Baylor vs. Texas: Game Preview With TV Schedule

By Connor Muldowney @Connormuldowney on October 2, 2014

One year removed from their first conference title since 1994 and their first Big 12 title ever, the Baylor Bears are a program on the rise and Art Briles has put together one heck of a team in 2014. With a 4-0 record and no games decided by less than 21 points, the Bears are on pace to win yet another conference title this season.

With Charlie Strong running the show one year after Mack Brown‘s retirement, the Texas Longhorns are in a bit of a rebuilding stage after beginning the year 2-2 with a blowout loss at home to BYU in week two. While this year’s team hasn’t shown much fight, Strong will have his team ready for a huge home bout with Baylor.

Baylor’s offense is one of the best in college football, ranking fourth in passing yards per game and 24th in rushing yards per game, nationally. While those are impressive rankings, you can’t overlook their first overall standing in the country in terms of points per game — scoring about 57 per outing. Heisman hopeful quarterback Bryce Petty has come back with a vengeance after missing a game and a half with an injury, completing 65 percent of his passes for 913 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for another 79 yards and three scores. Petty’s favorite target has been breakout freshman, KD Cannon. The young wide out has caught 23 passes for 519 yards and five touchdowns while Jay Lee, the next closest receiver, has 19 catches for 294 yards and four scores. Shock Linwood leads the solid run game with 301 yards and seven scores while Johnny Jefferson has reached the endzone three times in his 264 rushing yards.

Losing veteran starting quarterback David Ash to a concussion at the beginning of the year and ultimately early retirement, the Longhorns have been placed in the hands of sophomore QB Tyrone Swoopes. The first-year starter has passed for 590 yards and five touchdowns while completing nearly 64 percent of his passes; Swooped also has a rushing score. John Harris and Jaxon Shipley have helped the inexperienced quarterback out tremendously this season. Harris leads the team with 336 yards and four touchdowns on 25 catches while Shipley leads all wide outs with 26 catches to go along with 225 yards. Junior tight end M.J. McFarland only has 10 receiving yards on the season, but he has the only other two receiving touchdowns for the Longhorns. Johnathan Gray leads the lowly 105th-ranked rushing attack with 222 yards on 50 carries while Malcolm Brown is close behind with 53 carries for 191 yards and two scores.

Defensively, the Longhorns have been much more effective this season than they have on offense. Texas ranks 20th nationally in points allowed per game as well as 24th in total yards allowed per game — especially slowing down opponents’ run games. Baylor has been even more impressive than Texas, ranking eighth in points allowed per outing and sixth in total yards allowed with just over 250 per game.

Baylor will travel to Texas to take on the Longhorns at 3:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, Oct. 4. The game will be broadcasted on ABC.

PREDICTION: Baylor 38, Texas 20

Connor Muldowney is a columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connormuldowney, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also reach him at [email protected].