| LSU TIGERS (8-4, 5-3 SEC) Location: Baton Rouge, La. Conference/Affiliation: SEC Head Coach: Brian Kelly (Assumption, 1983) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF) |
LSU (8-4, 5-3 SEC) vs. BAYLOR (8-4, 6-3 Big 12) Dec. 31 • 2:30 p.m. Houston, Texas • NRG Stadium (72,220) LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast Baylor Social Media: |
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BAYLOR BEARS (8-4, 6-3 Big 12) Location: Waco, Texas Conference/Affiliation: Big 12 Head Coach: Dave Aranda (Cal Lutheran, 1999) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF) |
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WACO, Texas — Winners of six straight to conclude the regular season – the longest such streak in program history – Baylor football will wrap up the 2024 season with the Kinder’s Texas Bowl, facing off with LSU at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday at NRG Stadium.
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN, with Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Sam Acho (analyst) and Taylor Davis (sideline) calling the action. The game will also be broadcast live on the Baylor Sports Media Network, with the Voice of the Bears, John Morris (play-by-play), and former BU greats J.J. Joe (analyst) and Ricky Thompson (sideline) calling the action.
Baylor (8-4, 6-3 Big 12) will be meeting LSU (8-4, 5-3 Southeastern Conference) for the first time since the 1985 Liberty Bowl and for the third time in a bowl game. The Bears have advanced to 27 total bowl games, including 12 of the last 15 years, and are playing a bowl in Houston for the first time since the 2018 Academy + Sports Houston Bowl.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
• LSU comes into the game with the Bears owning a 8-4 record and posting a 5-3 mark in Southeastern Conference play. The Tigers have won two straight, going 6-1 at Tiger Stadium and 2-2 in road games. LSU owned a ranking as high as No. 8, which followed a 29-26 overtime win over No. 9 Ole Miss. The Tigers were ranked in 10 of their 12 games in 2024.
• LSU wrapped up its regular season with a 37-17 beatdown of Oklahoma in Baton Rouge, La., on Nov. 30, which followed a 24-17 win over upstart Vanderbilt. LSU suffered losses vs. Florida, No. 11 Alabama, No. 14 Texas A&M and No. 23 USC, earning wins over Nicholls, South Carolina, UCLA, South Alabama, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Vanderbilt at OU.
• LSU is under the direction of third-year head coach Brian Kelly, a decorated winner who has served as a successful head coach at Grand Valley State (1991-2003), Central Michigan (2004-06), Cincinnati (2006-09), Notre Dame (2010-21) and LSU (2022-24). Including all stops, Kelly owns a 291-107-2 all-time record and has gone 28-11 in his three years at LSU, helping the Tigers to a 10-4 season in 2022 – including a Citrus Bowl win – a 10-3 mark in 2023 – including a ReliaQuest Bowl win – and an 8-4 mark in 2024. Kelly went 92-39 in his tenure in South Bend, Ind.
• Kelly is assisted by associate head coach and running backs coach Frank Wilson, the former head coach at UTSA and McNeese, defensive coordinator Blake Baker and offensive coordinator Joe Sloan. Cortez Hankton serves as the co-offensive coordinator. A native of Houston, Baker is in his first year as the DC, after serving as Missouri’s DC from 2022-23 and previously serving as the LB coach at LSU in 2021. He was the DC at Miami from 2019-20 and Louisiana Tech from 2015-18. Sloan coached QBs at LSU from 2022-23 before taking over as the OC in 2024. He was on the staff at Louisiana Tech from 2013-21, including time as the OC from 2020-21.
• The Tigers average 431.9 yards per game, including 315.3 passing and 116.6 rushing. Defensively, LSU allows 352.5 yards per game, including 205.9 passing and 146.6 rushing. LSU averages 29.3 points per game and allows 23.7. QB Garrett Nussmeier has thrown for 3,739 yards with 26 TDs and 11 interceptions. Caden Durham has rushed for 693 yards with six TDs on 127 carries, while Josh Williams has added 108 rushes for 440 yards and five TDs. Kyren Lacey has hauled in a tea-leading 58 catches for 866 yards and nine TDs, while Aaron Anderson has caught 53 balls for 784 yards with five TDs and Mason Taylor owns 55 grabs for 546 yards and two scores. Defensively, White Weeks has 119 tackles, 10 for a loss and 3.5 sacks. Greg Penn III has 80 tackles, Bradyn Swinson has 8.5 sacks and 12 QB hurries and Zy Alexander owns two interceptions.
SIX-GAME WIN STREAK
• Baylor is riding a six-game winning streak, its most since 2021, entering the bowl game seeking its first six-game streak since 2019. The five-game win streak vs. Big 12 teams is its most since 2019.
• The six-game streak includes a furious offensive attack that ranks among the nation’s leaders.
UP NEXT
• Baylor will open its 2025 season on Aug. 30 vs. Auburn at McLane Stadium and then on Sept. 6, traveling to face SMU.
SERIES HISTORY
• Baylor will be meeting LSU for the 12th time in series history and the first time since facing LSU in the 1985 Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn., a 21-7 Baylor win. LSU leads the all-time series, 8-3.
• LSU has won three of the last four meetings and opened the series with wins in five straight games from 1907-1959. the Bears won in 1960, 1963 and 1985.
LAST MEETING
• Baylor will be facing LSU for the firs time since the 1985 Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn., which saw the Bears post a 21-7 win, using a second-quarter field goal and a fourth-quarter TD and two-point conversion to earn the win.
• The Bears used a strong defensive effort in the win, holding LSU to just nine first downs and 192 yards of total offense. Baylor totaled 26 first downs, 489 yards of offense, including 274 passing and 215 yards rushing. QB Cody Carlson threw for 161 yards and two TDs and Tom Muecke had 113 yards passing. Nine Bears rushed it at least twice. John Simpson had three catches for 117 yards and a score and Matt Clark had three catches and a TD. Alan Jamison led the Bears with 11 tackles, with Thomas Everett chipping in eight stops.
• The Bears concluded the 1985 season with a 9-3 mark, going 6-2 in the Southwest Conference, earning a No. 17 ranking in the final AP poll.
CONNECTING THE TEAMS
• Baylor has several immediate connections to LSU, most notably the four seasons (2016-19) Baylor head coach Dave Aranda spent as the defensive coordinator for the Tigers, where he was considered the top defensive play caller in college football. Aranda helped lead the Bears to the 2019 SEC Championships and the 2019 CFP National Championship before taking over in Waco for the 2020 season.
• Also on the defensive staff is outside linebackers coach Caleb Collins, who was a defensive graduate assistant at LSU in 2018 and an analyst in 2019, before coming with Aranda for the 2020 season. In addition, Baylor Chief of Staff Jeff Grigus is a veteran of the LSU Athletics Department, serving as the assistant director of football operations at LSU from 2017-19, which followed a tenure from 2011-17 as an equipment manager. He earned his bachelor’s of science in 2010 from LSU and met his wife, Samantha at LSU.
• Baylor’s Associate AD for NIL Administration and Professional Relations, Keava Soil-Cormier, spent eight seasons at LSU as the assistant director of recruiting operations and earned her bachelor’s from LSU in 2011 and her law degree in 2014. BU’s Senior Director of On-Campus Recruiting, Taylor Halsey, worked at LSU as a recruiting student assistant from 2019-22 and as a LSU marketing intern from 2021-22, earning her degree from LSU in 2021 and her graduate degree in 2022. Earl Chevalier is the Director of Football Player Development and Operations Assistant and is in his first year after moving over from LSU, where he previously served as an assistant strength & conditioning coach, also graduating from LSU in 2004. Also, former LSU safety Ed Paris is in his first year as the assistant director of player personnel.
• LSU secondary coach Corey Raymond was on Aranda’s defensive staff from 2016-19, where he worked with DBs in 2016-17 and cornerbacks from 2018-19.
BOWL HISTORY: BEARS MAKE 12TH APPEARANCE IN LAST 15 YEARS
• For the 12th time in the last 15 years, the Baylor Bears are making a post-season bowl appearance.
• It marks the first trip to Houston for Baylor since besting Vanderbilt in the Academy Sports Houston Bowl in 2018.
• Baylor has advanced to 27 prior bowl games in its history (going 14-13) and has made three bowl trips under Coach Dave Aranda, also claiming the Sugar Bowl Title in 2021 in New Orleans, topping Ole Miss 21-7 and facing off with Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl.
• The Bears first went to a bowl game in 1948, the Dixie Bowl which featured a 20-7 win over Wake Forest. Over the next 61 years, the Bears attended 16 bowl games, before starting a stretch of success in the program in 2010 that has seen Baylor attend bowls in 12 of 15 years.
BAYLOR ON NEW YEAR’S EVE
• Baylor will be playing its first game on New Year’s Eve since 1994, a 10-3 loss vs. Washington State in the Alamo Bowl.
• The Bears are 3-5 all-time on New Year’s Eve, with each game on NYE coming in the form of a bowl game.
