2019 Baylor Bears football team explained

Year:	2019
Team:	Baylor Bears
Sport:	football
Conference:	Big 12 Conference
Short Conf:	Big 12
Coachrank:	12
Aprank:	13
Record:	11–3
Conf Record:	8–1
Hc Year:	3rd
Cooc1 Year:	3rd
Cooc2 Year:	3rd
Dc Year:	3rd
Def Scheme:	3–3 stack^[1]
Bowl Result:	L 14–26 vs. Georgia

The 2019 Baylor Bears football team represented Baylor University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bears played their home games at the McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas, and competed in the Big 12 Conference. They were led by Matt Rhule in his third and final season as the program's head coach.

Baylor, only two years removed from a 1–11 season in 2017, began the year unranked and projected to finish in sixth in the Big 12 Conference. The Bears won their first nine games of the season and climbed to 13th in the College Football Playoff rankings, but did not play a ranked team in that span. The team then hosted then-No. 10 Oklahoma, but Baylor squandered a 25-point lead and lost 34–31. Baylor finished out the regular season with an 11–1 record, 8–1 in Big 12 play to finish tied atop the conference standings, earning them a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game, the school's first appearance in the game, to play a rematch against Oklahoma. There, the Bears lost to the Sooners again, this time in overtime, 30–23. Baylor received an invitation to the Sugar Bowl to play SEC runner-up Georgia, where they lost 26–14, to end the season at 11–3 and ranked 13th in the final AP Poll.

Baylor's defense was led by defensive tackle James Lynch, who was a consensus All-American and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He led the conference with 13.5 sacks on the season. He was joined on the first-team all-conference by defensive tackle Bravvion Roy. Offensively, the Bears were led by 3,000-yard passer Charlie Brewer, and 1,000-yard receiver Denzel Mims. Head coach Matt Rhule was named Big 12 Coach of the Year, and, after the completion of the season, he departed to take the head coaching job with the Carolina Panthers.

Preseason

Recruiting class

References:^{[2] [3]} |}

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

Maxwell Award	Charlie Brewer	QB	JR
Bednarik Award	James Lynch	DL	JR
Davey O'Brien Award	Charlie Brewer	QB	JR
Biletnikoff Award	Denzel Mims	WR	SR
Butkus Award	Clay Johnston	LB	SR
Bronko Nagurski Trophy	Clay Johnston	LB	SR
Outland Trophy	James Lynch	DL	JR
Paul Hornung Award	John Lovett	RB/S	JR
Manning Award	Charlie Brewer	QB	JR

References:^{[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]}

Big 12 media poll

The 2019 Big 12 media days were held July 15–16, 2019 in Frisco, Texas. In the Big 12 preseason media poll, Baylor was predicted to finish in sixth in the standings.^[11]

Big 12 media poll
1	Oklahoma	761 (68)
2	Texas	696 (9)
3	Iowa State	589
4	TCU	474
5	Oklahoma State	460
6	Baylor	453
7	Texas Tech	281
8	West Virginia	241
9	Kansas State	191
10	Kansas	89

Preseason All-Big 12 teams

Defensive

• James Lynch – JR, Defensive Lineman
• Clay Johnston – SR, Linebacker

References:^[12]

Schedule

Baylor announced its 2019 football schedule on October 18, 2018.^[13] The 2019 schedule consists of 7 home and 5 away games in the regular season.

Schedule Source:^[14]

Game summaries

Stephen F. Austin

See also: 2019 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football team.

BU –44.0

Statistics	Stephen F. Austin	Baylor
First downs	13	30
Total yards	277	518
Rushing yards	119	268
Passing yards	158	250
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	30:07	29:53

Baylor opened up the 2019 season by beating FCS Stephen F. Austin 56-17 in Waco. Trestan Ebner had three first half touchdowns for the Bears

UTSA

See also: 2019 UTSA Roadrunners football team.

BU –25.5

Statistics	UTSA	Baylor
First downs	14	25
Total yards	266	546
Rushing yards	164	368
Passing yards	102	178
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	31:31	28:29

At Rice

See also: 2019 Rice Owls football team.

BU –27.0

Statistics	Baylor	Rice
First downs	20	17
Total yards	427	242
Rushing yards	124	64
Passing yards	303	178
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	27:45	32:15

Iowa State

See also: 2019 Iowa State Cyclones football team.

ISU –2.5

Statistics	Iowa State	Baylor
First downs	23	24
Total yards	405	411
Rushing yards	63	104
Passing yards	342	307
Turnovers	2	0
Time of possession	29:43	30:17

At Kansas State

See also: 2019 Kansas State Wildcats football team.

