No. 9 Baylor Faces Off Against No. 21 BYU
In anticipation of the newest impending Big 12 rivalry, the No. 9 Baylor Bears will take on the No. 21 Brigham Young Cougars for week two of the college football season.
Both teams, heading into week two ranked in the AP top 25, are 1-0 heading into this weekend's matchup.
The Bears, who are coming off their winningest season in program history, as well as holding the Big 12 championship title, are expecting to keep building their win streak.
The two programs have only faced off three times, Baylor holding the series 2-1. After not playing each other for nearly 40 years, the Bears topped the Cougars 38-24 in their 2021 matchup.
Baylor’s Blake Shapen has excelled into his new role as a starting quarterback, completing 17 of 20 attempted passes in week one, accounting for 214 yards and two touchdowns in the Bears 69-10 victory over FCS Albany.
Accompanying Shapen on the offensive line is freshman running back Reese Richard, who earned 65 yards and two touchdowns for Baylor in his collegiate debut, and Qualan Jones who had himself one touchdown with 59 yards.
Brigham Young is going to have to strategize coming into this contest, given that defense was their shortcoming in their prior matchup. With only four starters returning for Baylor, it is possible that with the right plays, the Cougars could capitalize on this young talent and stop their run game.
But, this is not to count out the Cougar offense, proving the efficiency in having power in numbers. With Jaren Hall at quarterback, it is hard to have an unsuccessful drive.
After the program lost Zach Wilson in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft to the New York Jets, Hall found himself in a position with big shoes to fill, but he has made a seamless transition into the Brigham Young offense in just one short season.
In his 2022 campaign, Hall has already put up big numbers for the offense, as well as proving himself to be a leader on and off the field. Not only did he go 25 for 32 in completions with 261 yards, but he also made connections to twelve different players in the Cougars offensive line.
Accompanying Hall in this success is Puka Nacua and Keanu Hill. Nacua left their season opening game after only eight snaps due to a minor injury, but did some damage in the South Florida endzone before he called it quits. He totaled 98 yards with two touchdowns to his name.
This will be a strong start to the season for both teams, as well as an early indicator for each team's success in their 2022 campaign.
Molly White is a third-year majoring in kinesiology. To reach her, contant mkw5766@psu.edu.