BAYLOR CLEANS UP ON EARLY SIGNING DAY
• Baylor signed 21 high school freshmen on early signing day on Dec. 4, with the class ranking No. 35- and No. 3 in the Big 12 – in the 247sports.com rankings, marking BU’s highest ranked class since 2018. The Bears inked five four-star recruits.
• The Bears welcomed 10 offensive and 10 defensive players and one kicker. Among the signees, 14 will enroll in time for spring practice. Included in the signees is CB Leo Almanza Jr., PK Rhett Armstrong, DL Jackson Blackwell, S Demetrius Brisbon, LB Kaleb Burns, OL Harrison Cluff, WR Chase Collier, QB Edward Griffin, OLB Christopher Johnson, WR Ashton Jones, RB Caden Knighten, OLB Kamauryn Morgan, S Bo Onu, OL Matthew Parker, S Colin Peacock, LB Trent Spence, RB Michael Turner, WR Jacorey Watson, TE Brody Wilhelm, WR Taz Williams Jr. and LB Ke’Breion Winston.
MASON MILLER IMPACT ON O-LINE
• Baylor’s addition of offensive line coach Mason Miller has paid extreme dividends, improving the Bears over last year into one of the nation’s top units, according to SportSourceAnalytics. After the BYU game, the Bears settled on a five-man lineup up front, including Sidney Fugar at LT, Ryan Lengyel at LG, Coleton Price at C, Omar Aigbedion at RG and Campbell Barrington at RT. This saw Baylor’s ranking go from 112th in 2023 to No. 6 in 2024. The only schools ahead of Baylor in offensive line efficiency rating are New Mexico, Army, Miami (Fla.), Rice and Southern California.
OFFENSIVE FIREWORKS IN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER
• Baylor ranks among the best offenses in college football over the last two months, checking in No. 5 in the nation in yards per game (481.43) – and second among power-4 schools – No. 5 in yards per play (6.91) – and fourth among power-4 schools – and sixth in college football in points per game (40.8). Among power-4 schools, Baylor ranks fourth in points per game.
ARANDA TAKES OVER DEFENSE
• Coach Dave Aranda enters the 2024 season in his fifth season leading the Bears.
• Aranda has taken over defensive play calling duties and serves as the lead position coach for the inside linebackers in 2024. This came after he previously let his defensive coordinators call plays, including Ron Roberts and Matt Powledge. Powledge remains the defensive coordinator and is the safeties coach in 2024.
• Aranda led the LSU defense in 2019 as the Tigers posted a perfect 15-0 record and won the National Title with a 42-25 victory over Clemson in CFP National Championship Game.
• In six seasons as defensive coordinator at Power 5 schools from 2014-19, his defenses were ranked top-12 nationally in total yards five times. The units also ranked top-10 in scoring four times in seven years from 2013-19.
ROBERTSON BECOMES A STAR
• After Dequan Finn suffered an injury in the loss at No. 11/11 Utah, Baylor has turned to QB Sawyer Robertson in the signal caller role and the junior has starred, securing the job as the BU starting quarterback and becoming one of the nation’s best sig.
• Robertson, a 6-foot-4 native of Lubbock, Texas, joined the Bears for the spring of 2022 and served as a part-time starter in 2023 in relief of injured QB Blake Shapen, starting games vs. No. 12/12 Utah, Long Island, No. 3 Texas and the season finale vs. West Virginia. After Finn was brought in via the transfer portal, Robertson did not win the job in a battle for the gig in the spring and summer but remained the consummate leader on the team and the moment the redshirt junior’s name was called, stepped up.
SAWDOG ON FIRE
• Junior Sawyer Robertson has been one of the top performing quarterbacks in the nation since taking over the job in week 3.
• He ranks fifth nationally and first in the Big 12 in QB rating.
• A native of Lubbock, Robertson had a thrilling homecoming to his native land in week 8, throwing a career-high five TD passes in a rout of the Red Raiders, 59-32. He was named to the Davey O’Brien Trophy QB of the Year Midseason Watch List, tabbed Big 12 Player of the Week, and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week following the beatdown in Lubbock.
• Over his last 11 starts – dating back to the season finale vs. West Virginia last year – Roberts has charted QBR totals of 80+ in eight games. Healthy for the first time in that WVU game in 2023, Robertson threw for 215 yards and a score on 17-of-19 passing for 215 yards, with 15 carries for 33 yards, with an 80.0 QBR.
SLAYING BIG 12 DRAGONS
• Only three times in its history in the Big 12 Conference has Baylor had a season with wins over TCU, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, which the Bears have done in 2024.
• Baylor also did this in 2014 and 2019. Only 17 times since the formation of Baylor football in 1899 have the Bears beaten TCU and Texas Tech in the same season, also doing so in 1942, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1963, 1974, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990 and 1995.
• The Baylor win at West Virginia also snapped a winless stretch in Morgantown for the Bears, who had lost six straight to open the series with the Mountaineers.
• By virtue of the win at Houston, the Bears swept the Big 12 Texas schools.
RUSH OFFENSE CORNER TURNED
• Baylor’s rush offense struggled early in the year as the Bears adapted to a new offensive scheme, broke in a youthful group at tailback and offensive line, and faced a stout collection of opposing defenses. Over a four-game stretch, Baylor broke out, rushing for 1,038 yards in wins at Texas Tech, vs. Oklahoma State, vs. TCU and at West Virginia.
• Baylor rushed for 257 yards vs. TCU, 343 yards in the win over Oklahoma State, 255 yards in the rout at Texas Tech, totaling10 rushing TDs over the three-game stretch and 7.43 yards per carry. The 343 yards rushing vs. OSU marked the most in a game vs. a Big 12 foe since 2016. The Bears then wrapped up the regular-season with a 293 yard rushing performance in a beatdown of Kansas.
• It marked the first time since 2015 that Baylor has had three-straight games with 250 yards rushing against Big 12 opponents.
FUGAR MOVES TO LEFT TACKLE, O-LINE SOARS
• A key ingredient to Baylor’s five-game win streak and turnaround from a 2-4 start to the season has been the improvement of the youthful offensive line. An element of that improvement has clearly been the move of South Carolina transfer Sidney Fugar from a rotational piece at left guard to the starting left tackle. He moved to left tackle in a loss vs. BYU and earned the starting job at Iowa State, locking down the job since.
• Since Fugar – a 6-foot-5, 341-pound native of Maryland – has started the last seven games, the Bears are averaging 38.4 points per game, including 481.4 yards of total offense, 262.7 passing and 218.7 rushing.
• Baylor has moved to No. 44 in fewest sacks allowed on the season nationally, and No. 5 in fewest tackles for a loss allowed.
CHANEY, COLLINS, SCOTT, SPAVITAL HONORED
• Baylor assistant coaches Jamar Chaney, Caleb Collins, Mark Scott and Jake Spavital have each been named finalist for FootballScoop.com’s Coach of the Year Awards, marking the 17th annual season FootballScoop has had fellow coaches select positional and coordinator awards.
• Scott, in his first year with the Bears, is one of five special teams coordinators named finalists for the award. His unit ranks fifth nationally in FEI Special Teams Ratings heading into the bowl season. The Bears have had a prolific season in special teams, ranking among ht nation’s top 40 in blocked punts (No. 21), kickoff return defense (No. 9), net punting (No. 5), punt return defense (No. 33) and punt returns (No. 1).
• Spavital is one of five finalists for national quarterbacks coach of the year. In his first season, Spavital has transformed the Baylor offense into the nation’s best unit over the last two months of the season, helping Sawyer Robertson develop into the top rated passer in the Big 12 and the fifth-best in the nation.
• The linebacker coach combination of Chaney and Collins has helped shape an opportunistic defense. Chaney, in his first year after coming from Western Kentucky, and Collins have helped mentor several standout performers, including Chaney’s inside linebacker group that features the pair in school history to earn first-team All-Big 12 honors in the same season, Matt Jones and Keaton Thomas. Collins has welcomed new edge rushers at outside linebacker including Steve Linton, and helped develop Garmon Randolph and Kyler Jordan into their best collegiate seasons.
INSIDE LINEBACKERS MAKING HISTORY
• Baylor’s inside linebacker duo of Matt Jones and Keaton Thomas have been elite in 2024, ranking 1 and 2 in tackles. Nationally, Thomas ranks 31s tin tackles and Jones No. 36. The pair are both over the 100 tackle mark and are the first pair of linebackers at Baylor to surpass that threshold since 2012.
• They are the first linebacker due in Baylor history to earn first-team All-Big 12 honors in the same season.
Year Linebackers (Tackles)
2016 Aiavion Edwards (98), Taylor Young (93)
2017 Terrel Bernard (112), Jordan Williams (89)
2021 Terrel Bernard (106), Dillon Doyle (89)
2024 Keaton Thomas (107), Matt Jones (103)
NATION’S FIFTH-LONGEST WIN STREAK
• Baylor’s six-game win streak ranks tied for the nation’s fifth longest and fourth among power-4 schools and Notre Dame.
FRANCIS INDUCTED INTO TEXAS BOWL GRIDIRON LEGEND CLASS
• Baylor Athletics Hall of Famer James Francis will be inducted into the Texas Bowl Gridiron Legend Class of 2024 while the Bears are at the Texas Bowl.
