There is a lot unknown entering Saturday’s Big 12 opener at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas.
Baylor has a new coaching staff, led by former LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda who took over the BU program in January after Matt Rhule left to become the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. So the Bears, who made it the Big 12 championship game during an 11-win campaign a year ago, have to adjust to a new staff that includes new coordinators on both sides of the ball.
In addition, Baylor has yet to take the field in 2020 after its season opener was canceled.
As a result, the Kansas football team (0-1) doesn’t know what to expect in its first road test of the season. The Jayhawks did have two weeks to prepare, though most of that time was likely spent correcting issues that were on displays in their own 38-23 season-opening defeat to Coastal Carolina.
Still, we will do our best to provide a glimpse of what to expect from Baylor this weekend. Earlier this week, I took a stab at what I believe the [Bears will try to do scheme wise][1]. But now it is time to shift our attention to the personnel on this team prior to kickoff.
Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. Saturday at McLane Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPNU with Roy Philpott (play-by-play) and Kelly Stouffer (analyst) on the call.
**BREAKING DOWN BAYLOR:**
**OFFENSE**
**Quarterback** — Senior Charlie Brewer is one of Baylor’s constants, as he has started 30 of his previous 31 games as the team’s signal caller. Brewer, who has an 18-12 clip as a starter, needs seven more games to match the modern record for most games played by a quarterback in program history. He is also the only returning FBS quarterback to pass for 20-plus touchdowns and run for 11-plus touchdowns in 2019.
**Running backs** — JaMycal Hasty is now in the NFL, but the Bears still have a pair of strong options at running back. Seniors John Lovett and Trestan Ebner are both listed on the initial depth chart for BU. Lovett enters his senior campaign with 1,673 career rushing yards, while Ebner’s versatility has led to him accumulating 1,787 all-purpose yards in his career.
**Receivers** — Baylor brings back a ton of experience at the receiver position, led by a trio of veteran playmakers. Juniors RJ Sneed, Tyquan Thornton and Josh Fleeks have combined for 15 touchdowns over their two seasons. Sophomore Gavin Holmes, who has missed the last two years due to injury, also figures to be involved in the passing attack.
**Offensive line** — The Bears return four starters along the offensive line from 2019, while also bringing in graduate transfer Jake Burton. According to the team’s game notes, Baylor’s 45 starts from a year ago ranks fifth in the Big 12. But not all experience is a good thing. Per [PFF’s 2020 College Football Magazine][2], Baylor’s o-line unit ranks 95th out of 130 FBS teams.
**DEFENSE**
**Defensive line** — After a poor showing in the season opener, don’t be surprised if we see a bounce back performance by KU’s offensive line. For starters, Baylor’s defense line has three sophomores TJ Franklin, Josh Landry and Cole Maxwell slated to start. The Bears will also likely move their defensive ends in the ‘B gap’ under Aranda, so that could make creating pressure on the edge more difficult.
**Linebackers** — Junior Terrel Bernard is back to anchor Baylor’s defense at the weak-side linebacker position. Bernard was an All-Big 12 selection last season after only starting in 11 of 14 games. He posted a team-high 112 tackles to go along with 9.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Sophomore Dillon Doyle is expected to start at middle linebacker for the Bears.
**Secondary** — Despite losing some key safeties, Baylor’s strength might be in the secondary because of a formidable duo at cornerback. Junior Kalon Barnes and senior Raleigh Texada will be a tough test for KU’s receivers this weekend. Both corners have a lot of speed, and have the ability to run with most college wideouts. Barnes especially was a former receiver himself, and could limit any Jayhawk he chooses to defend on Saturday.
**SPECIAL TEAMS** — Sophomore John Mayers is the team’s kicker after scoring 101 points a year ago. He went 16-for-19 on field goal attempts in his freshman campaign, which included a career-long of 51 yards. He also made all 53 of his point-after-attempts last year. Sophomore Issac Power is listed as the team’s starting punter.
**VEGAS SAYS**… Kansas opened as a 16.5-point underdog [on FanDuel’s Sportsbook][3], and the line hasn’t moved much this week. As of Friday, the Jayhawks were still getting 17.5 points in the Big 12 opener. As [I wrote on Monday][4], I thought the line could have been closer to 20 points even though Baylor has a new staff and has yet to play a game.
Assuming the offensive line has a better game, KU should have more success moving the ball this weekend. So while I think this game might feature plenty of points, I don’t think the Kansas defense can slow Baylor’s offense down enough to cover the spread.
**Prediction:** Baylor 48, Kansas 28
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/jacksons_journal/2020/sep/23/baylor-football-remains-a-mystery-ahead-/
[2]: https://www.pff.com/college/preview-magazine
[3]: https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/sports/navigation/11070.3/11071.3
[4]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/jacksons_journal/2020/sep/21/ku-football-opens-as-double-digit-underd/
