 "Photo: Tamir Kalifa/The Daily Texan")
These aren’t your father’s Bears. They’re probably not your older brother’s, either.
Come to think of it, they might not even be head coach Art Briles’. There’s so little left of the Baylor team from the one that started the season with so much promise, that they’re hard to recognize.
Most of that potential snapped with Robert Griffin’s early season ACL tear. The expectations and the offense that would carry the team dissolved instantly.
But in its place, the Bears have discovered something new.
On the arm of freshman quarterback Nick Florence, Baylor (4-5) broke out of its slump and its four-game losing streak against Missouri.
Florence threw for three touchdowns and 427 in a 40-32 win over the Tigers, completing 74 percent of his passes and running for a score. It’s an entirely different challenge from the one Texas (9-0) faced from the Bears and Griffin last year.
“It does not look like the Robert Griffin offense,” said Texas head coach Mack Brown. “It was good for us for Baylor to come from behind and score 40. It got our kids’ attention. They can fly.”
Wide receivers Kendall Wright and David Gettis might have looked like they had wings against the Missouri secondary. Both had more than 100 yards receiving, combining for 18 catches, 259 yards and two scores.
A third receiver, Lanear Sampson, had 85 yards and another touchdown.
Many of those yards came from the 18 tackles Missouri missed, which allowed Baylor to make big play after big play, outscoring the Tigers 24-5 in the second half.
“Kendall Wright and David Gettis stretch the field,” said defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. “One missed tackle, and they’ll make you pay for it. We have to have our eyes in the right places and tackle in space.”
But don’t expect the Texas secondary to back down when it faces its most talented receiving corps so far this season. The Longhorns play a lot of man coverage, leaving their corners with the task of shutting down receivers without much help.
“We’re going to play the way we play. We’ll be cognizant sometimes of getting some people over the top, but that’s why you recruit big corners,” Muschamp said. “The way we play, you can’t have little guys out there. Our players had great respect for Gettis and Wright walking off the field [last year]. They know they’ve got some playmakers. They’re going to challenge us down the field.”
With Aaron Williams, Curtis Brown and Chykie Brown, Texas starts three cornerbacks that are 6-foot or taller, a big asset when facing Baylor’s rangy wide outs.
In the whole Texas secondary, only safety Earl Thomas and backup nickel back Deon Beasley are shorter than 6 feet.
But this revamped Baylor offense has certainly caught Texas’ attention.
“[Florence] kind of had a day like Colt had. He completed a lot of great passes,” Thomas said. “They’ve got two great receivers who can make runs after the catch. If you make one mental mistake, it’s a touchdown. We can lose the game. The secondary is a big part of the defense. Games can be decided on what we do.”
And despite the early 11 a.m. start and low-key matchup, the Longhorns are confident in their ability to avoid the dreaded letdown.
“We know what’s at stake,” Thomas said.
For the Longhorns, a national championship berth is on the line every time they step on the field. But after starting slow and even trailing in the second quarter against Central Florida last week, Texas can’t afford another slow start against an offense that has found its identity.
“We’re not going to let that happen,” said safety Blake Gideon. “The only people who can beat us right now are ourselves. We’re preparing like we’re playing for a national championship every week because in reality, we are.”
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