• Francis, a former Baylor standout linebacker, is a 1989 graduate and was inducted into the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001. Francis, who followed in his brother Ron’s footsteps as a BU great, totaled 334 tackles during his four-year career (1986-89) and earned first-team All-America honors in 1989, while blocking a NCAA record eight kicks. As a senior in 1989, Francis totaled 129 tackles, including 12 for a loss, with four interceptions and three fumbles scooped up. He also played basketball, helping the Bears to the NIT in 1987 and the NCAA Tournament in 1988. The 12th overall pick in the 1990 NFL Draft, Francis played 10 years in the NFL, including nine with the Cincinnati Bengals.
• The Bears – ranked No. 14 – beat Colorado 21-9 in the 1986 Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston at Rice Stadium. Francis had four tackles, including one for a loss in the Bluebonnet Bowl, part of a 21-tackle season with an interception and fumble.
ROAD CONFERENCE WIN RECORD
• Baylor has three wins on the road in conference play in 2024, just its seventh all-time three-road win season in league action.
• Baylor has won three or more road games in league play only seven times (2024, 2022, 2019, 2015, 2014, 2013) in the last 30 years and only six times in its history in the Big 12 Conference, which dates back to 1996.
• The Bears went through a 37-game stretch from 1995-2005 without a road conference win, going 0-4 in every year from 1996-2004. Baylor was 2-50 in road conference games from 1996-2008.
ELITE SPECIAL TEAMS UNIT
• According to the 2023 FEI Rankings via BCFToys.com, Baylor finished the year with the top-ranked special teams unit in college football and ranks No. 4 entering the postseason. A combination of kickers Isaiah Hankins and Connor Hawkins, kickoff specialist Jack Stone, punter Palmer Williams, long snappers Garrison Grimes and Dylan Schaub, and returners Josh Cameron, Jamaal Bell and Richard Reese, helped the Bears lead the FEI special teams rankings.
• FEI Special Teams Ratings (SFEI) are opponent-adjusted possession efficiency data representing the scoring advantage per non-garbage possession a team’s non-offensive and non-defensive units would expect to have on a neutral field against an average opponent.
BEARS EARN ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
• Baylor football earned a total of 15 All-Big 12 awards, including four first-team honors, a second-team recognition and 10 honorable mention distinctions. The five combined first- and second-team honorees tie for Baylor’s most in a single season since receiving seven in 2021.
• One of the nation’s most elite return men, Cameron led the conference with a 20.7-yard average on 14 punt returns in 2024. He racked up a total of 290 return yards, good for fourth nationally, including a career-high 73-yard return at Texas Tech to inside the 1-yard line. For his prowess in the return game, Cameron also earned a spot on the Jet Award’s midseason watch list, which recognizes the nation’s most outstanding return specialist.
• A sixth-year man out of Odessa, Texas, Jones put together his most complete season in the green and gold with a career-high 103 tackles, including 61 solo stops. He added 9.5 tackles for loss and four sacks, along with six pass breakups, a forced fumble and his first-career fumble recovery. Jones logged six games with double-digit tackles, the most by a Bear in a single season since Bryce Hager’s six in 2012.
• In his first season in Waco, Thomas turned heads by leading the team with 107 total tackles, the most by a Bear in a single season since Terrel Bernard’s 112 in 2019. Thomas added seven tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks with one interception, a pick-six that he returned 35 yards in the season opener against Tarleton. Thomas produced four double-digit tackle outputs in 2024, including in three consecutive games against TCU, at West Virginia and at Houston.
• Williams punted 41 times for 2,034 yards this season, leading the Big 12 with a BU school-record 49.6-yard average. In 2024, the sophomore from Advance, N.C., booted 21 kicks beyond 50 yards and downed 14 punts inside the 20. Williams had a career day at Utah in Week 2, setting a school record with 62.7 yards per punt, including massive boots of 57, 60, 76 and 79 yards, becoming the first Bear in program history with a pair of 70+ yard punts in the same game.
• A weapon in the receiving game and a mismatch for most defenses, Trigg hauled in 30 receptions this season for 395 yards and three touchdowns. The redshirt junior transfer tight end caught at least three passes in six games this year, including a season-high six snags at Iowa State in Week 6. His 96-yard performance at Houston in Week 13, highlighted by a 42-yard one-handed grab, marked a season high.
2024 ALL-BIG 12 AWARDS:
First Team
Josh Cameron – KR/PR
Matt Jones – LB
Keaton Thomas – LB
Palmer Williams – P
Second Team
Michael Trigg – TE
Honorable Mention
Omar Aigbedion – OL
Josh Cameron – WR
Lorando Johnson – DB
Treven Ma’ae – DL
Jackie Marshall – DL
Gavin Yates – FB
Honorable Mention Individual Awards
Special Teams Player of the Year
Josh Cameron
Offensive Newcomer of the Year
Bryson Washington
Defensive Newcomer of the Year
Keaton Thomas
Offensive Freshman of the Year
Bryson Washington
B-WASH AMONG NATION’S BEST TAILBACKS
• Redshirt freshman tailback Bryson Washington has quickly emerged as one of the nation’s best freshmen. After sitting out the first two games of the year with an injury – and missing most of 2023 with an injury – Washington has emerged as an elite running back threat.
• A native of Franklin, Texas, Washington leads the team with 170 carries and 1,004 yards, including 12 TDs. He has become a threat in the pass game as well, catching 22 balls for 217 yards. Washington, a 6-foot, 203-pound bruiser had a two-TD game at Texas Tech in a rout, rushing for 116 yards on just 10 carries. He then went for 196 yards on 26 carries in the win over TCU, totaling four TDs and adding two catches for 22 yards. Over his eight games in 2024, Washington is averaging 122.1 all-purpose yards per game. He was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week – for the second time in 2024 – following the four-TD outing, which marked the most TDs for a Bear since 2011 and his 196 yards on the ground marked the most since 2016. He followed that TCU win with another four-TD outing, including three on the ground and one receiving, going for 123 yards rushing at WVU.
• Washington had a decorated prep career at Franklin High School, where he led his club to 32 straight wins and consecutive 3A State Championships. A four-year starter, he had over 2,000 yards and 30 TDs as a senior.
THE SPAV EFFECT
• Baylor offensive coordinator Jake Spavital has had a drastic impact on the production of the Bears offensive attack in just 12 games. Below is a comparison of the 2023 season vs. Spavital’s first year in Waco.
• Under Spavital, Baylor has improved its total offense by a rank of 76 spots in the NCAA stats, from 377.8 yards per game in 2023 to 434.5 yards per game in 2024.
• In the analytic stats, Baylor has improved its FEI Offensive Rating by 57 points and an increase in 69 spots in the ratings. The Bears head into the bowl matchup ranked No. 21 nationally in FEI offensive rating. The Bears are also up to No. 27 in the SP+ ESPN Offensive Ratings, after sitting at No. 78 last year. The BetaRank Offensive Rating has improved 76 spots to No. 13.
DYNAMIC DUO
• Baylor’s running back duo of Bryson Washington and Dawson Pendergrass have formed one of the nation’s top pairs in 2024.
• Baylor is the only power-4 school with running backs that finished the regular season as a 1,000-yard rusher and a 600-yard rusher. Liberty is the only other school to meet these qualifications, featuring Quinton Cooley (1,254) and Billy Lucas (663).
RANKED IN 10 OF LAST 14 SEASONS
• Baylor has been ranked in the AP Top 25 in 10 of 14 seasons since 2010, after going 17 years between national rankings (1993-2010). BU has been ranked in 23 of 25 spots since 2013 (exceptions No. 1 and No. 23).
• Baylor was ranked or receiving votes in 10 of 16 polls in 2022,was receiving votes in the 2023 preseason poll and earned a pair of votes in the Dec. 8, 2024 poll.
FOURTH-MOST WINS IN TEXAS IN LAST 10+ YEARS
• Through championship week of the 2024 season, Baylor has won 105 games since 2011, fourth-most among the state of Texas’ 12 FBS teams during that time.
• BU’s 105 wins in the last 10+ years are shy of Texas A&M (111), TCU (107), Houston (105), and Texas (105), and ahead of SMU (90), UTSA (83), Texas Tech (84), North Texas (75), Rice (64), Texas State (54) and UTEP (47).
ROSTER FULL OF GRADUATES
• Baylor boasts 13 players who have already earned their undergraduate degrees, including Isaiah Davis (Abilene Christian), JaQues Evans (Western Kentucky), DeQuan Finn (Toledo), Caleb James (Rice), Matt Jones, Devin Lemear, Steve Linton (Texas Tech), Treven Ma’ae, Brooks Miller, Garmon Randolph, Chateau Reed, Colin Truett (UT Chattanooga) and Josh White.
FOURTH OLDEST NON-KICKER IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL
• Baylor junior defensive lineman David Marshall is the fourth-oldest non-kicker in college football. Marshall joined the roster prior to the 2023 season after a junior college season at Navarro College. He previously served in the military.
