By Jackson Posey | Sports Editor
The nation’s oldest homecoming football game is back.
A bonfire, concerts, class reunions and a parade down 11th street marked the first celebration in 1909. Organizers hoped alumni would “catch the Baylor spirit again.”
The football team caught the spirit, winning 6-3 over TCU in the teams’s third matchup that season. Five thousand fans graced Carroll Field for that game, with seniors donning caps and gowns for the occasion.
Now, 116 years later, the Bears (4-4, 2-3 Big 12) will look to get back in the win column against UCF (4-3, 1-3 Big 12).
“At the end of the day, it’s just another game,” junior tight end Matthew Klopfenstein said. “We need this win. We’re going to go out and we’re going to win. And so we’re excited to give the fans a show and play our best game, and we’re going in with a lot of confidence, and so we got nothing to lose.”
The Bears are searching for answers after falling behind by over 20 points in consecutive weeks. A late comeback scrunched a 21-point deficit against rival TCU to a six-point loss, but the Bears never bounced back against No. 21 Cincinnati. The Bearcats opened with a 24-0 run and breezed to a 41-20 win.
“Yeah, we got hit in the mouth,” redshirt senior quarterback Sawyer Robertson said. “You pick yourself off the mat and you go back to work, and you try to make the most of these last four opportunities.”
With three conference losses, the Bears are all but out of the Big 12 championship hunt. Robertson, who leads the Big 12 in virtually every volume passing stat — including yards, touchdowns and interceptions — said the team still has plenty of motivation.
“You play for the dudes in the locker room, you play for the school that you represent, all of that stuff,” he said. “And then obviously faith carries you through the whole thing. But yeah, there’s still a ton to play for.”
The Knights enter on the heels of a bye week, still riding the momentum of a 45-13 drubbing of West Virginia — their first win since Sept. 20. UCF lost its first three Big 12 games by a combined 30 points and has turned the ball over seven times in conference play.
The Knights’ scoring defense, though, has been stellar. The unit ranks No. 16 in the nation and allowed only 20 points at Cincinnati on Oct. 11. (Baylor allowed the Bearcats to score 41 points in the same stadium.)
“They’ve got really good skill on offense, really good front people on defense,” head coach Dave Aranda said. “It’s a good team.”
Still, the Knights have struggled with offensive inconsistency as health and performance issues linger. Running backs Myles Montgomery and Jaden Nixon have led a unit that’s surpassed 20 points per game just twice against FBS opponents.
“They’re explosive on offense,” Aranda said. “Very, very multiple. I think they’ve got really good skill. Special teams is very explosive too; their returners are really dangerous.”
The Bears are 1-2 against FBS teams at home this season, falling to Auburn (38-24) and Arizona State (27-24) and beating Kansas State (35-34). UCF is 0-2 on the road.
“It’s super important, especially with it being the last game before a bye week,” redshirt sophomore cornerback LeVar Thornton said. “Just to get back on our feet and then regroup in the bye week and come together.”
Baylor will kick off its homecoming game against UCF at 11 a.m. Saturday at McLane Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.
