Baylor's run game in need of serious fine tuning before Kansas trip

After Charlie Brewer was chased out of the pocket by Longhorns, he sprung loose for 14 yards, moving the chains despite a Blake Blackmar false start two plays earlier. Last week in the 23-0 fourth-quarter comeback, that play could have been a defining moment for the freshman QB. Turning broken plays into positive yards was a big deal and was done with rare consistency.

In the 38-7 loss to Texas, that 14-yard scamper was the biggest run play of the afternoon. It took 54 minutes to get that play (and the drive still ultimately ended in a punt). Before Brewer’s keeper, JaMycal Hasty broke loose for 12 yards but that’s hardly any consolation considering how rough the run game was on all counts Saturday.

Granted, the Texas rush defense ranks second in the conference, allowing just over a hundred yards a game. And head coach Tom Herman’s defenses at Houston were top-ranked against the run too. But 31 yards on the ground is the lowest mark for Baylor since -20 yards in the 2015 Cotton Bowl.

It’s also the worst mark for a Matt Rhule-coached team (though there was a 32-yard performance in 2014 against Wake Forest).

Part of that disastrous total comes from a muffed snap from Connor Martin. That cost 18 yards and led to an immediate Texas touchdown. Zach Smith and Brewer were also sacked three times. Removing those non-running yards, Baylor had a much more tolerable 106 yards, but for an average of just 3.6 yards.

How much of that production is from the running backs is perhaps the most egregious. After taking out plays like Brewer’s late run, and other QB carries, there are just 48 yards led by Terence Williams’ 29 yards on seven carries.

Blame can’t be placed on one particular area, either. Using the trio of Williams, Hasty, and Trestan Ebner, averaged just 3.1 yards, unable to find openings across the entire line. 

Unofficially, the trio averaged just 3.4 yards running to the left, 2.7 yards up the middle, and 2.5 yards to the right side. It shows a slight trend that shows weakness to the right side where Malik Jefferson roamed but the efficiency disparity is too slight to blame anything but the ensemble.

Adding insult to injury, both Williams and John Lovett fumbled as well. If not for a 2-yard touchdown from Lovett following a 52-yard Blake Lynch reception, the whole afternoon would have been a lost cause.

It’s mostly disheartening since the two weeks leading up to Texas showed promise in the backfield. Ebner had three total touchdowns in one quarter the week before and Lovett and Williams had fine performances in Stillwater. Aside from a gut-check, nothing was earned Saturday.

The upcoming road trip to Kansas should be a bit of a pallet cleanse as the Jayhawks give up nearly 200 yards rushing a game. They also hold the distinction as the worst scoring defense in the conference with the lowest scoring offense. Of all weeks, this cannot be the game where a trend emerges. At the season’s end, the flop against Texas should be considered a one-time offense.