Football Sets Rhule's Scoring Record in 63-14 Win

Saturday, September 7

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Football Sets Rhule's Scoring Record in 63-14 Win

9/7/2019 6:36:00 PM | Football

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Denzel Mims caught three touchdown passes for the Bears.

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider

Denzel Mims didn't want anyone thinking he was soft or not tough enough.

Dinged up on a 12-yard catch that picked up a first down, the senior receiver picked himself up and waved off sophomore receiver Tyquan Thornton.

The payoff came on the very next play when Mims ran a post route and hauled in a 26-yard pass from quarterback Charlie Brewer for their third scoring strike of the night in the Bears' 63-14 blowout of the UTSA Roadrunners Saturday before a McLane Stadium crowd of 40,274.

"I was like, 'Man, let me get up. Even though I'm hurt, let me get up,''' said Mims, who recorded his seventh career 100-yard receiving day with seven catches for 101 yards and three TDs, all before halftime. "I actually waved off Tyquan. I saw what play it was, and I was like, 'Oh yeah, I want this. So, I'm going to stay in.'''

Brewer also did all of his work in the first half, completing 12-of-16 passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns and adding a five-yard TD run. X-rayed at the half because "his feet just felt hot and discomfort," coach Matt Rhule said, Brewer tried to talk his way back on the field.

That was a battle Rhule wasn't going to lose.

"I tried to argue my way back in," Brewer said, "but it didn't work."

The high during the game reached 101, the highest recorded in a game at 5-year-old McLane Stadium. "I don't know what the official temperature was, but it felt like it was 150 degrees," Brewer said.

Crediting Andrew Althoff, Matt Kuehl and Julie Anna Buzzard from the football support staff, Rhule said he had "never played in a game that hot in my life and had no one cramp. It's amazing."

"That's a testament to our players, but also the wonderful people we have surrounding them to make sure that we're healthy and make sure we have every advantage possible," Rhule said.

Baylor (2-0) put together its second straight complete game and dominated in all three phases. The Bears rolled up 546 yards total offense, including 368 on the ground, held UTSA (1-1) to just 266 yards and hit a big special-teams play with Grayland Arnold's 73-yard punt return for a touchdown.

"I'd have to watch the tape to tell you exactly how I feel, to be quite honest," Rhule said "but I liked their effort and their demeanor, and those are the things that really matter on game day. Nothing is ever going to be perfect, but if you have a great attitude and you keep coming back play after play, usually good things happen. And they certainly had the right look in their eye on the sideline."

A 1,000-yard receiver as a sophomore, Mims took a little bit of a back seat last season to Jalen Hurd, a third-round draft pick by the San Francisco 49ers. But, Rhule said he's become a more complete player this year.

"He's always been a physical player, but he's embraced the effort, the preparation," Rhule said. "Even some of those catches he made today, going back for the ball, all the different types of catches and ball skills required. He was on the punt return team when the touchdown was scored. Not a lot of guys that have his type of stats in a game also played on the special teams, and he certainly did. I'm pleased with him in a lot of different areas."

Mims finished off the Bears' first scoring drive, when he beat UTSA cornerback Grady Cassius and was wide open for a nine-yard TD toss from Brewer.

After scoring on the five-yard keeper for the Bears' second score, Brewer went back to Mims and lofted a pass over Cassius that found the soft hands of Mims for a 30-yard TD pass and 21-0 lead.

"I overthrew him last week when he was wide open, I had to correct that," Brewer said. "I was glad to get him the ball. I think he had three touchdowns. He was pretty effective today, and I knew coming in that he could have that type of day."

Brewer relied on that connection again late in the half when he zipped a pass into Mims for a 26-yard TD pass and a 35-0 halftime lead.

Mims put last week's overthrow on himself, saying he "stopped running. . . . If I was just running it would have been a touchdown, so it was all on me."

The connection with his quarterback, though, comes with hard work.

"We work every day after practice, even before practice, trying to get that chemistry and working on the plays and routes, just trying to get that connection, so we can get the (win) and execute and every play," said Mims, who continues to climb the career charts with 132 receptions (13^th-most) and 19 touchdowns (tied for seventh).

Even without Brewer and Mims and most of the first-team offense, the Bears still added four second-half touchdowns. Redshirt freshman quarterback Gerry Bohanon rushed for a game-high 93 yards on seven carries, with freshman running back Qualan Jones capping the score with a 61-yard TD run with 5:33 left.

Baylor has a bye next weekend before playing Rice (0-2) at 6 p.m. on Sept. 21 in Houston.