Martin’s emergence highlighted Baylor’s biggest weakness in 2017

Sophomore kicker Connor Martin set Baylor’s single-season made field goal record on Friday in the final game of the 2017 campaign by connecting on his 19th and 20th field goals of the season from 48 and 23 yards. The emergence of Martin was one of a few bright spots in a dismal season after the Bears struggled over the last decade to find a consistent weapon to use when drives stalled in an opponent’s territory.

But his ability to nail kicks from everywhere on the field, including outside of 40 yards where he was 6 of 7 on the season to be exact, highlighted a major issue that the Bears faced all of the 2017 season.

Martin’s 20 made field goals were primarily a result of an offense that had major consistency issues once entering the red zone.

Baylor’s first Big 12 game of the 2017 season came against the Oklahoma Sooners, a game where the Bears scored 41 points and totaled 523 yards of total offense but still couldn’t find victory.

Defense aside, it was an inability to move the ball inside of opponents territory that forced the Bears into five field goal attempts from the 17, 14, 24, 29 and 18-yard lines. By connecting on four of those Martin gave the Bears a puncher’s chance to pull up a massive upset in Waco over the Sooners, but he should have never been in the situation to begin with.

Well, at least not with a consistent run game. The Bears rode the arm of sophomore quarterback Zach Smith through the game as the offensive line could get little push against the front seven of the Sooners and as the offense entered the red zone, the Bears completely stalled.

In the 15 plays leading up to the field goal attempts by Martin, Baylor’s offense produced a grand total of seven rushing yards and a measly 1.2 yards per play. The issues weren’t isolated, either, as the issues occurred constantly throughout the contest as the Bears rushed for 60 yards on 35 carries and did not score a rushing touchdown.

In 12 games the issues inside the 20, much less the issues rushing the football, the Oklahoma game wasn't the beginning or the end the same issues. However, it was with that contest against the Sooners that the Bears entered a stretch of four weeks where Martin was asked to attempt a total of 14 field goals. He connected on 12 of them.

Good? Yes, because he was bailing the offense from their lack of ability to move the football inside the red zone. However, points left on the field were massive in not only the game against OU but two of the next three as well.

In matchups with Kansas State and West Virginia that were within one score (7, 2) in the fourth quarter, Martin was asked to kick field goals from the 21 (after reaching the 19), 27 (after reaching the 14), 10, 6, 25 and 6-yard lines. In two contest decided by a total of 15 points, a total of five drives into the red zone must result in more than five made field goals on six attempts.

That, in fact, was the difference in both games.

Baylor had a significant amount of other issues to wade through in 2017, but when the field shortens and an explosive offense that ranks among the top 15 in plays of 30 yards (#14), 40 yards (#3), 50 yards (#3), 60 yards (#6) and 70 yards (#1) in the country is asked to pound the rock with a below average offensive line, things got dicey.

That’s why seeing the Bears ranked 102nd nationally in red zone offense to close the season isn’t surprising.

Thank goodness for Connor Martin, but now it’s time to work on the offensive line.