Freshman Kickers Come Through In Clutch

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider

Matt Rhule has demonstrated time and time again that he's not afraid to put freshmen out there, playing 50 true or redshirt freshmen in the last two seasons.

What happened in Thursday's Texas Bowl, though, was something straight off a Hollywood script. "There are stories in there that you couldn't imagine," Rhule said.

Pressed into duty by injuries, kickers John Mayers and Issac Power became Baylor's 14^th and 15^th true freshmen to see game action this season and played small but crucial roles in the Bears' 45-38 win over Vanderbilt in Thursday's game at NRG Stadium.

"It was pretty surreal, to be honest," said Mayers, a preferred walk-on from Flower Mound Marcus High School who was 3-for-3 on extra points in his collegiate debut after Connor Martin got hurt in the third quarter. "Our motto as specialists is 'Always ready,' and we take that very seriously. I always practice as if something is going on with Connor, just in case. And tonight, I think that paid off."

Martin kicked the first three extra points and was 1-of-2 on field goals before getting blasted on a blocked kick when Vandy cornerback Joejuan Williams was flagged for being offside. With barely a moment's notice, Mayers stepped in and booted the extra point through the middle of the uprights to give the Bears a 31-21 lead with 4:51 left in the third quarter.

"When I saw Connor go down, I was like, 'Oh no!''' Power said. "I looked over at John, and he was going out there. I was really hoping John was going to do it, and he did it pretty good. He came back over, and we hugged it out, and he was like, 'Dude, don't worry, you're going to get your shot, too.'''

The District 6-6A Special Teams Player of the Year as a sophomore, Mayers was 28-of-34 on field goals as a senior and Last Man Standing Champion at the 2018 Vegas 30 Field Goal competition.

"When I went out there, I just told myself, 'I've done this like 100 times in high school and in practice,''' Mayers said. "We do PAT/field goals just about every day in practice. All glory to God, and I'm just thankful for the opportunity and thankful for this great university and for the win, of course."

As Mayers predicted, Power did get his shot about three minutes later with the Bears backed up at their own 7-yard line. With senior punter Drew Galitz out with a torn ACL, Rhule called on the true freshman punter from Castle Rock, Colo.

The advice from both Galitz and Martin, who had punted last year when Galitz went down the first time, was that catching the snap was the biggest thing.

"When we got out there, it just happened so fast," Power said. "I felt like I just got my feet set, I looked up at Ross Matiscik, the long snapper, and the ball was there. I said, 'I've just got to get out of here,' so I punted it and it went pretty high, went pretty far. So, I can't complain about it."

Getting amazing hang time, Power boomed a 47-yard kick that had returner Trey Ellis backing up and calling for a fair catch back at his own 46-yard line. Not a bad way to start your college career.

"I saw it turn over, and it kept climbing and climbing," said Power, who signed as part of the Bears' recruiting class last December after averaging 41.3 yards and converting on 9-of-13 field goals with a long of 58 yards as a senior at Ponderosa High School. "Halfway down the field, I screamed, and it was still in the air. So yeah, I felt like I got a hold of it."

Rhule said Power "has to kick it an inch from the goal line and crushes it."

"That's just two guys," Rhule said of Power and Mayers. "But that is, to me, emblematic of the grit of our team, the toughness of our team and the never-say-die attitude from our senior class all the way down to the freshmen that just walked on to the program. I'm so proud of our guys."

Dubbing Thursday's game as the "Freshman Takeover," Power said after all the training through high school and practice, "You come out and you get your chance and make the most of it. And you get to smile at the end of the day. So, it was pretty awesome."

Baylor loses three offensive and four defensive starters from a 7-6 team, but besides Power and Mayers, the long list of returners includes game MVP Charlie Brewer. The sophomore quarterback threw for a Texas Bowl-record 384 yards and two touchdowns and added a career-high 109 yards and another TD rushing.

Sophomore running back Trestan Ebner had a combined 199 yards rushing and receiving and scored on a 34-yard TD run and 75-yard catch, giving the Bears a 38-35 fourth-quarter lead.

"We're coming back, and in two weeks we're going right back to work," Rhule said, "because we have to take another step. And that's what they will want to do."

During the postgame trophy presentation, an emotional Rhule thanked this year's senior class and last year's seniors that helped the team get through a difficult 1-11 season.

"He really wanted to win this for the seniors," Power said. "He was so glad that we did it for them. And now, we can move on to next year and bigger and better things."

Freshman Kickers Come Through In Clutch

Players Mentioned

Charlie Brewer

Trestan Ebner

Drew Galitz

Connor Martin

Ross Matiscik

John Mayers

Issac Power

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