Turnover issues and RB woes continue to plague Baylor against ISU

Saturday’s 23-13 loss to Iowa State was more an emotional one than anything else. The seniors that have bled for this team left McLane without one last win, made worse by the big plays that determined the game.

Ball Control issues continue

In the past two games, Baylor has five turnovers in the red zone. Five trips that at a minimum should have ended in 15 points and closed the gap- not to mention the effect on momentum.

John Lovett was at the head of the sinking ship this week, getting stripped at the two-yard-line to cap off a 16-play drive. Lovett had a rough afternoon as a whole. Of his 21 yards, 13 came on one rush, leaving him with an average of one yard every other carry, unable to help convert first downs as Baylor was 5-of-15 on third down attempts. 

Down 10 points, Baylor also needed Charlie Brewer lock into his mode he unleashed against West Virginia in the fourth quarter. Entering ISU territory with seven minutes remaining, Brewer threw his third interception of the season straight at Reggie Wilkerson at the seven-yard-line.

Both were momentum swingers in ISU’s favor made by mental mistakes by freshmen, Brewer locking in on a route with other options available and Lovett letting the defense get its hands on the ball. They’re two plays the two should remember heading forward and ultimately improve upon but really showed who’s in control right now.

Struggle to find a run game (again)

Lovett struggled to make an impact beyond his 13-yard run and a six-yard reception that only set up his fumble. But he wasn’t alone struggling to match the production ISU received from David Montgomery’s 144 yards on 27 carries.

JaMycal Hasty opened the day bouncing a run outside for a  66-yard touchdown only for the call to come back to the 22-yard-line after a review caught him just out of bounds. It turned the drive into the first points of the day, shifting favor to Baylor. But strip that 41-yard gain from Hasty, he had just 45 yards on 16 attempts and in turn, kept the offense from carrying momentum like that opening drive provided.

This is hardly the first game Baylor has had issues on the ground. It was at the top of Rhule’s to-do list after disappointing turns the past four weeks averaging 96 yards. Beyond that, this is the second consecutive week without a rushing score. And Brewer was once again the most efficient rusher with 39 yards on eight carries, scrambling out of a constantly collapsed pocket.

Controlling the controllable

Despite just one win to prove, Rhule is confident saying this team has made progress from being a “bad” team to being an improved team. That’s fairly open-ended and qualitative but he went on to praise the team limiting their penalties among other mental mistakes.

The team opened the season with three games of 10 penalties or more in the first five games. Since then, the Bears haven’t had more than seven in a game and average just 5.7 infractions. On Saturday, the refs threw just four flags. That untouched momentum didn’t do much, of course, but it’s a step in the right direction that helps the team focus on the game plan in the future.

While there’s plenty that’s out of control on special teams, the impact Conner Martin has had as the placekicker is undeniable. He drilled both his field goals in hurricane-light conditions including a 47-yard boot. That put him at 18-of-21 on the season, holding on to the No. 2 rank in the Big 12 in both field goal percentage and field goals made. As a true freshman, Martin’s already a quality asset that should help even more as the rest of the issues get paved.