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In Dave Aranda's first game out as head coach, the Bears left Orlando with an impressive 41-9 win over UCF.
Several position groups stepped up, giving Baylor plenty of positives to build on moving forward. Here's how each position graded against the Knights.
DJ Lagway looked great, completing 16 passes for 319 yards and throwing four touchdowns. He also added 23 rushing yards. This was a completely different version of Lagway than what we had seen over the past few weeks.
He looked healthy, used his legs effectively, and played with much more confidence. He also made several impressive throws downfield, showing what he is capable of when he's playing at his best. One of the biggest takeaways was that he didn't throw any interceptions.
If Lagway can consistently play this way, then Baylor's offense has the potential to be much more dangerous moving forward.
Baylor had six different receivers record at least one reception. Freeman led the way with five catches for 114 yards, while Jadon Porter finished with two receptions for 74 yards.
Dre'lon Miller is someone we haven't seen much from this season, but he made a few big plays against the Knights, catching two passes for 44 yards.
This offense has needed other guys to step up in the receiving room, and they did just that against UCF.
This group finished with 161 rushing yards, with Ryelan Morris leading the way with 82 yards on 11 carries. Morris averaged an impressive 7.5 yards per carry. Michael Turner finished with 41 yards on 12 carries, Caden Knighten had 31 yards on seven carries, and Dawson Pendergrass added seven yards on his lone carry.
The running game was improved this week, as the Bears have struggled to establish any momentum on the ground throughout the season.
Tony Livingston caught two passes for 25 yards, and both receptions resulted in touchdowns. Matthew Klopfenstein also added a reception of his own for five yards and a touchdown. The three touchdown catches were the biggest factor in this group's high grade, and overall, the tight ends put together a solid performance.
The run blocking was better than it has been. After struggling consistently throughout the season, this group was finally able to provide some help to the rest of the offense.
The penalties will need to be cleaned up, and although they gave up three sacks, their improved play and the offense's overall success earn this group a decent grade.
Another dominant game for the defensive line. They held UCF to just 66 rushing yards, and their pressure bothered the Knights' offense throughout the game, helping hold them to just nine points. Baylor totaled seven sacks and 12 tackles for loss, with this unit playing a big part in both numbers. This has been Baylor's best position group all season, and they continue to impress.
The linebackers played a big role in limiting UCF's rushing attack. They were active around the ball and did a good job preventing UCF from finding much success on early downs. Overall, this group helped contribute to another strong performance from the Baylor defense.
The passing game was a struggle for most of the game for the Knights. UCF finished with 215 passing yards, but much of that production came as they were forced to throw more after falling behind by a large margin. Devon Jordan came away with another interception this week, continuing to make plays in the secondary.
Overall, this group did a good job limiting UCF's passing attack and keeping the Knights out of the end zone.
Rhett Armstrong made two of his three field-goal attempts and converted all five extra points. Palmer Williams also had five punts, averaging 41.4 yards per punt. Although Armstrong missed one field goal, this was a decent overall performance from the special teams unit.