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Baylor Football

The stat that mattered against the ACU Wildcats

September 3, 2018
17,407

The Bears finally did it. 685 days since their last home victory, Baylor was finally able to secure a home win at McLane Stadium, defeating Abilene Christian, 55-27.

The last time Baylor won at home was October 15, 2016 against Kansas by a score of 42-7. Since that game, the Bears had lost eight straight games on their turf up until Saturday night. Losing to teams like Oklahoma at home might be understandable, but the Bears found a way to lose to teams they were heavily favored to beat like UTSA and Liberty in that stretch.

© Jerome Miron-USA Today
Baylor junior JaMycal Hasty scored two TDs Saturday.

It might seem as though Baylor should have disposed of Abilene Christian, but if you look at the results of last year, who wouldn’t be crazy to call an upset here? The question is, why were the Bears able to prevail in this game? Why was Saturday night so different from the past 8 home games? If you take a look at the stats, the answer is clear.

The Bears dominated the rushing game.

During the 2017 season, Baylor was out rushed by 72.6 yards per game by their opponents. All in all, the Bears rushed 414 times and picked up 1,407 yards out of it, averaging just 3.4 yards per carry, ranking 119th in college football. No Baylor player rushed for more than 100 yards in a game last fall. To say it bluntly, the Bears could not get the running game going last season.

Against Abilene Christian, however, it was clear to everyone watching that the Bears were unstoppable on the ground. As a team, the Bears ran for 295 yards on 36 carries, ranking 20th in rushing yards to start the season, which is a big step up from a season ago. Their 8.2 yards per carry was fifth overall and they were one of just 11 teams to rush for five touchdowns in the first week of college football.

John Lovett had 12 carries for 115 yards and ran it in for three touchdowns while JaMycal Hasty had 10 carries for 102 yards with two touchdowns. Together they averaged close to 10 yards per carry, which shows how utterly dominant they were against an opponent that they needed to dominate. 

Last fall, Lovett and Hasty combined for 262 yards in their six games at home with just 5 touchdowns combined. In one game, they have set themselves up to rush much more than that this season and have already scored as many touchdowns. In short, these guys had the best games of their time at Baylor all while sharing carries with one another.

If Baylor is able to keep dominating the running game as the competition improves, this could be an offensive team for Big 12 opponents to take serious note of.

Discussion from...

The stat that mattered against the ACU Wildcats

15,468 Views | 16 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by BUGWBBear
4th and Inches
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11:02a, 9/3/18
Offense gets a solid B+ for the forst game... too many struggles with 3rd down conversions to get an A
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85bear
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12:40p, 9/3/18
Defense gets a D-. It would have been an F if they would hace lost. Need to see more improvement in the next three games if we expect to compete with the elite offenses in the Big 12.
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BaylorRocks
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In reply to 85bear • 1:08p, 9/3/18
85bear said:
Defense gets a D-. It would have been an F if they would hace lost. Need to see more improvement in the next three games if we expect to compete with the elite offenses in the Big 12.
Sans two break-away runs and the score could have been more like 55-13. Would that have made you feel better? Two plays. Could happen to any team. That being said, I'm not pumping the Def up as the next Alabama - but I would grade them with a C. Needs improvement.
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EasyE
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1:29p, 9/3/18
I remember too many negative running plays and too low of a conversion percentage on 3rd downs to consider their running game unstoppable in this game.
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Timbear
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1:35p, 9/3/18
Really, many on this forum need to readjust their expectations, and that's not a bad thing. 5-7 would be a good year for year 2 after the BOR death penalty. This team is improved, but still needs time.
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Surf Oso
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1:39p, 9/3/18
the stat that mattered most: W

Something we missed last year against a similar opponent.

onto UTSA: tougher test against a much better opponent.
Lately, newspaper mentioned cheap airfare
I've got to fly to Saint Somewhere
I'm close to bodily harm
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Bear8084
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In reply to EasyE • 1:43p, 9/3/18
EasyE said:
I remember too many negative running plays and too low of a conversion percentage on 3rd downs to consider their running game unstoppable in this game.
2 100+ yard backs. Yes, 3rd down was an issue but the run game was really good.
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Bear8084
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In reply to Timbear • 1:48p, 9/3/18
Timbear said:
Really, many on this forum need to readjust their expectations, and that's not a bad thing. 5-7 would be a good year for year 2 after the BOR death penalty. This team is improved, but still needs time.
The team beats a team they are supposed to beat soundly after so many on here thought it would be close, sleepwalks through the second half, offense looks decent, run game looks decent, the team as a whole looks vastly improved and the thought people should have on here is readjust the expectations of a 6 or 7 win season?

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baylor1999
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In reply to Bear8084 • 2:12p, 9/3/18
You just can't please some men. I feel sorry for their wives.
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vanillabryce
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In reply to Timbear • 4:17p, 9/3/18
Rhule has already stated that this is a bowl team. 6 wins is the standard by which this season will be judged. Anything less than 6 is inadequate - especially against our schedule.
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MrGolfguy
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In reply to Surf Oso • 5:51p, 9/3/18
Surf Oso said:
the stat that mattered most: W
You can say that again

W
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Grizz Air
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In reply to BaylorRocks • 6:01p, 9/3/18
zunooreo said:
85bear said:
Defense gets a D-. It would have been an F if they would hace lost. Need to see more improvement in the next three games if we expect to compete with the elite offenses in the Big 12.
Sans two break-away runs and the score could have been more like 55-13. Would that have made you feel better? Two plays. Could happen to any team. That being said, I'm not pumping the Def up as the next Alabama - but I would grade them with a C. Needs improvement.


Without those 100+ yards and 14 points, i for one, would have been much happier. But those 2 TDs still happened, so I am not too happy with the D. I am happy that we won and the offense looks on par with last year, maybe better running game, but thats about it.
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Timbear
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6:11p, 9/3/18
Hey, I'm very positive about this year's team. If it does turn out to be 5-7, I would think it is still a great step in the right direction.
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Forest Bueller
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9:51p, 9/3/18
4 TD W.

No return of Liberty.

Sure the D was a C, but still this kind of game is common with good D1 teams vs FCS teams.

Not worried yet.

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bear2be2
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In reply to Grizz Air • 12:01a, 9/4/18
Grizz Air said:
zunooreo said:
85bear said:
Defense gets a D-. It would have been an F if they would hace lost. Need to see more improvement in the next three games if we expect to compete with the elite offenses in the Big 12.
Sans two break-away runs and the score could have been more like 55-13. Would that have made you feel better? Two plays. Could happen to any team. That being said, I'm not pumping the Def up as the next Alabama - but I would grade them with a C. Needs improvement.


Without those 100+ yards and 14 points, i for one, would have been much happier. But those 2 TDs still happened, so I am not too happy with the D. I am happy that we won and the offense looks on par with last year, maybe better running game, but thats about it.
They happened, but big busts like that are correctable. I'd much rather see the defense allow three or four long plays at this stage than see them allow 7 yards per play all game. Ideally, you'd rather see neither obviously, but one can be fixed the other really can't.

The key now is to fix the mistakes that led to those big-gainers. We'll see if they can.
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BUGWBBear
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2:36a, 9/4/18
466 yards our D coughed up is the stat that matters BECAUSE IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!

Shyte. Can only imagine how many UTSA racks up on us and Pollyanna will still be rainbow ghey about offense.
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