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Baylor Football: 5 takeaways from Bears’ 2017 season

By Andrew Miller

WACO, TX - OCTOBER 28: Head coach Matt Rhule of the Baylor Bears looks on as the Baylor Bears play the Texas Longhorns in the first half at McLane Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Waco, Texas. Texas won 38-7. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
WACO, TX - OCTOBER 28: Head coach Matt Rhule of the Baylor Bears looks on as the Baylor Bears play the Texas Longhorns in the first half at McLane Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Waco, Texas. Texas won 38-7. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) /
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It was a rebuilding season in Waco, Texas, for Baylor football in 2017. But, there is a lot to look forward to for the Bears in 2018.

Baylor football put together a good run to finish off the 2017 campaign. First-year head coach Matt Rhule did have a rough go for the Bears in trying to rack up any sort of impressive win total, but he did make some significant progress on both sides of the ball.

After a few seasons of contending in the Big 12 under former head coach Art Briles, the Bears won only one game in 2017. Rhule guided Baylor to its only victory of the year, which came against the Kansas Jayhawks. At least Baylor did not finish in the basement of the Big 12 standings.

With a coach like Rhule at the helm, Baylor does have a chance to make some significant progress in 2018. Rhule was brought over from the Temple Owls, a program in which he elevated to quite a few double-digit win campaigns in the AAC. And, he’ll try to do the same with Baylor.

This team did nearly come up with upsets against the Oklahoma Sooners, West Virginia Mountaineers, and Iowa State Cyclones. On the other hand, losses to the Liberty Flames (FCS) and UTSA Roadrunners capped a very disappointing non-conference slate.

Baylor’s defense did look improved, even over some of the defenses that Briles put on the field. Rhule brings a toughness to the table that his teams are able to mirror. There’s still some issues that do need to get ironed out before Baylor returns to the pedigree of a bowl team once again.

Here’s the five takeaways from the 2017 regular season for the Baylor Bears.

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