Football Rolls to 55-27 Win Over ACU

Saturday, September 1

Waco, Texas

7:00 p.m. CT

Baylor

Abilene Christian

Football Rolls to 55-27 Win Over ACU

9/2/2018 12:11:00 AM | Football

Box Score

Lovett, Hasty Combine for 217 Yards Rushing, 5 TDs.

Box Score | Postgame Notes  | Baylor Quotes | ACU Quotes

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider

Jalan McClendon got more excited about the long touchdown runs by JaMycal Hasty and John Lovett in Baylor's 55-27 season-opening win over Abilene Christian than his own TD passes that he threw to Jalen Hurd and Marques Jones.

"When J-Mike broke off that long run, I was celebrating with the o-line just like I was celebrating with the receivers," said McClendon, who threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns in his Baylor debut Saturday night at McLane Stadium. "I like when they score more than when I score. It just feels good. I want that for them. I feel like they deserve it."

While McClendon and sophomore Charlie Brewer combined for 311 yards passing, splitting series in the four-hour game, Hasty and Lovett gave the Bears (1-0) their first pair of 100-yard rushers since Terence Williams and Seth Russell versus Texas in 2016.

Finishing with a fourth-quarter flurry, Lovett led the way with a career-high 115 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries. Hasty was just a step behind with 102 yards and two TDs on just 10 attempts, also topping the 1,000-yard mark for his career (1,039).

"It's just the coaches putting us in position to make those type of plays, whether it's receiving or running the ball and we've even got Lovett on kick returns," said Hasty, who added a team-high 67 yards on four catches to finish with a career-best 169 all-purpose yards. "It feels pretty good to have those options and know that you have coaches who put you in the best position to make those plays."

McClendon, a grad transfer from North Carolina State, sparked the offense early with first-quarter TD passes of 25 yards to Hurd and 20 to Marques Jones, a former walk-on who was just placed on scholarship. Those two scores put the Bears up 17-0.

"First few plays, I was nervous, but I think that's natural," McClendon said. "Once I kind of got out there, I started to feel good."

But, it was Hasty and Lovett that gave the Bears the explosive plays that second-year head coach Matt Rhule has been preaching about.

Hasty found an opening over the left end and sprinted in from 54 yards out, kick-starting a scoring flurry that saw the two teams put up 24 points over the last 4 ½ minutes of the opening half.

"It's been a long time, so just getting that run . . . the o-line did a great job opening it up for me," Hasty said. "As far as I'm concerned, I really had the easy job, just get it and go. So, kudos to the offensive line."

On the Bears' very next series, McClendon hit sophomore running back Trestan Ebner for pass plays of 16 and 23 yards, then Lovett finished off the four-play, 75-yard drive with a nifty 31-yard TD run. He broke up the middle and then juked the ACU safety, leaving him grabbing for air.

"All credit to the offensive line," Lovett said. "It just felt good to be out there and actually compete against someone else. (The long touchdown run) felt pretty good, but I go right up to those o-linemen after every play. It's all about those guys."

The Bears started a veteran group with four seniors and fourth-year junior center Sam Tecklenburg, but senior left tackle Josh Malin went out with an apparent knee injury on the second play from scrimmage.

"It was really sad to see," Rhule said of Malin's injury. "Hopefully we'll see how he is."

That left redshirt freshman tackle Eleasah Anderson protecting the quarterbacks' blind side. True freshman Connor Galvin also rotated in at that spot, with projected starter Jake Fruhmorgen, junior college transfer Johncarlo Valentin and Malin all out with injuries.

"We have this stupid little saying: We say do exactly what you're asked to do, whatever it takes," Rhule said. "So, (Anderson) went out there and was whatever it took, he found a way to get it done. A lot of times, guys will say, 'I tried, but it was this, it was that.' But, he just went out there and played, and I couldn't be happier for him."

With Baylor just trying to ice the game and not pad the final margin, Lovett added 55 yards on five fourth-quarter carries, capping the scoring with a seven-yard TD run with 9:18 left in the game.

On the Bears' final series, freshmen Abram Smith, Josh Fleeks and walk-on quarterback Garret McGuire all got into the act. Smith tore his ACL in high school and then tore it again the first day of spring camp in 2017, "and all he's done is work," Rhule said. "It was nice to see him go out there and play."

"We compete in everything – sprints, every drill, everything," Hasty said. "It's a close running back room, and it's good when you've got five guys that are just battling it out, because we just compete and bring out the best in all of us."

It's the same case at quarterback, with Brewer and McClendon pushing each other, along with freshman Gerry Bohanon. Brewer got the start and completed 8-of-15 for 138 yards with one interception before going out with a back injury late in the third quarter.

"The whole quarterback room, we make each other better," McClendon said. "Young guys make me better, Coach (Glenn) Thomas makes all of us better. Coach Rhule makes all of us better."

Rhule said he wanted to be fair to the quarterbacks and give the two frontrunners a fair shot in Saturday's game.

"They're just both winners," he said. "There's not a bit of me that's concerned about that one bit, to be quite honest."

Baylor's offense produced over 600 yards (609) for the first time since totaling 634 versus Texas Tech on Nov. 25, 2016, and the first over 600 yards at McLane Stadium since racking up 693 against West Virginia on Oct. 17, 2015.

"I'm really happy for our players," Rhule said. "They've been through so much. . . . . A lot of guys did a lot of great things, but there are a lot of things we have to improve. So, the process starts again tomorrow."

The Bears will go on the road to face UTSA (0-1) at 6 p.m. next Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, in a game that will be broadcast on Facebook. UTSA opened up Saturday night with a 49-7 loss on the road at Arizona State.