2008 Baylor Bears
New head coach Art Briles built offenses that were equally explosive in the passing and running games in his five years at the University of Houston. He’ll have a solid passing game returning from last season, but Briles will have to find a way to get his defense out of the dumps. The Bears finished 110th or worse nationally in scoring, passing and total defense in ‘07. How quick of a turnaround can Briles make? Find out with Info Plays 2008 Baylor Bears football predictions below.
Offense:
The most interesting battle during the fall will be at quarterback where returning starter Blake Szymanski will continue to battle newcomers Kirby Freeman and Robert Griffin. Szymanski compiled 2,844 passing yards and 22 touchdowns last season, but struggled with consistency by throwing 18 interceptions. Freeman, once a top QB prospect in the country, hopes for a last shot at glory as a senior after transferring from Miami. Griffin enrolled at Baylor early during the spring after an impressive career at nearby Copperas Cove High School. He was one of the stars in the spring game after displaying his passing and running skills.
The quarterback will be aided by solid returning receivers. David Gettis, Thomas White, Brad Taylor and Justin Akers will be the four top targets. Akers was the second-leading pass-catcher at tight end last season with 43 grabs for the Bears. White contributed 34 catches and a team-high eight touchdowns. The breakout receiver might be Gettis, a track star who caught 31 passes last year as a sophomore. Baylor’s biggest improvement offensively must come in the running game, where the Bears averaged just 77.8 yards per game last year, largely due to playing from behind in most games. Sophomore Jay Finley and senior Jacoby Jones will be the main duo. The line should be improved with senior tackles Jason Smith and Dan Gay. Smith has the most NFL potential on the roster. Center J.D. Walton will be counted on to produce after a solid sophomore campaign.
Defense:
Baylor’s defense allowed 461.6 yards and 37 points per game last season. There are reasons for optimism, with linebacker Joel Pawelek, free safety Jordan Lake and tackle Vincent Rhodes all back. Pawalek was the Big 12’s Newcomer of the Year as a freshman with 86 tackles. He came back as a sophomore for 99 tackles last season, including three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two sacks to make second-team All-Big 12.
Lake is another defensive leader after collecting 120 tackles and intercepting two passes to earn second-team All-Big 12 honors beside Pawelek. The hard-hitting Lake will be joined in the secondary by senior cornerback Dwain Crawford and senior safety Jake LaMar. Rhodes had a great spring at defensive tackle to show signs of being a force in he middle of the Bears’ defense. End Jason Lamb could be Baylor’s top pass rusher after recording five sacks last season.
Baylor Bears Predictions at Info Plays: 6th in the Big 12 South
Baylor loves their hire of Briles, who brought excitement to the program in the spring. But he’ll have his work cut out for him at a program that hasn’t netted a winning season since 1995. The defense has to improve dramatically for the Bears to have any shot of winning some Big 12 games. It will be extremely difficult for Baylor to rise from the bottom in the loaded Big 12 South.
Big 12 Wins Expected in ‘08: None Expected
Potential Scares/Losses: OKLAHOMA , IOWA STATE , at Oklahoma State , at Nebraska , MISSOURI , at Texas , TEXAS A&M , at Texas Tech
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