HOUSTON — It wasn’t quite as electrifying as the lightning show that illuminated the skies over downtown Houston.

But when Baylor needed a jump-start, the defense delivered it.

They brought the jumper cables, and blessedly got things cranking for the Bears again.

Baylor defensive tackle Phil Taylor (98) pressures Rice quarterback Sam McGuffie in the first half.
Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald

A week ago, Baylor’s defense was maligned and miserable, and deservedly so. TCU humbled the Baylor defensive unit to its core, leaving the Bears “frustrated” and “humiliated,” to use their own words.

But in Saturday’s 30-13 win over Rice, Baylor’s defenders had no reason to feel shame. On the contrary, it was a showing worthy of crowing and chest-thumping again.

Oh, sure, you can almost hear the never-satisfied naysayers already, their complaints echoing off the walls of their insulated Internet message boards. It’s only Rice, they’ll say.

Yes, that’s true. It was only Rice.

But didn’t the Bear defense perform like you’d want them to against a team like Rice?

For that matter, hasn’t Baylor’s defense been rather rock-solid all season, minus the debacle at TCU? In the three games in which the Bears have been favored, they’ve surrendered just one touchdown to the opposition.

No matter who you play, that’s getting it done.

“It hurts to see anybody drive down on you, and it hurts even more to see people score,” said linebacker Elliot Coffey, who had a team-high 11 tackles. “So we have a sole purpose out there, and that’s to stop them from scoring.”

Baylor limited Rice to just 296 yards, 55 of which came on the Owls’ opening drive. For the record, that’s only 77 more yards than mighty Texas held Rice to in the season opener. (Well, OK, Texas might not be so mighty after Saturday).

Against the Owls, the Bears were aggressive. They were effective. They were opportunistic.

Chance Casey jumped a screen pass route for a well-timed interception. Mikail Baker, who until last year was a wide receiver, channeled his old pass-catching skills for a pick in his new role as a cornerback. Tevin Elliott erupted for a key sack on a third-down play in Baylor territory.

And Baylor’s defense did it all despite burning more shirts than a fashion-hating pyromaniac. Several of Baylor’s freshmen have had to forgo their redshirt years due to injuries, including defensive back Tyler Stephenson and defensive lineman Dominique Jones, both of whom played for the first time Saturday.

Yes, the schedule will get tougher as the season progresses. Historically, the Big 12 slate hasn’t been kind to Baylor. The Bear defense will have plenty of grueling tests ahead.

But on this night, Baylor’s defense showed it’s not broken-down — far from it. The Bear defenders, for the most part, looked tough and reliable, eager to give their team a jump-start.

And on nights when you’re caught in a storm, that’s important.

bcherry@wacotrib.com

757-5714

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