Recap: Baylor Presses All the Right Buttons in Blowout Win over ASU

TEMPE, Az. — The Baylor football team put together its most complete offensive performance of the last few years in a 55-19 emphatic win over Arizona State on Saturday at Mountain America Stadium.

After going three-and-out on its first drive, Baylor (4-1, 2-0) found the end zone on its next three possessions.

Arizona State (2-2, 1-1) cut the deficit to 21-13 with 1:51 left, but Baylor outscored the Sun Devils, 34-6, including scoring on six of the final seven complete drives.

The offense had its most explosive game of the season, complemented by the best rushing attack of the season with 244 yards on 6.8 yards per carry. Baylor had a pair of 60-yard-plus touchdown runs for the first time since 2010.

Bears quarterback DJ Lagway (Jr.) had his best game in a Baylor uniform yet, completing 26 of 40 for 306 yards and a career-high five total touchdowns, with four passing scores to four different targets.

Despite giving up over 400 yards, the Baylor defense bent all night but never had a back-breaking drive, plus won the turnover battle by three and added seven tackles for loss, to go with three sacks.

It was also Baylor’s cleanest game, in terms of penalties, as they were flagged just three times for 37 yards.

After each team traded punts, the Sun Devils got their passing game going on the second drive, with three-straight first downs to three different targets to get into Baylor’s 30.

The Bears’ defense held and forced a 46-yard field goal from ASU’s Carson Smith that connected to make it 3-0 with 9 minutes, 47 seconds left in the first quarter.

Baylor immediately responded in two plays as Ryelan Morris (Fr.) made his biggest impact of his young career, with a 63-yard dash, going untouched into the end zone to give the Bears a 7-3 lead in just 34 seconds. 

It was not only the longest run for any Baylor player this season, but the longest since 2021.

Arizona State’s offense got a couple of first downs before the Bear defense created a havoc play, which has become common under defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman.

Baylor got its eighth takeaway of the season, with safety Tyler Turner (Sr.) punching the ball out of Omarion Miller’s grasp and Kedrick Walker (Sr.) shining on the spot of the recovery.

Baylor continued that momentum as the Bears went nine plays and 72 yards in just over three minutes, and on third and goal, Lagway hit tight end Tony Livingston (Sr.) on a jump ball, where he high-pointed it for Livingston’s first touchdown as a Bear to make it 14-3 with 3:01 left in the first.

The Bear defense got a sack from Travion Barnes (5Sr.) on third down to kill the Sun Devils' drive and give the ball right back to the Bears.

Baylor ran for 114 yards and rushed for over 14 yards per carry in the first quarter, by far the best rushing performance of any game this season, and outgained the Sun Devils, 182-97.

The Bears offense continued its strong performance into the second quarter as Lagway hit Louis Brown IV (5Sr.) on third down for a 10-yard touchdown, where he plucked it out of the air on a fade route to make it 21-3.

Arizona State moved down the field, but once again, the defense held its own in ASU territory. The Sun Devils got a couple of chunk plays to set them up in the red zone, but a Levar Thornton (Sr.) pass breakup on third down forced a second field goal, where Smith connected from 32 yards out to make it 21-6 with 9:59 until halftime.

The Baylor offense got another strong drive going, but errors ruined a chance to retake a three-possession lead. On third down, Lagway sailed a pass, intended for Jayden McGowan, who was left wide open in the end zone.

Rhett Armstrong (Soph.) then missed a 38-yarder, his first miss from within 30-39 yards. He is eight of nine at home, but has failed to hit on his two road attempts.

While Arizona State had missed on some chances to find the end zone before, Boley didn’t miss Miller coming out of the two-minute timeout; he hit him over the seam on a double move to cut the Baylor lead to 21-13 with 1:51 left in the first half.

Lagway set the Bears up in a great spot in a two-minute drill drive as he found Freeman three times for 48 yards on the drive. His last throw went for 27 yards to set up a 36-yard field goal that Armstrong drilled to give Baylor a 24-13 lead heading into the half.

Baylor went six of nine on third downs in the first half, while Arizona State went two of eight and put up 299 yards.

The offense came out of the second half just as crisp. Lagway hit Freeman on a go route for 31 yards and on third and seven, Jadon Porter (Jr.) made a heavily contested catch along the sidelines to put Baylor inside the ASU 9.

Lagway hit Hawkins Polley (Jr.) on a three-yard pop pass for Polley’s second career touchdown and pushed the lead back to 18.

Baylor’s defense continued to ramp up, and on third down, Boley attempted to throw it away from pressure, but did not get near enough under it and was intercepted by defensive lineman Ryan Davis (Sr.)

The Bears immediately capitalized as, after Lagway hit Brown IV for a 28-yard catch, he threw his fourth touchdown to Porter, an eight-yard strike on third down, extending Baylor’s lead to a game-high 25 with 9:29 left in the third.

Arizona State put together a five-minute drive that resulted in a field goal, just for Caden Knighten (So.) to pop off a career-long 75-yard touchdown run on the first play of the following Baylor drive to make it 45-16.

Lagway capped his night by calling his own number for an 11-yard touchdown run to make it 52-19. Stilton McKelvey (Sr.) recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, and Armstrong drilled a 23-yarder.

The Bears are on a bye before staying at home to face TCU on Oct. 17. The time is yet to be determined.

Passing

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Defense