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They won't be writing songs or making videos out of that first half, I can assure you. After scoring on our first two drives of the game, Baylor managed absolutely bupkis the rest of the way, turning the ball over by muffing a punt, throwing an interception, and fumbling on a QB draw that TCU picked up and ran back for the tying TD. The word "ugly" is simultaneously completely appropriate and not nearly enough.
The good news is that neither team seems immune to the effects of weather than can be best described as "monsoon-like." Footing has been a serious issue, though that's been more on the Baylor side, as have dropped passes and an inability to hold on to the ball. There was one second down play, in particular, where Chris Johnson might still be running if he hadn't lost his footing in the backfield.
In addition, you have to be pretty pleased at this point with how the defense has played against Trevone Boykin and TCU. After coming out of the gate throwing dimes on TCU's first drive, Boykin has showed that he's clearly not 100%, particularly running the ball, and if that aspect of his game isn't there, he's not the same guy. At the same time, Johnson has struggled throwing the ball so far and is just 6 of 13, and Baylor has shown a frustrating desire to go away from the run despite the fact that the run carried us through the first two drives.
All-in-all, there's not a ton to be excited about from a game that looks like an absolute disaster aesthetically and that Baylor should probably be leading by at least a touchdown. Plus, TCU gets the ball after the half with it currently tied, and it's probably only a matter of time until Boykin hits one of those long jump balls again. But we'll see.
For Baylor to win, three things really need to happen: 1) we have to eliminate the turnovers as much as possible, 2) we have to get back to running the ball, and 3) we have to keep pressure on Boykin. So far we have 2, possibly 3 sacks and several tackles for loss, and we have to keep that up. I bet you also see a lot of players change out the spikes on their cleats at the half to try to get better footing in what is quickly become a quagmire in the middle of the field.
| Matchup |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Downs | 13 | 8 |
| 3rd down efficiency | 1-8 | 1-7 |
| 4th down efficiency | 2-2 | 0-1 |
| Total Yards | 188 | 148 |
| Passing | 58 | 97 |
| Comp-Att | 6-13 | 7-15 |
| Yards per pass | 4.5 | 7.5 |
| Interceptions thrown | 1 | 1 |
| Rushing | 130 | 51 |
| Rushing Attempts | 29 | 20 |
| Yards per rush | 4.5 | 2.5 |
| Penalties | 3-25 | 4-45 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 2 |
| Fumbles lost | 2 | 1 |
| Interceptions thrown | 1 | 1 |
| Possession | 14:07 | 15:52 |