• Only New Mexico’s Colby Brewer (age 29), Arkansas WR Monte Harrison (27) and Kansas LB Alex Raich (27) are older than Marshall in college football.
FEMALE LEADERSHIP IN PROGRAM
• Baylor is one of just three power-4 conference schools in the country with a lead female sport program administrator and a female director of operations, with Deputy AD Jovan Overshown leading the program and Landrie Walsh serving as Director of Football Operations.
• Only Kansas State, Maryland and Baylor qualify in this category, with Kacey Harper serving as the DFO for the Wildcats and Jill Shields as the SPA, and Colleen Sorem (SPA) and Annie Peppard (DFO) in those roles in Maryland.
• There are 11 female DFOs in college football and just six in power-4 conferences, including four in the Big 12.
WALK-ON TO All-AMERICAN – THE CAMERON STORY
• Baylor junior wide receiver Josh Cameron is a veteran presence and leader for the BU wide outs. He came to the Bears as a walk-on receiver from powerhouse Cedar Park High School and quickly earned a role after his redshirt season.
• Cameron, a 6-foot-1, 218-pounder, is a noted tough-catch maker, with a real ability to make crucial, clutch catches while going across the middle. He has routinely been singled out as one of the best run blockers among the receiving corps while also showcasing an ability to be a surehanded option in punt returns.
• Largely limited to fair catches in his punt return role in 2023, when Cameron was unleashed in that role he excelled, including a 15.5 yard average in 2023 that saw him return a punt 70 yards.
• In 2024, Cameron has continued to breakout, leading the team with nine TD catches, including a three-TD game in a rout of Texas Tech in Lubbock. Cameron also leads the nation in punt returns, averaging 20.7 yards per return.
• He ranks just shy of qualifying for the NCAA lead in punt returns, which forces a total of 1.2 returns per games played, with Cameron owning 1.167 returns per game.
PALMER WILLIAMS = NATION’S TOP PUNTER
• A strength of the nation’s top-ranked special teams unit in 2023 was the emergence of freshman punter Palmer Williams. A 6-foot-2, 201-pound native of Advance, N.C., joined the program as the No. 3 punter recruit in the nation out of high school. He punted 37 times for 43.08 yards per punt with a long 53 and six punts of 50 or more yards.
• In 2023, he downed eight punts inside the 20-yard line and allowed just one touchback, with 13 forced fair catches. A total of 20 of his 35 punts were either fair caught or downed inside the 20-yard line.
• Williams has been victimized by an elite offensive unit in 2024 as he ranks just shy of the 3.6 punts per game number to qualify for the NCAA stat leaders. With a 49.6 yard average over 41 punts – an average of 3.4167 per game – Williams would rank as the nation’s leader. As the holder for field goals, Williams is given credit for a game played in which he did not punt, vs. Air Force on Sept. 14, and without that game impacting the NCAA minimum threshold, Williams would have punted 3.727 times per team played (11 games played, 41 punts).
HANKINS TAKING AIM AT RECORD BOOKS
• Baylor has a three-year starter in the field-goal role, redshirt junior Isaiah Hankins. Hankins has been the starting kicker for the majority of the 2021 and 2023 seasons. He opened the year in the role in 2022 before veteran John Mayers – who finished his career ranked third all-time in points scored – regained the job that he had previously lost to Hankins in 2021.
• Hankins, a native of Little Rock, Ark., is a lefty kicker who enters his fourth year on campus ranked among the program leaders in a bevy of kicking categories. In BU career history, he checks in in the top 10 in points, field goals made, attempts, field-goal percentage, PAT kicks made, PAT attempts and PAT kick percentage. In Baylor single-season history, his 2021 season ranked him eighth in points scored, sixth in PATs made and PAT attempts, third in field-goals made and fourth in attempts in 2023.
SEVEN+ WIN SEASONS SINCE 2010
• Baylor ranks fourth in the Big 12 in seven-plus win seasons since 2010 and third among legacy Big 12 schools.
1. Oklahoma State – 14
2. BYU – 13
3. Kansas State – 12
4. Baylor – 11
Utah – 11
6. Cincy – 10
7. TCU – 9
WVU – 9
UCF – 9
Houston – 9
11. Texas Tech – 8
12. Iowa State – 7
Arizona State – 7
Arizona – 7
15. Colorado – 2
16. Kansas – 1
SENIOR DAY
• Baylor honored 26 seniors on Senior Day vs. Kansas at McLane Stadium, including Monaray Baldwin, Campbell Barrington, Jamaal Bell, Gavin Byers, Isaiah Davis, Rara Dillworth, JaQues Evans, Garrison Grimes, Isaiah Hankins, Ashtyn Hawkins, Ketron Jackson Jr., Lorando Johnson, Steve Linton, Treven Ma’ae, Jaden Maronen, David Marshall, Michael Mastrodicasa, Brooks Miller, Elinus Noel III, Caleb Parker, Hal Presley, Chateau Reed, Colin Truett, Prince Ugoh, Josh White and Gavin Yates.
BEARS ROUT RED-HOT JAYHAWKS ON SENIOR DAY
• Baylor extended its winning streak to six games with a rout of previously red-hot Kansas on senior day, 45-17. The win snapped a three-game win streak for Kansas, the first three-game win streak vs. ranked opponents by an unranked team in college football history. The Bears dominated KU, going for 32 first downs and 603 total yards of offense, including 310 passing and 293 rushing, marking its first 600+ yard game since 2016 vs. a Big 12 foe.
• The Bears held the formerly electric Kansas offense to 17 points, with KU QB Jalon Daniels throwing a pair of interceptions. Baylor RB Bryson Washington went over 100 rushing yards for the freshman school-record sixth time of the year, collecting two TDs and 192 yards on 28 carries. Dawson Pendergrass added 104 rushing yards on 11 carries and QB Sawyer Robertson slung four TDs and 310 yards on 23-of-31 passing. Josh Cameron had eight grabs for 102 yards and a score and Monaray Baldwin had a pair of first-half TDs, collecting seven catches for 119 yards.
BAYLOR WINS FIFTH STRAIGHT, ROLLS HOUSTON
• Baylor used a stiff defense to post a 20-10 win at Houston to win its fifth straight. The Bears allowed only three points defensively, as UH used a pick-six to score its lone touchdown.
• The Bears totaled 325 yards of total offense, with 204 passing and 121 rushing. UH was held to just 239 yards of offense, with 92 rushing.
• Baylor got two TD passes from Sawyer Robertson, finding Michael Trigg – who had four catches for 96 yards – while also finding Ashtyn Hawkins, who had a team-high six catches.
BEARS ROLL OVER WVU IN MORGANTOWN
• Baylor rolled over West Virginia in Morgantown for its first win over WVU on the road in seven tries, 49-35. The Bears used an electric offensive attack that rolled to 512 yards of total offense, including 329 passing and 183 on the ground.
• The game was electric offensively, going into halftime with BU leading 35-28 but the Baylor defense adjusted and held WVU scoreless until a meaningless TD with less than a minute left in the game to cut the lead to 14.
• QB Sawyer Robertson went for 329 yards passing and three TDs, finding Monaray Baldwin, Josh Cameron and Bryson Washington for scores. Washington totaled four TDs – and has eight in his last two games – totaling 182 yards all-purpose, including 123 and three TDs on the ground and a career-high five catches for 59 yards. Ashtyn Hawkins had seven catches for 52 yards, while Cameron went for five catches for 101 yards. Baldwin added 82 yards on three catches.
• Defensively, Keaton Thomas – who began his career at WVU as a walk-on DB – had 12 tackles and a sack.
BEARS WIN THIRD STRAIGHT, EDGE TCU
• Baylor won its third straight, using a thrilling finish to edge TCU 37-34 in front of the first blackout crowd since 2017 at McLane Stadium.
• In a back-and-forth thriller the Bears earned their first win over TCU at home since 2014, using a furious rushing attack that saw RB Bryson Washington rush for 196 yards and four TDs – including 12 carries for 96 yards and two TDs in the fourth quarter. The Bears rolled to 31 first downs and 499 yards of total offense, including 257 on the ground. QB Sawyer Robertson threw for 242 yards and rushed nine times for 28 yards.
• TCU took a 17-13 lead into halftime as QB Josh Hoover rushed and threw for a TD and the Frogs nailed a 46-yard field goal. After a field goal to open the final stanza, the Bears answered with a 75-play drive to even the game on a Dawson Pendergrass TD rush. The teams then traded TDs until Washington’s fourth TD of the game came to cap an 81-play drive with 4:54 left in the fourth quarter. TCU drove 75 yards to even the game at 34 with a Jack Bech TD pass with 2:59 left. Baylor then drove 59 plays – including a key fourth and nine conversion pass to Michael Trigg at midfield and set up for the game-winning 33-yard field goal from Hankins as time expired, setting off a joyous celebration that saw the field rushed in jubilation.
FATHERHOOD + GAME WINNER
• Senior kicker Isaiah Hankins is just a couple weeks into fatherhood, as he and his wife welcomed a baby son into the world on Friday, Oct. 25.
