Baylor @ Texas preview
Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
Last Meeting ( Nov 14, 2009 ) Texas 47, Baylor 14
The Baylor Bears are hoping history doesn’t repeat itself when they visit Austin for Saturday’s Big 12 game against the Texas Longhorns.
Baylor (6-2, 3-1) is ranked in the Top 25 for first time since 1993, but after the Bears cracked the poll 17 years ago, they dropped out the next week thanks to a loss to Colorado.
This time around, Baylor enters the game as the team on a roll. The Longhorns (4-3, 2-2) are coming off a stunning defeat at the hands of Iowa State last week in Austin that drew the considerable, but uncharacteristic, ire of normally unflappable coach Mack Brown.
Baylor, under third-year head coach Art Briles, edged Kansas State 47-42 last week in Waco to become bowl eligible for the first time since joining the Big 12 in 1996. The last time a ranked Baylor team met an unranked Texas squad was 1986, and the Bears walked away with an 18-13 win in Waco.
Despite the fact that the teams appear headed in opposite directions, Texas is favored by nearly a touchdown. The Bears’ high-powered offense is triggered by sophomore quarterback Robert Griffin III and senior tailback Jay Finley, both of whom have been on a tear in October. The pair has combined for 685 rushing yards in four games this month, with Finley averaging 114 yards per game over that span, while Griffin is averaging 350 yards passing.
This season, Griffin ranks third nationally in total offense (344.62 yards per game) and fourth in the Big 12 in passing yards (296.60 yards per game). Finley rushed for a school record 250 yards in the win over Kansas State and has gained nearly 700 yards (87 yard-per-game average) so far.
The Bears’ defense hasn’t exactly shut people down this season. Their opponents are averaging 385 yards in total offense per game. They are especially vulnerable in pass defense, where they have yielded an average of 234 yards per game.
The Longhorns’ season-long search for an offensive identity and some defensive consistency continues to the haunt them. They rank 71st in the nation in total offense (358 yards/game). They are sixth in total defense (258 yards per game), but only 33rd in scoring defense (20 points per game).
Saturday’s game marks the 100th meeting between the teams, with Texas holding a 73-22-4 advantage. The Horns whipped Baylor 47-14 last season in Waco to run the Bears’ record to 0-12 against Texas during the Mack Brown era, with an average score of 48-11 in the victories.