EVEN

Statistics	Baylor	Kansas State
First downs	18	21
Total yards	426	341
Rushing yards	158	123
Passing yards	268	218
Turnovers	0	2
Time of possession	23:15	36:45

Baylor's defense proved formidable and produced two turnovers, while their offense completed a balanced run game.^[15] Baylor remained undefeated with the 31-12 win over Kansas State.^[16]

Texas Tech

See also: 2019 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team and Baylor–Texas Tech football rivalry.

BU –10.5

Statistics	Texas Tech	Baylor
First downs	26	27
Total yards	510	525
Rushing yards	148	173
Passing yards	362	352
Turnovers	3	3
Time of possession	31:00	29:00

For the team's homecoming game, Baylor replaced their traditional interlocking 'BU' on their green helmet with the 'Sailor Bear' logo originally created by Arthur Evans for the second straight year.

Texas Tech traveled to Waco to play Baylor, the two teams had played one another at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX nearly every year from 2009-2018. The 2010 game was played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX, the only game in this stretch that was not played at AT&T Stadium.^[17]

The first half of the game was a defensive battle between the two teams. Texas Tech scored only 6 points in the half with two field goals from Trey Wolff while Baylor only scored 3 with a 37-yard field goal from John Mayers. The Red Raiders had 182 yards of offense in the first half while the Bears had 117. Baylor scored the first touchdown of the game for either team on its first drive of the half with a 4-yard run from Charlie Brewer. After trailing for most of the half, the Red Raiders scored a touchdown with 1:37 left in regulation to take a 20–17 lead. The Bears marched down field with Mayers making a 19-yard field goal as time expired to tie the game. Baylor started overtime on offense with Texas Tech on defense. During the drive, center Jake Fruhmorgen appeared to have fumbled the ball on a snap with the ball being recovered by Jaylon Hutchings for the Red Raiders and the play was blown dead quickly. The fumble was overturned as Baylor was penalized for an illegal snap penalty. The call was heavily criticized and the following day Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt announced that the Big 12 had told him that the penalty was the wrong call and that Texas Tech should have gained possession.^{[18] [19]} Hocutt was later fined by the conference for making the announcement in violation of league policy.^[20]

After winning in 2 overtime periods by a score of 33-30, Baylor moved up 4 spots in the AP poll from #22 to #18.

At Oklahoma State

See also: 2019 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team.

OSU –6.0

Statistics	Baylor	Oklahoma State
First downs	18	27
Total yards	536	469
Rushing yards	224	281
Passing yards	312	188
Turnovers	1	3
Time of possession	28:12	31:48

West Virginia

See also: 2019 West Virginia Mountaineers football team.

BU –17.5

Statistics	West Virginia	Baylor
First downs	12	26
Total yards	219	453
Rushing yards	14	176
Passing yards	205	277
Turnovers	2	3
Time of possession	23:34	36:26

At TCU

See also: 2019 TCU Horned Frogs football team and Baylor–TCU football rivalry.

BU –2.0

Statistics	Baylor	TCU
First downs	22	18
Total yards	195	140
Rushing yards	99	168
Passing yards	195	140
Turnovers	2	3
Time of possession	29:36	30:24

Heading into Week 11 of the college football season, Baylor is on top of the Big 12 conference standings with an undefeated 8-0 record. Recent victories over West Virginia and Texas Tech were close and TCU is looking to win a few more games to become eligible for a bowl game. Both teams have been able to score and the game is listed as one of the most "compelling matchups" for the week by MSN Sports.^[21]

Oklahoma

See also: 2019 Oklahoma Sooners football team.

OU –10.5

Statistics	Oklahoma	Baylor
First downs	34	18
Total yards	525	307
Rushing yards	228	113
Passing yards	297	194
Turnovers	3	2
Time of possession	41:11	18:49

Texas

See also: 2019 Texas Longhorns football team.

BU –4.0

Statistics	Texas	Baylor
First downs	21	20
Total yards	391	391
Rushing yards	191	163
Passing yards	200	228
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	29:52	30:08

At Kansas

See also: 2019 Kansas Jayhawks football team.

BU –14.0

Statistics	Baylor	Kansas
First downs	29	15
Total yards	507	258
Rushing yards	264	142
Passing yards	243	116
Turnovers	1	6
Time of possession	33:46	26:14

Vs. Oklahoma (Big 12 Championship game)

See main article: 2019 Big 12 Championship Game and 2019 Oklahoma Sooners football team.

OU –9.5

Statistics	Baylor	Oklahoma
First downs	8	21
Total yards	265	433
Rushing yards	35	146
Passing yards	230	287
Turnovers	0	2
Time of possession	23:24	36:36

Vs. Georgia (2020 Sugar Bowl)

See main article: article, 2020 Sugar Bowl and 2019 Georgia Bulldogs football team.