• Hankins put his new-found dad strength to use in a historic win over TCU, booting the walk-off field goal to beat the Horned Frogs, 37-34. His kick set off a celebration at McLane Stadium that saw the field stormed in jubilation and Hankins lifted on the shoulders of his teammates and students.
• Hankins was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week, his second career Big 12 weekly honor, on Monday following the win.
BAYLOR HONORED THE 2013, 2014 BIG 12 CHAMPS
• A pair of 11-2 and Big 12 Conference Championship teams were celebrated during the 2024 Baylor Football season, as the Bears recognized student-athletes from the 2013 and 2014 teams.
• The 2013 team went 11-2, including an 8-1 mark in league play, earning a No. 13 national ranking and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz. Baylor posted three wins in non-conference play and opened the year with nine straight wins, including a 71-7 win over Iowa State on Homecoming, a 41-12 win over Oklahoma and a 63-34 rout of Texas Tech in Arlington.
• In 2014, the Bears went 11-2 and 8-1 in Big 12 play, earning a berth in the Cotton Bowl and a No. 7 final ranking by the Associated Press. Baylor opened the year with six straight wins, before a lone regular-season blemish at West Virginia, soaring to No. 4 in the national polls. The Bears posted wins at Iowa State and Texas, a 61-58 thriller vs. TCU, and wins over Kansas – on Homecoming – Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Kansas State.
• Both teams posted eventual wins over TCU during their seasons, which will add to the celebration opportunity on Nov. 2. Baylor bested TCU in Fort Worth 41-38 in 2013, and posted a thrilling 61-58 win over the Frogs in 2014 in Waco. The teams each sported top-five offensive attacks, with the 2014 squad leading the nation in points per game (52.4) and yards per game (618.8).
BEARS RUN THROUGH COWBOYS IN HOMECOMING WIN
• Baylor kept a furious run attack going in its second consecutive win, running over Oklahoma State in a homecoming win at McLane Stadium.
• The Bears rolled to 565 yards of total offense, including 343 on the ground while averaging nine yards per carry in the win. It marked the second consecutive game with 500+ yards of total offense, a first since 2021, and the most rushing yards vs. a Big 12 foe since 2016.
• The teams traded 17 points in the first half but the Bears came out with a third-quarter TD drive with just over eight minutes left to take a 24-17 lead, later holding an OSU drive to a field goal as the lead was cut to four. The Bears responded with a 41-yard TD scamper from QB Sawyer Robertson for an 11-point lead and after an 11-play, 75-yard drive from the Boys, Baylor answered with a 75-yard scoring drive on just four plays, finished off with a Dawson Pendergrass run to take a 38-28 lead with 3:06 left in the game.
• Pendergrass had six carries for 142 yards and a TD, averaging 23.7 yards per carry. Bryson Washington chipped in 17 carries for 78 yards and Robertson had eight carries for 73 yards. Richard Reese added six carries for 52 yards. Robertson threw for 222 yards and three scores, finding Ashtyn Hawkins, Hal Presley and Matthew Klopfenstein for scores. Hawkins had four catches for 74 yards. Kicker Isaiah Hawkins, who on Friday, alongside his wife, welcomed his first child into the world, nailed one kick from 30 yards out in the first quarter.
BAYLOR DOMINATES TEXAS TECH IN LUBBOCK
• The Bears put together their most complete performance of the year, thrashing Texas Tech in Lubbock in front of a sold-out homecoming crowd, 59-35, in a game that saw the lead as large as 52-21 in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter.
• It marked the second consecutive rout for Baylor at Texas Tech, as the Bears dominated the Raiders in Lubbock in 2022, 45-17, giving Baylor 104 combined points over the last two games at TTU. The Bears have now won 10 of its last 15 games against Tech, including five of its last seven. Over those 10 wins, Baylor has wins of 24, 29, 28, 11, 28 and 24 points.
• It marked the first game for Baylor to hang 50 points or more on a Big 12 foe since 2019 and its first 50+ point game since UAlbany in 2022. It was the most points scored vs. Tech since 2015, a 63-35 win in Arlington.
• Baylor’s 59 points on Saturday were the most by an FBS program in Week Eight and tied for the most in a conference game in a Power Four league this season.
• The Bears finished with 529 yards of total offense, with 255 rushing and 274 passing, both season highs.
• QB Sawyer Robertson returned to his hometown of Lubbock and tossed five TDs, a career high and the most for Baylor QB since Seth Russell in 2015. He was 21-of-32 for 274 yards. Freshman tailback Bryson Washington rushed for 116 yards and two TDs on just 10 carries. WR Josh Cameron had three receiving TDs with six catches for 75 yards and also returned a punt 74 yards to the one-yard line.
BEARS FALL AT NO. 16/16 IOWA STATE
• The Bears opened the game at No. 16/16 Iowa State strong, taking a 14-3 lead in the first quarter before ISU rallied to own a halftime margin. Baylor took a 21-19 lead with a TD drive to open the second half but Iowa State finished the game on a 40-7 run to close with a 43-21 win and remain unbeaten.
• Baylor got another heroic performance from QB Sawyer Robertson, who completed 25 of 44 passes for a career-high tying three TDs, while also rushing for 24 yards. He found Ketron Jackson Jr., Michael Trigg and Josh Cameron for TD strikes.
• Iowa State could not be stopped offensively however as the Clons rolled to 542 yards of total offense, including 265 on the ground and 277 passing. QB Rocco Becht had two TDs and Jaylon Jackson rushed for 107 yards and two scores and Carson Hansen added 98 yards. WR Jayden Higgins had eight catches for 116 yards and Jaylin Noel had five grabs for 98 yards.
SLUGGISH START DOOMS BEARS VS. NO. 22/22 BYU
• Baylor suffered a 34-28 loss vs. No. 22/22 BYU at McLane Stadium in a game that saw the Cougs go up 21-0 and 28-7 in the first half, scoring on each of their first four possessions. Baylor fought back to cut the lead to 34-28 and had the ball with just under 90 seconds remaining but a game-clinching interception allowed the Cougs to escape with the win.
• The Bears got career-highs from Sawyer Robertson in completions (27), attempts (48), TDs (three) and yards (324), with the QB finding WR Josh Cameron for a career high 125 yards and two TDs on seven catches. Hal Presley chipped in eight catches for 82 yards. The Bears saw Bryson Washington rush 13 times for 31 yards.
• BYU QB Jake Retzlaff threw for 216 yards and two scores and Darius Lassiter had eight catches for 120 yards. Defensively, Keaton Thomas and seven stops and Treven Ma’ae had a career-high six tackles.
BAYLOR FALLS AT COLORADO
• Baylor fell in an overtime thriller at Colorado in its Big 12 opener, 38-31 in a wild game that saw the Buffs tie the game on a hail mary as regulation expired and then win it after a game-tying touchdown attempt saw BU fumble while crossing the goal line out of the endzone.
• Baylor opened up a 24-10 lead and was poised for a 31-10 lead but a dropped potential touchdown kept the Buffs in the game before half and cut the lead to 24-17. The Bears saw Colorado even the game late in the third quarter at 24-24 before responding on a 61-yard drive that finished with a Sawyer Robertson TD pass to Hal Presley with 5:34 left in the fourth quarter, owning a 31-24 lead. The Bears forced a key stop and took over at the Colorado 24-yard line with just over three minutes remaining but couldn’t connect on the game-clinching field goal, with the Buffs then driving as time expired for the hail mary attempt to force overtime. After scoring on their first possession, the Bears fumbled while crossing the endzone, with the ball skidding out of the back of the endzone and the Colorado fans rushing the field.
• Baylor totaled eight sacks, its most since the 2021 Sugar Bowl, and finished with 314 total yards of offense with Colorado throwing for 341 yards and totaling 432 yards of offense. Robertson threw two TDs on 148 yards passing, one to Presley and Monaray Baldwin. Shedeur Sanders threw for 341 yards and two scores and Travis Hunter caught seven balls for 130 yards.
BAYLOR SOARS PAST AIR FORCE
• Baylor used a strong second half to win in the non-conference finale vs. Air Force.
• The Bears turned the ball over with three fumbles in the first half and took a 6-3 lead into halftime vs. the Falcons, owning the ball for just five minutes on offense in the first half. BU bounced back to score 17 in the third and eight in the fourth to take a 31-3 win over AF.
• The Bears turned to QB Sawyer Robertson in relief of starter Dequan Finn, with Robertson turning in a career-high 248 yards passing on 18-of-24 passing. Robertson added a rushing TD and spread his 18 completions around to eight different receivers, with Josh Cameron going for five grabs for 63 yards and Ashtyn Hawkins catching four balls for 81 yards. TE Michael Trigg had four catches for 49 yards.
• Freshman RB Bryson Washington made his first career start and toted it 12 times for 106 yards and his first career TD. Dominic Richardson rushed nine times for 48 yards and Richard Reese rushed eight times for 47 yards and a TD.
• Defensively, Matt Jones had his sixth double-digit tackle game of his career with 11 stops, with Devyn Bobby equaling his career high with nine tackles.
