Texas Football: 4 takeaways from dismantling of Baylor in Waco

From beginning to end, No. 3 ranked Texas football controlled what could be the final matchup at McLane Stadium in Waco for a very long time against the Baylor Bears. Texas and head coach Steve Sarkisian looked like the better team in almost every way (except for special teams) in this dominant win over Baylor in primetime in Waco on Sep. 23.

Head coach Dave Aranda and the Bears made life difficult for the Longhorns in the first quarter. Texas only had a 7-3 lead over Baylor early in the second quarter. But the Longhorns started to pull away as the second quarter progressed, taking a sizable 28-6 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Texas’ defense was dominant for the fourth straight week, holding Baylor under four yards per play. This is the first time the Bears were held under four yards per play in a game this season.

Texas football demolishes Baylor in final meeting in Waco, 38-6

Fortunes didn’t get much better for Baylor in the second half as the Longhorns continued to run the ball down the Bears’ throats. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Quinn Ewers also found a good rhythm around the midway point of the second quarter. He didn’t look back from there.

Ewers, along with standout junior tight end JT Sanders and junior wide receiver Xavier Worthy, got the job done on offense in the second and third quarters to put Baylor away ultimately.

Texas closed out the win emphatically with a complete effort on this night. Here’s a look at four takeaways from the Longhorns’ dismantling of Baylor on the road in Waco on Sep. 23.

The offensive line has started to figure it out

While there was some early pressure on Ewers, the pass protection was pretty good for the Longhorns in this win over Baylor. Aranda did a nice job drawing up some simulated pressures to make life difficult for Ewers in the pocket in the first quarter, resulting in a couple of sacks and at least three or four quarterback pressures.

After the first quarter, though, Texas allowed just one sack and a handful of quarterback pressures. The offensive line did well run-blocking, too.

Redshirt senior right tackle Christian Jones and sophomore All-Big 12 left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. did a fantastic job consistently sealing the edges and holding up in pass pro. The interior offensive line had a couple of miscues in the first quarter, but this group played well in the final 45 minutes.

Texas ran the ball effectively, with over 150 rushing yards, four rushing scores, and over five yards per carry. Much of that was thanks to Texas sealing the edges well in the outside zone run game. And the interior offensive line did a nice job moving Baylor’s defensive linemen off the ball most of the game.

Despite some injuries in the last couple of weeks (namely to Cole Hutson and a late second-half injury to Jones), the offensive line did well on the road for the second time this season.