile when asked which bowl game he preferred. Robertson chimed in, saying, “I would agree with that. I’m just excited to play again.”
Amongst parts of the fanbase, however, there’s always worry that in the transfer portal era headlined by big-ticket NIL deals, the traditional ‘blue bloods’ will swoop in and money-whip the best players or assistant coaches at smaller schools.
As some already look ahead to the upcoming year, there’s confidence from within that Robertson, Washington and first-year offensive coordinator Jake Spavital will remain in Waco and build off an impressive 2024 season in which the offense averaged 34.7 points per game.
“I couldn’t be happier [than] to be where I am now with my teammates and coaches,” Robertson said after the Kansas game.
Outside the trio of Robertson-Washington-Spavital, the Bears are slated to bring back top wide receiver Josh Cameron (RJr.), top tight end Michael Trigg (RJr.) and four of the five starting offensive linemen.
Despite starting his career as a walk-on, Cameron has emerged as Baylor’s best outside target and finished the regular season leading the team in receptions (44), receiving yards (643) and touchdown grabs (9).
“Coming into the season, my goal was five-plus touchdowns; getting past that goal and aiming for even higher levels is awesome,” Cameron said after the matchup against West Virginia on Nov. 16. “I’m going to keep trusting the guys on the field, trusting Sawyer and trusting Coach Spav. … As long as we win, I’m happy.”
Next year’s defense will be anchored by linebacker Keaton Thomas (RSo.), who closed the year with a team-high 107 tackles. He became the first Baylor player since Terrel Bernard in 2021 to collect over 100 tackles in a single season.
Thomas, one of the leaders on Baylor’s defense, kept his tackle goal as his iPhone wallpaper throughout the season.
“It’s good to hit that mark,” Thomas said following the win over Houston on Nov. 23. “It feels great to help this team win and add value onto the defense; that was my goal. I’m super blessed and thankful for Coach Aranda, the staff and everybody from my teachers to the students and supporters. I love it here and couldn’t be more thankful.”
Amidst Baylor’s win streak, one of the key reasons for overcoming the disheartening start to the season was a desire within the locker room not to have a repeat of 2023, in which the Bears went 3-9 and 1-7 at McLane Stadium.
"All the people here last year didn't want to go through the same thing again," running back Dawson Pendergrass (So.) said. "We still had a chance to turn things around. We set the tone going into that Texas Tech game during the bye week."
Now that leaders who love playing at Baylor have emerged inside the locker room, the culture shift has started trickling down into high school recruiting.
After going all-in on the “We Pay Players” mantra this offseason, the Bears have landed a top-35 class in the nation for 2025, highlighted by South Oak Cliff four-star defensive end Kamauryn Morgan and Red Oak four-star wide receiver Taz Williams, both of whom could potentially make an immediate impact next fall.
“It’s a really talented class,” one person close to the program said. “It probably should stack up as one of the tops in the country; I feel like a couple of guys are underrated.”
The last piece of the upcoming offseason puzzle is a commitment to making additions through the transfer portal.
Following Baylor’s record-setting 12-2 season in 2021, Aranda didn’t take advantage of the momentum and added just two players via the portal — defensive lineman Jaxon Player and linebacker Josh White.
Baylor corrected its prior mistakes and added 15 players through the transfer portal last year despite coming off a 3-9 season. They are likely to be in that ballpark range again this offseason. This winter, however, the most pressing needs are at wide receiver and pass rusher.
Four of Baylor’s top-six catching threats are seniors — Ashtyn Hawkins (5Sr.), Monaray Baldwin (Sr.), Hal Presley (Sr.) and Ketron Jackson (Sr.). Two of the Bears’ top edge rushers are out of eligibility — Garmon Randolph (6Sr.) and Steven Linton (6Sr.).
Aranda and Co. won’t squander their opportunity to add talented transfers this offseason, especially considering the administration’s financial commitment and the easy sell of the program's direction. Plus, Baylor provides the chance to play for one of the best defensive minds in the nation and with one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
Before the transfer portal officially opens on Dec. 9, the good times continue to roll as the Bears await their bowl pairing, and National Signing Day brings waves of hope and optimism for the program's future.