Georgia –3.5

Statistics	Georgia	Baylor
First downs	19	21
Total yards	380	295
Rushing yards	130	61
Passing yards	250	234
Turnovers	0	3
Time of possession	32:23	27:37

Postseason

All-Big 12 Conference Football Team

Offense

1st team

• Denzel Mims - SR, Wide Receiver

2nd team

• Koby Bullard – JR, Fullback
• Sam Tecklenburg – SR, Offensive Lineman

Defensive

1st team

• James Lynch – JR, Defensive Lineman
• Bravvion Roy – SR, Defensive Lineman

2nd team

• Terrel Bernard – SO, Linebacker
• Clay Johnston – SR, Linebacker
• Grayland Arnold – JR, Defensive Back
• Chris Miller – SR, Defensive Back

Honorable Mention

• Charlie Brewer – JR, Quarterback
• JaMycal Hasty – SR, Running Back
• Jameson Houston – SR, Defensive Back
• James Lockhart – SR, Defensive Lineman
• Blake Lynch – SR, Linebacker
• Xavier Newman-Johnson – JR, Offensive Lineman
• Tyquan Thornton – SO, Wide Receiver

References:^[22]

Postseason Conference Accolades

Defensive Player of the Year		JR	Defensive Lineman
Defensive Lineman of the Year	James Lynch	JR	Defensive Lineman
Chuck Neinas Coach of the Year		3rd Year	Head Coach

Players drafted into the NFL

See also: 2020 NFL draft.

2	59		WR	New York Jets
4	130		DE	Minnesota Vikings
6	184		DT	Carolina Panthers
7	234		DE	Los Angeles Rams

Notes and References

1. Web site: . Newton . David . Carolina Panthers' top-ranked defense reflects 'old-man' strength of Phil Snow . September 29, 2021 . December 5, 2023.
2. Web site: Rhule Signs 19 On 1st Day Of Early Period . Baylor University Athletics . 29 May 2020 . en.
3. Web site: Bears Ink Five To Complete 2019 Class . Baylor University Athletics . 29 May 2020 . en.
4. Web site: Brewer, Lynch Named to Preseason Watch Lists . Baylor University Athletics . 29 May 2020 . en.
5. Web site: Brewer Named to Watch List for Davey O'Brien Award . Baylor University Athletics . 29 May 2020 . en.
6. Web site: Mims Named to the Preseason Watch List for 2019 Biletnikoff Award . Baylor University Athletics . 29 May 2020 . en.
7. Web site: Johnston Named to Butkus Award Watch List . Baylor University Athletics . 29 May 2020 . en.
8. Web site: Johnston, Lynch Added to Preseason Watch Lists . Baylor University Athletics . 29 May 2020 . en.
9. Web site: Lovett Named to Watch List for 2019 Paul Hornung Award . Baylor University Athletics . 29 May 2020 . en.
10. Web site: Brewer Named to Watch List for Manning Award . Baylor University Athletics . 29 May 2020 . en.
11. Web site: Sooners Picked First in Media Preseason Poll. big12sports.com. Big 12 Conference. July 10, 2019. July 12, 2019.
12. Web site: 2019 Preseason All-Big 12 football team: Texas QB Sam Ehlinger, Oklahoma LB Kenneth Murray headline . CBSSports.com . 29 May 2020 . en.
13. Web site: Football 2019 Schedule Announced. Baylor University Department of Athletics. October 18, 2018. February 1, 2019.
14. Web site: 2019 Baylor Bears Football Schedule. FB Schedules. February 1, 2019.
15. Web site: 5 takeaways from Baylor's win over Kansas State: Charlie Brewer's exit causes scare; will undefeated Bears crack top 25?. Selby. Lopez. October 5, 2019. October 27, 2019. Dallas Morning News.
16. Web site: Baylor vs. Kansas State - Game Summary. ESPN. October 5, 2019. October 27, 2019.
17. Web site: Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Williams. Don. Tech-Baylor game returns to campus as 2019 schedule revealed. October 18, 2018. December 10, 2018.
18. Web site: Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Williams. Don. Tech-Baylor notebook: Wells contests pivotal call in Red Raiders' double-OT setback. October 12, 2019. October 13, 2019.
19. Web site: ESPN. Khan, Jr.. Sam. Texas Tech AD - Big 12 admits blown call in loss. October 13, 2019. October 13, 2019.
20. Web site: Rittenberg . Adam . Big 12 fines Texas Tech AD for officiating talk . ESPN.com . 16 October 2019 . ESPN . 5 November 2019.
21. Web site: Most compelling matchups in college football Week 11. MSN Sports. Jesse. Reed. November 7, 2019. November 7, 2019.
22. Web site: 2019 All-Big 12 Football Awards Announced . big12sports.com . 29 May 2020 . en.