BAYLOR FALLS AT NO. 11/11 UTAH
• The Bears fell for the first time on the year in a 23-12 loss at No. 11/11 Utah on Sept. 7 in Salt Lake City.
• Baylor got behind 23-0 in the first half as Utah used a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown and a fumble recovery on the three yard line to take an early, nearly untestable lead. The Bears fought back however on the strength of the Dave Aranda defense, outscoring Utah 12-0 over the remainder of the game and holding the Utes offensive attack to little success.
• Baylor couldn’t sustain offensive success against the stout Utah defense, but saw Dawson Pendergrass rush nine times for 69 yards and Josh Cameron haul in his first career TD pass with a 47-yard strike in the third quarter.
• Defensively, Baylor’s elite inside linebacker group of Keaton Thomas and Matt Jones each had double-digit tackle efforts, with Thomas going for a career-high 12.
FRESHMEN SNAPS LED BIG 12 IN 2023
• Baylor played a very freshmen heavy roster in 2023 and that total plays out when sorting the number of snaps played by freshman on offense and defense by Big 12 schools in the regular season.
• The Bears played a total of 4,505 snaps on offense and defense from freshmen, which was tops in the Big 12 and ahead of second place Iowa State (3,327) and third-place Oklahoma (2,612). Kansas played only 126 snaps on both sides of the ball by freshmen, tops in the league.
• Conversely, Baylor played the third-fewest snaps by freshmen in the Big 12, with 5,159 snaps by seniors. Iowa State played the fewest senior snaps (3,214), followed by West Virginia (4,038). Oklahoma State played seniors 11,713 snaps, with Texas Tech playing 11,617 snaps by seniors.
• Baylor ranked seventh in the Big 12 in terms of offensive/defensive snaps by juniors (led by WVU) and sixth by sophomores (led by Iowa State).
10TH ANNIVERSARY OF MCLANE STADIUM OPENING
• The game vs. Tarleton marked the 10th anniversary of the opening of McLane Stadium, a 45,140-seat facility sitting on the banks of the Brazos River. McLane Stadium opened on Aug. 31, 2014 with a 45-0 drubbing of SMU in front of 45,733, the first game after a 2013 Big 12 Conference Championship season and the first game of a 2014 Big 12 Conference Championship season.
• The 45-3 win over Tarleton actually marked the best defensive performance in the program since the 45-0 shutout of the ‘Stangs in 2014.
BAYLOR HONORED 1974 SWC CHAMPS
• Baylor football honored the 1974 Southwest Conference Championship team during halftime of the Sept. 14 matchup vs. Air Force at McLane Stadium.
• The Bears welcomed members of the 1974 ‘Miracle on the Brazos’ team for the clash with the Falcons at 6:30 p.m., with the game televised live on FS1 and presented by Premier ER + Urgent Care. The game will also serve as the Baylor Family Weekend and Salute to Service contest.
• The Bears went 8-4 and 6-1 in league play to win the conference title, later advancing to the Cotton Bowl and finishing the season ranked No. 14 in the Associated Press poll. Led by Coach Grant Teaff in his third season, the Bears rallied from a 24-7 halftime deficit for a thrilling 34-24 comeback victory over Texas.
• In 1974, Baylor earned wins over No. 12 Oklahoma State, Florida State, No. 14 Arkansas, TCU, No. 12 Texas, No. 20 Texas Tech, SMU and Rice. Teaff was named AFCA Coach of the Year for a performance that saw the Bears go from winless in SWC play in 1973 to league champions in 1974. Six players from the team earned All-Southwest Conference honors, including All-Americans Aubrey Schulz (offensive line) and Derrel Luce (linebacker).
BEST PUNTING GAME IN SCHOOL HISTORY
• In the loss at No. 11/11 Utah on Sept. 7, Baylor sophomore Palmer Williams charted the best game in program history for a punter.
• A native of Advance, N.C., Williams punted six times, with each going over 50 yards, including two downed inside the 20-yard line and one bouncing off the goalline pilon. He reset his career high four times, including punts of 57, 60, 76 and 79 yards. His average of 62.7 yards per punt marked a new single-game best in Baylor history.
• Williams became the first Bear with a 70+ yard punt since Drew Galitz did so on Sept. 16, 2017, and Williams now leads the nation with a 57.9-yard punt average for the season, more than seven yards better than the next ranked punter.
BEARS ROLL IN SEASON LID-LIFTER
• The Bears posted a 45-3 win over Tarleton in the season opener, which marked the 10th anniversary of the opening of McLane Stadium, which debuted on Aug. 31, 2014 with a 45-0 shutout of SMU. The defensive performance vs. Tarleton was Baylor’s best since the 45-0 win over SMU in 2014 in the lid-lifter for McLane Stadium.
• Baylor saw its defense hold Tarleton to nine first downs, 181 yards of total offense and just 80 yards passing. Offensively, QB Dequan Finn had a pair of TD passes and added a 39-yard rush in his debut, throwing for 192 yards. Ketron Jackson Jr., Michael Trigg and Ashtyn Hawkins each hauled in TD grabs, with sophomore RB Dawson Pendergrass adding his sixth career rushing TD. The Bears rolled to 442 yards of total offense, including 164 on the ground and 278 passing. Defensively, LB Matt Jones and DL Jackie Marshall each had seven tackles to lead the team and LB Keaton Thomas returned an interception for a TD, adding four stops.
CADEN JENKINS – SOPHOMORE SENSATION
• One of the bright spots from the 2023 season was the emergency of then-true-freshman cornerback Caden Jenkins. Jenkins put together one of the top seasons in the nation for a freshman corner, ranking tied for second nationally with three interceptions, while ranking sixth in PFF for his defensive grade among freshman and fifth for his coverage grade.
ADDING VIA THE PORTAL
• Coach Dave Aranda has added 22 players via the transfer portal for the 2024 season. It marked the second largest portal addition for the Bears under Aranda, as BU added 13 players via the portal for the 2023 season, which came a year after adding a limited number for the 2022 season.
• Baylor has a total of 39 new players in 2024, with 56.4 percent of that group coming in the from of transfers, including walk-ons.
• Portal additions include Michael Trigg (Ole Miss), Ashtyn Hawkins (Texas State), Dequan Finn (Toledo), Steve Linton (Texas Tech), Keaton Thomas (NE Miss. CC), Kendrick Simpkins (WKU), Lorando Johnson (Arkansas), Jamaal Bell (Nevada), Isaiah Davis (Morehead State), Cameren Jenkins (UNLV), Rara Dillworth (East Carolina), JaQues Evans (WKU), Ronnie Mageo (Miss. Gulf Coast CC), Ka’Marii Landers (Copiah-Lincoln [Miss.] CC), Omar Aigbedion (Montana State), Sidney Fugar (South Carolina), Colin Truett (UT Chattanooga), Colton Thomasson (Texas A&M), Seth Weller (Redlands CC), Tonga Lolohea (Tyler JC), Elinus Noell III (Texas Southern) and Caleb James (Rice).
WELCOME TO THE FUDGE CENTER
• On Monday, Aug. 19, after a weekend move, the Baylor football program officially opened the Fudge Family Development Center, a sparkling new $89.6 million dollar facility that houses all things Baylor football.
• On the strength of a $15 million dollar gift from the Fudge Family, Baylor has built one of the best football development centers in the nation, housing state-of-the-art locker rooms, team meeting spaces, walk-thru rooms, coaching offices, athletic medicine and strength & conditioning spaces. In addition, the facility added 20 yards and revamped the Allison Indoor Facility.
PERSON > PLAYER
• A hallmark of Coach Dave Aranda‘s philosophy in building a program is placing an importance on understanding that the person is more important than the player. This mantra is executed in everything the program touches on a daily basis. Throughout the football building, signage adorns the walls that emphasize, “better people make better players” and that Baylor will “win with character”.
• Aranda preaches that players focus on today and be authentically themselves in an effort to be comfortable and confident in their roles.
REESE’S PIECES
• Baylor junior running back Richard Reese is wrapping up his third season in the backfield for the Bears in 2024.
• The Bellville, Texas, native sits No. 27 all-time in Baylor rushing history. He is coming off a 2023 season that saw him rush for two TDs and 306 yards, a year after he ranked fifth among college football freshman in rushing with 982 yards and 14 TDs. His 16 career rushing TDs ranks shy of the top-10, which starts with Bryce Petty and Devin Chafin with 21 TDs.
• Reese was selected to attend the 2024 Big 12 Media Days in Las Vegas in the preseason and is a key member of a running back room that also includes Dawson Pendergrass, and dynamic redshirt freshman Bryson Washington.
• Reese shined in 2023 as a kick returner, taking a pair of kickoff to the house for TDs in the season finale vs. West Virginia.
D-PENDY IN YEAR TWO
• In 2023, the Bears used true freshman running back Dawson Pendergrass extensively as his brusing nature of running and ability in the pass game proved to be productive. A 6-foot-2, 218-pound product of Alba, Texas, Pendergrass totaled 79 carries for 338 yards and a team-leading five TDs. He also caught 26 balls – fourth on the team – for 199 yards and two TDs.
