BAYLOR PREVIEW
The Bears get set to host Liberty in Matt Rhule’s debut in Waco.
Series history: First meeting. Key players: Baylor – QB Anu Solomon, DE K.J. Smith, LB Taylor Young; Liberty – QB Stephen Calvert, RB Carrington Mosely, DE Juwan Wells Who has the edge:
Offense – Even. This isn’t the old high-flying Bears attack. Their scoring dipped from 48.1 points per game in 2015 to 34.6 last season, and they’ll likely need time to adjust to new coach Matt Rhule’s more methodical offense. With RBs JaMycal Hasty and Terence Williams back in the backfield, the Bears could build on last year’s impressive 280.9 rushing yards per contest.
Defense – Baylor. The Bears may have struggled to slow people in Big 12 play, but they fared well against their non-conference opponents a year ago, holding Northwestern State, SMU and Rice to a combined 30 points. Smith, one of six starters back, is a steadying presence up front, supplying seven sacks and 12 tackles for loss last season, and Young (93 tackles in 10 games) was the third-leading tackler in the Big 12.
Special teams – Liberty. The Flames return kicker Alex Probert, a preseason FCS All-America selection. Probert was 15-of-19 on field goals last season, making all six of his attempts longer than 40 yards. Punter Trey Turner averaged a healthy 41 yards per punt in 2016.
Notable: The Flames are beginning the transition to FBS status this season, which is their last at the FCS level. They’re still in the Big South conference but ineligible for the conference title or FCS playoffs. The Flames won’t be bowl eligible until 2019.
About Baylor: The Bears jumped out to a 6-0 start under interim coach Jim Grobe in 2016 before the wheels feel off after a 35-34 loss to Texas, with the Bears posting only one more win in their final seven games. But that lone victory was over Boise State in the Cactus Bowl, giving the Bears positive momentum heading into the Rhule era. About Liberty: The Flames are looking to build momentum for the move up to the FBS level after going 6-5 in 2016, and they return Calvert, who threw for 1,931 yards and 15 touchdowns in seven starts (11 games played) last season. Mosley rushed for 663 yards and five TDs.