What is a team to do when it is missing it’s first and second string quarterbacks? If that team is Baylor, the solution is simple: put whoever you want at quarterback and let him run the ball as he pleases.
The Bears managed to use that strategy to run all over the Tar Heels' defense and move to a 28-17 lead after the first half. Baylor also broke the Russell Athletic Bowl record for rushing with just 2:16 left in the second quarter after accumulating 333 rushing yards.
The previous high was set by Illinois in 1999 when they rushed for 325 yards in a 63-21 win over Virginia.
Running back Johnny Jefferson made the most of the wildcat offense the Bears are implementing, with 173 rushing yards on 12 carries, including a pair of touchdowns.
All told, Baylor ran for 358 yards during the first half, with five different players running the ball five or more times.
The Tar Heels haven’t made things any easier for themselves, failing to get into a rhythm offensively and giving Baylor a few key second chances — most notably with 11:11 in the second quarter, when Romar Morris ran into Baylor punter Drew Galitz after what should have been a much-needed three-and-out.
Instead, the 5-yard penalty gave the Bears a first down and led to their third touchdown of the night and a 21-10 lead.
Three numbers to know:
9: The number of yards Baylor is averaging per rushing attempt. While the Bears have completed just 6-of-13 passes, their one-dimensional ground attack was almost unstoppable throughout the entire first half with most runs coming from the quarterback position.
19: The number of rushing yards for Elijah Hood during the first half. In contrast with Baylor, Hood has struggled to get anything going on the ground so far and is averaging just 2.7 yards per rush on seven attempts. For North Carolina’s offense to keep up with Baylor and to keep drives going, that is going to need to change in the second half.
3: The number of times Baylor has converted on fourth down. The Bears are 3-for-4 so far on fourth down conversions, one of which was a 24-yard screen pass that set up their first touchdown and another being Jefferson’s 27-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
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