• Among freshmen with 75 or more carries in 2023, Pendergrass ranked sixth in terms of total offensive grades.
• As a sophomore, Pendergrass again proved to be a standout, totaling 100 carries for 608 yards and four TDs, while catching eight balls for 77 yards and a score. With Bryson Washington totaling 1,004 rushing yards in his first full season, the duo became the
LONG SNAPPER OF EXCELLENCE
• Baylor returns a three-year starter at long snapper in redshirt junior Garrison Grimes. After suffering a season-ending injury in week six at UCF, Grimes turned the job over to true freshman Dylan Schaub, a former high school linebacker who excelled in the role in place of Grimes, including a spot coming off the bench to snap the game-winning field goal of the UCF comeback win.
• Grimes is a clear leader of the team, is a 6-foot-4, 225-pound physical presence who has returned fully from injury to solidify the role again in 2024. Grimes boasts a tremendous ability as a punt coverage specialist and had a pair of fumble recoveries in a matchup with No. 4 Texas in 2023.
• Grimes, a native of American Fork, Utah, is the son of former Baylor offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Jeff Grimes. Jeff took over as the offensive coordinator at Kansas in the offseason and Garrison’s younger brother joined his father at Kansas as a walk-on defensive end.
GRAB YOUR SNAXX
• A welcome addition to the Baylor secondary in the offseason was the re-addition of redshirt senior cornerback Lorando Johnson.
• Johnson played his first three years at Baylor and was a key member of the cornerback rotation, before transferring to Arkansas for the 2023 season. Johnson, nicknamed “Snaxx” for his love of snacks, started all 12 games at Arkansas between corner and nickel, with career highs in tackles (29), TFLs (4), and PBUs (5).
• Johnson, a 6-foot, 192-pounder started the Sugar Bowl in 2021 for the Bears, during his redshirt freshman season, then started 12 games in 2022. He has the ability to play both cornerback and STAR and brings an experience, competitive energy and juice to the secondary that benefits the back-end of the defense.
BROTHER BEAR
• Baylor has a pair of brothers on its 2024 roster, including defensive backs Caden and Cameren Jenkins, and offensive lineman Kaden and Koltin Sieracki.
• The Jenkins are reunited after Cameren started his career in the safety rotation at UNLV last year and joins his 2023 Freshman All-America brother, Caden, who starred at cornerback in 2023.
• The Sierackis are reunited after Kaden played his last two years for the Bears, redshirting in 2022 and earning a starting job in 2023. Koltin was a highly recruited prospect out of The Woodlands and is currently a true freshman who is fighting for time at center.
REVAMPING TIGHT ENDS
• From 2021-23 Baylor’s tight ends were coached by its offensive coordinator, Jeff Grimes, making him one of a handful of OCs nationally to also coach tight ends. This has led to a large amount of talent in the tight end room at the fingertips of new OC Jake Spavital.
• The Bears return several key players in the rotation at TE in 2024, including sophomore Matthew Klopfenstein and junior Kelsey Johnson. In addition, the Bears have welcomed dynamic talent Michael Trigg to the roster. A 6-foot-4, 246 pound fourth-year junior, Trigg transferred in the spring from Ole Miss and Southern Cal, as a former four-star, top-100 recruit. Trigg is a former Mackey Tight End of the Year Award Watch List member.
• In addition to Trigg, Klopfenstein and Johnson, the Bears have redshirt freshman Hawkins Polley as a key option, with Polley playing in two games that included a touchdown grab in an overtime clash with Houston. Veteran Gavin Yates has taken to the new Spavital system and gives the Bears great options at the up-back role, in addition to tight end sets and as a special teams force.
DEEP RB ROOM
• Baylor’s running back room is loaded with talent, including 2022’s leading rusher, Richard Reese, who had 14 TDs as a freshman, and a pair of backs who ranked first and second on the team in rushing yards and sophomore Dawson Pendergrass.
• Redshirt freshman Bryson Washington has also emerged as a key member of the room, after playing in three games in 2023 to maintain a redshirt and following an injury in fall camp that limited his ability to make a splash, despite being a story of spring practice.
• The tailbacks are set to shine in an new offense that shifts from the grind-it-out style of 2021-23, opening up the offensive attack under new offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, who while at his last stop in 2023 at Cal, helped Jayden Ott to a prolific season.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
• The Bears are entering their 123rd season of football in 2024. The Bears have fielded a varsity team every year since 1899, save the 1906, 1943 and 1944 seasons.
• BU has won nine conference titles, including in 2021, with three Big 12 Championships and six Southwest Conference Championships.
• Baylor’s first season came in 1899-1900, a 5-1 record under Coach R.H. Hamilton that included two wins over Toby’s Business.
ONE STANDARD. ONE ACCORD.
• Baylor unveiled a mission statement under Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mack Rhoades in the fall of 2018, “One Standard. One Accord”, which is centered on the distinct purpose of Preparing Champions for Life through academic achievement, athletic success, spiritual growth and character formation.
JONES, THOMAS LEAD INSIDE LINEBACKERS
• A story of the defense in 2024 has been the play Baylor’s inside linebackers. Led by sixth-year senior Matt Jones, and future standout JUCO transfer Keaton Thomas, the Bears have put together a historic season under the direction of Coach Dave Aranda – who has coached the inside linebackers in 2024 – and Jamar Chaney.
• Jones, a 6-foot-4, 245-pounder, is a four-year starter for the Bears, including last three years at inside linebacker and one year at outside linebacker during the 2021 Big 12 Championship season. In 2023, Jones started all 12 games at inside linebacker and led the team with 82 tackles and 11.5 tackles for a loss. He added three sacks, five pass break-ups and one QB hurry with two 10+ tackle games.
• Since 2013, Jones 11.5 TFL were the fifth-most by a Baylor ILB, behind only Taylor Young’s 13.5 TFL in 2015, Eddie Lackey’s 13.0 in 2013, Terrel Bernard’s 12.5 TFL in 2021 and Bryce Hager’s 12.0 in 2014.
• It took Baylor very little time to recognize that Thomas had star potential opposite Jones at the linebacker level. Thomas was a choice to attend Big 12 Media Days, along with Jones, due to his clear vocal and physical leadership, in addition to this ability to change the game with a quick-twitch nature and athleticism. A former walk-on safety at West Virginia who transitioned to Northeast Mississippi Community College, Thomas, a 6-2, 224 pound native of Jacksonville, Fla., had 107 tackles – second most in junior college football – in 2023 as a redshirt freshman.
• The pair have each eclipsed 100 tackles on the year, a first for Baylor linebacker duos since 2013, and were both voted first-team All-Big 12 by the league coaches, a first in program history. Chaney has been named a finalist for FootballScoop’s linebacker of the year award.
JACKIE MARSHALL BACK TO FULL HEALTH
• One of the most impactful injuries for the Bears in 2023 came in the form of defensive lineman Jackie Marshall, who went down during the spring and missed the 2023 season.
• Marshall, who played linebacker as a redshirt freshman in 2022 and earned praise as a future standout, was shifting full time to the defensive line to rave reviews in the spring before the 2023 season.
• Since returning from injury in the spring of 2024, Marshall has been a key member of the defensive line. An athletic 6-foot-3, 290-pounds, Marshall has worked hard to add strength to his frame and is positioned to have a big season as a redshirt junior, with the possibility of him getting a medical redshirt for his missed 2023 season.
• As a redshirt freshman in 2022, Marshall had 22 tackles, two for a loss and one fumble recovery, owning two QB hurries and three PBUs in 12 of 13 games.
MCLANE STADIUM ENHANCEMENTS
• Baylor has enhanced the nation’s best game stadium, McLane Stadium, in the offseason, completing an eight-figure project, including installation of upgraded and additional videoboards, the construction of new production control rooms, and the addition of a premium hospitality structure.
.• The LED ribbon board displays and the main videoboard display, which were original to McLane Stadium since its construction in 2014, have been upgraded to enhance both functionality and the visual elements of the fan experience. A high-quality video display is being added to the back of the main videoboard structure to add revenue opportunities and enhance the South Plaza experience on game days.
• The south end zone of McLane will become even more of a focal point during games, as a premium hospitality clubhouse will be added beneath the video board, providing a one-of-a-kind experience along with a Berm-view of the action.
• The construction of new production control rooms on the east side of the stadium will allow Baylor to produce multiple broadcasts at one time and fully centralize operations.
SLEW OF ELITE WR OPTIONS
• The Bears are boosted by a group of standout wide receiver options in 2024, including key returners in Monaray Baldwin, Ketron Jackson Jr., Hal Presley and Josh Cameron. That group of four have played significant football and been key targets throughout their careers, with Baldwin, Jackson and Presley working through injuries over the 2022-23 seasons and Cameron establishing himself as a weapon after coming to the Bears as a walk-on from powerhouse Cedar Park High School.
• In addition to the veteran returnees, the Bears added weapons in Ashtyn Hawkins, a transfer from Texas State, where he set the program standard in receiving, Nevada’s all-time leading kickoff returner Jamaal Bell, and freshman standout Jadon Porter.
