NCAA Football Preview - Baylor Bears
Sports Network | August 20, 2008
2008 ANALYSIS:
OFFENSE: The Baylor offense, while not totally devoid of talent, needs to become more consistent and show vast improvement in all areas for the team to climb out of the Big 12's basement. Briles' high-octane, pass-happy approach will help, but the players are the ones who need to make it happen.
Any one of three QBs could see significant playing time, including returning starter Blake Szymanski who threw for more than 2,800 yards and 22 TDs a year ago, but he was picked off 18 times. Former Miami Hurricane Kirby Freeman is in the mix as is highly-touted freshman Robert Griffin. "Theyre all really good. We can win with them," Briles has said of his quarterbacks. "I thought all the quarterbacks played really well. Im proud of the way they led through the spring. All three of those guys are good players, really good players."
Whomever lines up under center, he will have the good fortune of throwing to a solid group of receivers, highlighted by junior speedster David Gettis and junior TE Justin Akers. Both stand at least 6-4 and will provide big targets down field.
The BU run game was abysmal last season, averaging a mere 77.8 ypg to rank 113th in the country, so the hope is that sophomore Jay Finley and senior Jacoby Jones can raise the bar and help take some of the pressure off the passing game. The offensive line returns four starters, among them senior tackles Jason Smith and Dan Gay.
DEFENSE: Up is really the only direction the Baylor defense can go after allowing more than 461 yards and 37 points per game last year. The team ranked last in nation in turnover margin at -18. A total of six starters are back from that unit, but with another year of experience and a new defensive philosophy, guys like LB Joe Pawelek and FS Jordan Lake could flourish. Lake posted 120 tackles and two INTs last season, while Pawelek has logged 185 tackles the last two years. Both were named to the All-Big 12 Second Team in 2007. Lake had off-season shoulder surgery but he should be ready to go come the season opener.
Another guy to keep an eye on is senior DT Vincent Rhodes, a 305-pounder who will likely be the team's stop-gap in the middle. Jason Lamb is a 6-6 junior who could develop into one of the Big 12's better pass rushers after notching five sacks in '07. Despite a lack of depth along the defensive line, Briles is excited about the prospect of his defense kicking it up a notch and showing the rest of the conference that the Bears aren't going to be pushed around any longer.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Sophomores Shea Brewster and Derek Epperson are back to handle the kicking and punting chores, respectively, and both are hoping to show improvement from their rookie campaigns. Brewster combined with Caleb Allen to knock through just 6-of-14 FG attempts in '07, while Epperson averaged just under 40 yards per punt.
Still, Briles anticipates his special teams to play an important role in the team's overall success. "I feel real good about the kicking game. I thought (Shea) Brewster had a great spring and (Derek) Epperson did a great job. And then our snapper, Carter (Brunelle). Those guys performed at the level they have to perform at."
OUTLOOK: Baylor will play arguably the toughest schedule in the Big 12 this season, with three BCS conference teams slated in the first month, followed by a league docket boasting Oklahoma, Nebraska, Missouri and the other three Lone Star State schools. Briles obviously wants to get off to a fast start, but so much will depend on the play of his QB coupled with developing a consistent ground game. The BU defense will need to play well above its means and the team as a whole has to shed the negative vibes of the past and focus all its energy on the task at hand.
