By Brice Cherry

Tribune-Herald staff writer

If Baylor fans really listened, they could hear the familiar sounds of krispy Rice.

As in — snap, crackle and pop.

Not to be outdone by the offensive sustenance provided by Blake Szymanski and the Baylor offense, the Bears’ defensive unit put together a refreshing performance of its own in the team’s 42-17 rout of Rice on Saturday night.

Baylor’s defense was never more tested than it was with five minutes to play before halftime. Leading 28-7, BU’s special teams cracked the door for the Owls when Joe Bennett fumbled a punt that was recovered by Rice at the Baylor 4.

But Baylor’s defense slammed the door shut. On fourth-and-goal from the 1, defensive end Geoff Nelson, flanked by fellow end Leon Freeman and linebackers Antonio Jones and Joe Pawelek, shot a gap and pounced on Rice running back Justin Hill, stopping him for no gain and essentially clipping the Owls’ wings.

“Goal-line stands, that’s what defensive guys live for,” Nelson said. “You can bend, but don’t break. When they get inside the 20, in the red zone, you’ve got to put up a wall and don’t let nobody come through it.”

Though it appeared Baylor had the play snuffed out from the outset, it actually had elements of both luck and design.

“I was pushing upfield because I was expecting quarterback sneak, and when I saw (quarterback Chase Clement) reverse out and hand the ball off, I was like, ‘This is on me,’” Nelson said. “I was able, along with my teammates, to make the play.”

“For our defense to go out there and throw up a wall like that, that was really good to see,” Baylor coach Guy Morriss said. “We work on that kind of stuff, the sudden change.”

That standoff sent the crowd and Baylor sideline into a frenzy, as the BU defenders were given a hero’s welcome on their return to the sideline.

“We were just going crazy, enjoying ourselves out there,” Pawelek said.

“Coach Morriss is going crazy,” Nelson said. “That’s what got me. He’s even-keel and he doesn’t talk about emotion. To see him jumping up and down, I got pumped.”

Despite some slight letdowns here and there — “We weren’t perfect, and that’s what we’re striving for,” Nelson said.

Baylor’s defense never really came down to earth, forcing two Rice three-and-outs and getting a tipped interception from Alton Widemon.

“When we got into the locker room, Coach Morriss was telling us, ‘Remember this feeling, coming up the ramp with a win,’” Nelson said. “‘Put it in your head, and don’t come up the ramp any other way from now on.’”