Ten Thoughts on SMU, Samford & Eye-Popping Offense

BY CRAIG SMOAK | 365 SPORTS

Around lunchtime last Saturday, Dave Aranda and the Bears appeared headed towards some tough conversations and another year of early-season handwringing. 

But then the comeback happened, and the Bears left the Hilltop stunned.

Here are ten thoughts on Baylor Football entering Week 3. 

PREDICTION: My expectation and hope for Saturday is seeing the Bears roll in blowout fashion and the full roster ultimately in action, while everyone stays healthy. That’s all I ask. Name your score, but the Bears will be 2-1. 

SAWYER: Robertson is being showered with accolades, and rightfully so. The recognition he’s received this week has cluttered my timeline in the best way. That was an all-time performance and win that Baylor fans and spectators will remember fondly for years to come. It was also a showing that put many non-ball knowers on notice when it comes to his talents, potential this season and beyond. 

SKILLS: If your passing offense is experiencing great success, it only stands to reason that your skill guys are benefiting as well, and a strong supporting cast surrounds Robertson, to say the least. Three different wide receivers (Wilson, Cameron, Hawkins) have already notched 100-yard games, and Kobe Prentice seems to have a nose for the endzone with three scores in his first two contests. Bryson Washington crossed the threshold, as well. And Michael Trigg had 99 against Auburn in the opener. Yards aren’t everything, but the dispersal of production is notable and bodes well. 

400 CLUB: However, Robertson’s blistering streak of three consecutive 400-yard passing games is in grave danger this weekend against an inferior Samford squad, against whom you hope he’ll play sparingly due to the score. Whatever gets the W, as in that three-game streak, the Bears are only 1-2. 

YESTERYEAR: The offensive performances from Saturday made me flash back to reviewing box scores when the Briles’ offenses were producing absurd numbers and multiple 100-yard skill players everywhere. Fun stuff. The defense is also bringing me back to those days at times, but not in the good way.

SAMFORD: Following the drama and difficulty of the last two weeks, this Samford game is a welcome, brief reprieve from high stakes for one weekend. Those first two opponents made things exciting, though, and I much prefer seeing a team tested with some juicy non-cons, even in defeat, rather than devouring nothing but cupcakes.

PRIME TIME: The stakes will return soon, as the Arizona State game in two weeks is officially a 6:30 pm kickoff on FOX. The game lost its maximum luster with both squads already suffering defeats, to SEC opponents no less, but that’s another great spotlight on the program and a tremendous opportunity to make some noise. 

RANKED WIN: I’m pleased that we can now discard the stat about the drought against Top 25 opponents. It was becoming problematic. As of now, there’s only one Top 25 team remaining on the schedule, and that’s Utah in mid-November. Strong chance that could stick. Maybe TCU jumps in sometime in the next five weeks, as well. Outside of that, it looks dicey, but it’s still early. 

14 STRAIGHT: Not all streaks are bad, as the win extended the Bears’ string of victories over the Mustangs to 14 games and marked the first with both teams as P4 schools. I know most would rather pretend SMU is below them, especially from a football standpoint, but their CFP berth and ACC runner-up finish were very real. A win over Baylor would’ve firmly put the Ponies in a current class above, but that’s thankfully not the case after Saturday’s result in Dallas. 

BIG KICK: Connor Hawkins did what his counterpart couldn’t and propelled the Bears to victory with a short, but stressful 27-yard kick. College kickers are an unpredictable breed, so that’s always a great exhale when the operation is clean and you see a game-winner soar through the uprights in high-pressure situations.