Russell Athletic Bowl: Baylor runs for 645 yards in win vs UNC

The Baylor Bears revamped their offense due to injuries and came away victorious on the strength of their run game in the Russell Athletic Bowl against the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Art Briles had one of the best coaching performances of the season after transforming the Baylor offense from a prolific passing attack to a ball control rushing attack.

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The change was made after injuries to Seth Russell and Jarrett Stidham left the Bears without a capable arm to run the offense. And without Biletnikoff Award winner Corey Coleman and All-Big 12 running back Shock Linwood, Briles and Baylor had to adapt.

They adapted in a significant way by setting an all-time FBS bowl record with 645 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 84 attempts. The previous record was the 524 yards by Nebraska in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl.

At one point Baylor had more rushing attempts (37) than they did passing yards (36) and as many rushing touchdowns (4) as completions — and from four different passers too. Baylor had eight games this year with at least 50 attempts, but it’s the passing game that gets the attention, but it’s the ability to run the ball that gives balance and makes it so dangerous when everyone is healthy.

Johnny Jefferson filled in extremely well for Linwood with a career-high 289 yards and three touchdowns on only 20 carries as he averaged 14.4 yards per carry. He scored on runs of 11, 27 and 80 yards with the 80-yard run coming one play after UNC fumbled in the end zone.

North Carolina allowed 14 points in 63 seconds and that was the turning point in a game that was lost for the Heels with the score at 42-24.

The Tar Heels responded with touchdown pass from Marquise Williams to Bug Howard six plays later to make it a 31-42 game, but after a Terence Williams touchdown run to start the fourth quarter the lead swelled to 49-31 and the outcome was decided.

After that it was only a matter of how many rushing yards Baylor would finish with on a day and if Jefferson could pass the 1,000 yard mark in the final minutes of the game. He did with a two-yard run on fourth-and-1 to hit 1,000 on the season and 299 for the game.

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Baylor should be back to compete for the Big 12 title and a spot in the College Football Playoff with a healthy Russell and/or Stidham at quarterback, but this game showed the genius of Briles and how he can score points through the air and on the ground.

Baylor ends the year 10-3 while North Carolina finished 11-3.