Baylor’s offense vs. Bearkats’ defense

When Robert Griffin went down with a knee injury last season, Baylor’s offense lost its engine. Now that the gifted quarterback is back and healthy, the Bears feel they’re ready to roll. The Bears feature a talented receiving corps, while a deeper offensive line should be much improved. Art Briles believes running back Jay Finley is healthy after struggling with ankle problems since last season. Former La Vega star Will Henry is a top-notch linebacker for the Bearkats, but the secondary needs to improve after allowing 253.5 yards per game last season.

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Baylor’s defense vs. Bearkats’ offense

After an impressive preseason camp, Baylor is anxious to see how a faster, more athletic defense responds in its first game action. With middle linebacker Joe Pawelek and safety Jordan Lake gone, outside linebacker Antonio Johnson, defensive tackle Phil Taylor and safety Tim Atchison should step into leadership roles. The Bearkats are in a transition phase with just three offensive starters returning and a backfield loaded freshmen and transfers. They’ve got some experience at quarterback with senior Bryan Randolph who saw limited action as a backup the last two years.

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Key matchup

BU receivers Kendall Wright and Lanear Sampson vs. SHSU secondary

Wright is on the Biletnikoff Award watch list after catching 116 passes for 1,389 yards and nine touchdowns in his first two years. Sampson is coming off an outstanding freshman year after catching 29 passes for 297 yards. They’re both going to be a handful for the Bearkats’ secondary which was often burned last year. Sam Houston’s secondary is loaded with sophomores, including cornerback Robert Shaw and safeties Kenneth Jenkins, Chuck Obi and Darnell Taylor.

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Special teams

The Bears hope redshirt freshman kicker Aaron Jones is the answer after Ben Parks struggled the last two years. He’s consistently nailed 50-yarders in practice but this will be his first game. Baylor features preseason all-Big 12 punter Derek Epperson and a pair of explosive kick returners in Terrance Williams and Mikail Baker, who is returning from knee surgery. Sam Houston has a solid kicker in Miguel Antonio, but Australian rules football veteran Matt Foster has never punted in a game.

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Intangibles

Throughout the summer, Baylor has made a push to put people in the seats with its “Rise Up” campaign. If the Baylor players see 40,000 fans, it could be quite a psychological boost. Besides a great home crowd, the Bears should have an advantage in every area on the field. They are simply more athletic, talented and experienced than the Bearkats, the only Football Championship Subdivision team on Baylor’s schedule.

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