Big 12 Football: 5 Biggest Surprises From Week One

Sep 4, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Southern Methodist Mustangs wide receiver Darius Joseph (18) catches a pass against Baylor Bears safety Terrell Burt (13) in the game at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Baylor won 56-21. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

2. Baylor’s Defense Still Needs Work

At first glance, Baylor’s 56-21 victory over SMU looks like just another blowout win for the Bears. The 21 points allowed and 369 total yards given up appears to be a solid day at the officer for the Baylor defense. In this case, looks are definitely deceiving.

Baylor was only leading 24-21 at halftime. SMU was going toe-to-toe with the high-powered Baylor offense in the first half. A cramp to SMU quarterback Matt Davis limited him in the second half and allowed the Bears to grab momentum and pull away.

Davis completed 70 percent of his passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 115 yards. The Baylor defense had no answer for him until the elements took their toll on him in the second half.

Baylor was missing starters Shawn Oakman and Orion Stewart from the game due to a suspension. That does not excuse their performance against a team that went 1-11 in 2014 and only scored 12 total points in the month of September.

Davis threw a 46-yard touchdown pass on the Mustangs’ first offensive play of the game. There were SMU receivers running free in the Baylor secondary all game.

If Baylor wants to win the Big 12 in 2015 then they are going to have to fix their issues in the secondary. They will not win the conference if their defense performs the way they did against SMU.

Next: Texas did not get off to a Strong start