• True freshman Jadon Porter has also made a splash early in his career and has earned significant praise from WR coach Dallas Baker.
YOUNG DB TALENT
• Baylor had a smorgasbord of freshman talent on the field in 2023 and none shined more than a pair of freshmen cornerbacks, including Caden Jenkins and Carl Williams
• Jenkins earned All-America honors while making seven starts. The 6-foot-1, 177-pounder had 37 tackles, three interceptions, three PBUs and two fumble recoveries.
• Williams emerged quickly as a leader for the defense, playing in all 12 games with five starts at STAR. He ranked No. 38 in the nation among all qualified cornerbacks in pass coverage. He came in as a cornerback and shifted full time to the STAR role midway through the year.
• Beyond Jenkins and Williams the Bears are boosted by Levar Thornton Jr., a redshirt freshman who stands 6-foot-3, Reggie Bush II, Tevin Williams III, and the return of senior Lorando Johnson, who started 12 games at CB for the Bears in 2022 before starting 12 games for Arkansas in 2023. Miami (Fla.) transfer Isaiah Dunson is working his way back from injury, and started the season opener in 2023.
• At safety, juniors Devin Lemear and Devyn Bobby have been key starters on the back end of the defense, and Chateau Reed had a breakout season where he started all 12 games at cornerback in 2023.
OFFENSIVE LINE SEASONING
• The Baylor offensive line regained a pride point in the program in 2024 after a season that saw the Bears play a bevy of youthful talent in 2023. BU returned four offensive line starters, welcomed some key transfers, and has created some talented depth.
• From 2023, Baylor returned starting sophomore center Coleton Price, starting tackles in senior Campbell Barrington and sophomore Alvin Ebosole, and has competition at guard including junior Ryan Lengyel and transfers in junior Omar Aigbedion and junior Sidney Fugar. Freshman Koltin Price is in the mix at center and his brother, sophomore Kaden, was a key starter in 2023, seeing time at tackle and guard.
• The Bears also added a transfer option at tackle in Colton Thomasson and center Colin Truett, with freshmen who redshirted in 2023, including Sean Thompkins and Isaiah Robinson, providing the line some depth.
• Baylor had one of the nation’s best offensive lines in 2021 when it won the Big 12 Championship and a productive group in 2022. With four freshman starting throughout the season in 2023, the Bears have gained valuable experience and have added strength to the group in terms of size.
YOUTHFUL CORE RETURNS
• The Bears returned a bevy of youthful talent from a roster that got significant experience in 2023.
• Among the players who played as true freshman and enter 2024 as sophomores, including CB Caden Jenkins, S Carl Williams IV, S DJ Coleman, RB Dawson Pendergrass, TE Matthew Klopfenstein, WR Micah Gifford, DL Brendan Bett, DL Trey Wilson, LS Dylan Schaub, CB LeVar Thornton Jr., RB Bryson Washington, CB Tay’Shawn Wilson, S Jacob Redding, TE Hawkins Polley, and P Palmer Williams.
• The Bears also return three-year sophomores that saw significant action in 2023, including CB Reggie Bush II, S Corey Gordon Jr., LB Carmello Jones, LB Jeremy Evans, OLB Kyler Jordan, DL Devonte Tezino, C Coleton Price, OL Kaden Sieracki and OL Alvin Ebosole.
HALL MAKES 40 UNDER 40 LIST
• Baylor first-year associate head coach / running backs coach Khenon Hall was honored as a member of the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football 40 Under 40 List, honoring the top up-and-coming football coaches in the state.
• Hall is a recruiting dynamo who joined the Bears after two seasons on the staff at SMU, where he was the running backs coach.
• Hall is a product of Dallas South Oak Cliff High School and boasts previous coaching stops at Texas Southern, Illinois State and New Mexico.
WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE
• Baylor has forced more turnovers than it has allowed in 60 games under head coach Dave Aranda.
• BU has 98 takeaways (64 INTs, 33 FR) and 70 giveaways (43 INTs, 28 FL) in 60 games under Aranda.
• Baylor has scored 16 non-offensive touchdowns in 57 games under Aranda – six kickoff returns (Bell, Reese x 2, Ebner x 3), six interception returns (Pitre x 2, Thomas, McCarty, Walcott, Woods), one punt return (Holmes) and four fumble returns (Vaughns, Jenkins, Hall, Woods).
SPRING ENROLLEES
• A total of 19 of Baylor’s newcomers arrived on campus to participate in spring practice.
• Among the spring enrollees included transfers Michael Trigg (Ole Miss), Ashtyn Hawkins (Texas State), Dequan Finn (Toledo), Steve Linton (Texas Tech), Keaton Thomas (NE Miss. CC), Kendrick Simpkins (Western Kentucky), Lorando Johnson (Arkansas), Jamaal Bell (Nevada), Cameren Jenkins (UNLV), JaQues Evans (Western Kentucky) and Omar Aigbedion (Montana State).
• Freshman early enrolees included Kyler Beaty, Nate Bennett, Kris Wokomah, Kyland Reed, Brock Jackson, Koltin Sieracki and Jadon Porter.
• Several transfers have enrolled during the summer, including Rara Dillworth (East Carolina), Ronnie Mageo (Miss. Gulf Coast CC), Sidney Fugar (South Carolina), Colin Truett (UT Chattanooga), Colton Thomasson (Texas A&M), Tonga Lolohea (Tyler JC) and Elinus Noell III (Texas Southern).
BEARS LAUNCH BAYLOR+
• Baylor Athletics has launched Baylor+, the official content platform for the Bears. It will offer fans an insider’s look into the experiences of student-athletes and coaches as well as the compelling stories that shape Baylor Athletics. Baylor+ will feature exciting coverage of the current teams in Waco, while celebrating beloved Bears’ Legends and pivotal moments from the past.
• Through an exciting new partnership with Sport & Story, the leading provider of creative storytelling content in college athletics, Baylor+ is unlike anything Baylor fans have experienced before. The platform will be the home for an extensive range of original content covering all of Baylor’s sports programs, with behind-the-scenes access, captivating interviews, never-before-seen archival material and historical documentary films, as well as news and information.
STAFF ADDITIONS
• Baylor had a productive offseason in terms of adding to its coaching staff. The Bears have a new offensive coordinator in Jake Spavital, the former Texas State head coach and most recently the OC at Cal, with previous stops at Texas A&M and West Virginia.
• Baylor added a recruiting dynamo in Khenon Hall, the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator, after he previously led SMU’s recruiting efforts. New offensive line coach Mason Miller comes to the Bears from Tarleton, where he was the offensive coordinator and was a former head coach at McMurray. Miller is from the Air Raid tree, having served as the offensive line coach under Coach Mike Leach at Mississippi State and Washington State.
• The Bears have also added a new tight ends coach in longtime state of Texas assistant Jarrett Anderson, who served as the OC and longtime assistant at TCU, and one of the nation’s best defensive line coaches in Inoke Breckterfield, who helped Washington to a 14-1 season in 2023 while leading that defensive front, and reunites Breckterfield with Coach Dave Aranda, who had him on his staff as the DC at Wisconsin.
• Baylor also welcomed Jamar Chaney as the inside linebackers coach after he coached linebackers at Western Kentucky. It is a key role as Aranda is the defensive play caller and leading the inside linebackers room.
• Beyond the on-field staff, the Bears have added coaching veterans to the quality control and graduate assistant staff, including former on-field coaches in Joe D’Orazio – from Maine – Weston Glaser – from Sam Houston – Mark Scott – who will lead special teams after serving in assistant role at Houston – and Kyle Segler – from ULM. GAs include former NFL wide out and Georgia staffer C.J. Germany, Elijah McQueen and former NFL offensive lineman Craig Watts. In addition, former college basketball player Duke DaRe is on the QC staff, along with returning QCs in Rhett Holcomb, Ryan Pollard and Joe Ludwig.
• Off the field, veteran administrator Jeff Grigus was elevated to Chief of Staff, Landrie Walsh directs all operations and the Bears added Callie Cameron as Director of Player Personnel, Earl Chevalier as Director of Player Development and Operations and former LSU safety Ed Paris as Assistant Director of Player Personnel.
• The Bears revamped their approach to NIL in the offseason, starting with a strong approach to retaining its youthful talent in November. Behind the addition of NIL General Manager David Kaye – a longtime administrator at Baylor – and Keava Soil-Cormier moving into the Associate AD for NIL Administration & Pro Relations role, the Bears have quickly emerged as an industry leader in the NIL space, working alongside the Baylor collective, GXG.
ABOUT BAYLOR
• Baylor is situated on a 1,000-acre campus located on the Brazos River in Waco, Texas, and was chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers. It is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Baylor is a R1 Institution according to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education
• BU sponsors 19 varsity sports as members of the Big 12 Conference and boasts the 2021 Men’s Basketball National Champions, the 2005, 2012 and 2019 Women’s Basketball National Champions and the 2004 Men’s Tennis National Champions, in addition to 88 Big 12 Conference Championships in the league’s 25-year history.
– BaylorBears.com –
