BE LIKE MIKE

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider

CINCINNATI – Be like Mike.

Back in 1991, Gatorade had a popular commercial that featured various children and adults playing basketball with NBA standout Michael Jordan.

After Saturday's 41-20 loss at No. 21 Cincinnati (7-1, 5-0), Baylor coach Dave Aranda said the Bears (4-4, 2-3) need "some more guys in the Michael Turner category."

Leading the team in rushing for the second-straight week, the true freshman from North Richland Hills, Texas, had 90 yards and one touchdown rushing on 14 carries (6.4-yard average) and added three catches for 19 yards, producing 109 of Baylor's 266 yards total offense.

"He is one where the lights are bright and the moment is big," Aranda said of Turner, "and he shows up even bigger. That's really good to see. I think we've got to get some more guys in the Michael Turner category."

Struggling out of the gates, the Bears had just 13 yards on nine plays in the first quarter and 66 yards total on their first four series before putting together an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive late in the second quarter. Sawyer Robertson capped it with a seven-yard TD pass to tight end Michael Trigg on a fourth-down play.

"There are guys that put a lot of pressure on themselves and try to go make the play by themselves," Aranda said. "And if there's a different look or wrinkle, it hesitates some guys. If anything, guys are trying to do too much. You need to have a balance of guys are doing the right thing, but they're in the lane of playing free and playing green, where they can have the confidence to go out and play aggressive and play fast."

That's what Aranda says Turner has done the last two weeks, rushing for a combined 158 yards and one touchdown on 26 carries (6.1-yard average) while subbing for banged-up starter Bryson Washington. Limited by injuries for much of the season, Washington didn't play at all in the second half after picking up 23 yards on seven attempts before the break.

"He's being evaluated right now," Aranda said of Washington, who leads the team and ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 603 yards rushing for the season. "Bryson, this season has been difficult for him. I think his heart and soul are out there with the guys on the field. And it's been a whole bunch of injured body parts that are holding him back. That boy's fight is something to see. We'll see on Monday where he's at."

Up front, the Bears made a change in the offensive line, where redshirt sophomore Sean Thompkins made his first-career start in place of fifth-year senior Sydney Fugar at left tackle.

"We needed a spark," Aranda said of the move. "Some of the mistakes that were plaguing us, there was a common theme, and we weren't getting it fixed. Similarly, practice-wise, there would be some positivity and some things to look forward to. We'd get to a game, and it'd be the same thing. The last step was we've got to make a change at that position. We'll continue to look at that. Every stone will be turned over to try to get the best that we can on the field."

Much like the previous week's 42-36 loss to TCU, Baylor came back from a big deficit and made it a one-score game on a Robertson one-yard touchdown run and the two-point conversion run by Turner late in the third quarter. But the Bearcats responded with a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive and then capitalized on Baylor's second turnover to push the lead to 41-20.

"There was a whole lot of belief at that moment," sophomore safety Jacob Redding said. "We've done it before. Backs against the wall, we've proven we can come back and win ballgames. But it was a must-stop (on Cincinnati's drive). And it was just one guy short here, one guy short there. Just clean it up and execute."

The Bears rallied from double-digit, fourth-quarter deficits to beat SMU and Kansas State and gave themselves a chance against TCU by recovering an onside kick. But Aranda said "you can't live that way. It's not sustainable."

"We talk about not starting as fast as we need to, and we talk about the turnovers. Those have been consistent with our ills," he said. "I have to get that fixed. That's something that's holding us back from some wins that we need and some momentum that we probably need even more. I think we have to fix that. Despite all of it, the fight to get in the mix at the end has been something to see."

Starting with Saturday's 11 a.m. Homecoming game versus UCF (4-3, 1-3), Redding said the last four games will show "what our real character is."

"The reality is, we're out of the Big 12 race," he said. "That was our goal at the beginning of the season. But now, all we've got is the guys in the locker room. And how we're going to respond the rest of the year, that's what our real character is when adversity hits."

The Knights are coming off a bye week after picking up their first conference win in a 45-13 blowout of West Virginia. Saturday's game will be televised by ESPNU.

Players Mentioned

Jacob Redding

Sawyer Robertson

Sean Thompkins

Michael Trigg

Michael Turner

Bryson Washington

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