With almost all of the attention this summer leading up to Baylor’s season opener against Sam Houston State focused on the return of quarterback Robert Griffin from a knee injury, the defense was looking for a chance to make a name for itself.

In Saturday’s 34-3 win over the Bearkats, the Bears did just that by unveiling a more athletic and disruptive unit.

The Bears stuffed Sam Houston State all night, allowing 56 total yards in the first half, a 1.9 yards-per-play average and 195 for the game.

“If we play defense like that every week, we’re going to win some football games,” Baylor coach Art Briles said. “That was pretty dominating.”

The Bears faced question marks about how to replace all-American linebacker Joe Pawelek and all-Big 12 performer at safety Jordan Lake, who were the leaders of the defense the last few seasons.

Baylor defenders Elliot Coffey (lower right) and Chris McAllister (center) lead a gang-tackling effort against Sam Houston State running back D.J. Morrow.
Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald

The leadership role has fallen to senior linebacker Antonio Johnson this season, and he was encouraged by what he saw the first time out.

“I was very excited, just knowing everybody on defense was at the same level and the same intensity that I was, and we were all on the same page,” Johnson said. “We lost Joe (Pawelek) and Jordan, and we just had to rearrange and make a faster and better defense than when they were here.”

The Bears’ speed was evident, but it was the job the defensive line did that drew raves from the rest of the unit.

Because of the front four’s effort, Sam Houston State quarterback Bryan Randolph was on the run the entire evening and the linebackers and secondary were able to flow freely to the football in run support.

The Bears finished with 10 stops behind the line for losses of 26 yards and allowed Sam Houston State to convert only two of 17 third-down situations.

“The defensive line was getting such a good push that by the time I got to the ball, it was behind the line of scrimmage and he’s shuffling his feet,” linebacker Elliot Coffey said. “So yeah, the speed was there.”

Redshirt freshman defensive end Terrance Lloyd made his presence felt in his first college game, picking up a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry.

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