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Baylor Football: 3 biggest surprises from Bears’ 2019 season

By Connor Muldowney

Terrel Bernard, Baylor football (Photo by Adrian Garcia/Getty Images)
Terrel Bernard, Baylor football (Photo by Adrian Garcia/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JANUARY 01: Charlie Brewer #12 of the Baylor Bears reacts with teammater after his team scored a touchdown against the Georgia Bulldogs during the Allstate Sugar Bowl at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 01, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JANUARY 01: Charlie Brewer #12 of the Baylor Bears reacts with teammater after his team scored a touchdown against the Georgia Bulldogs during the Allstate Sugar Bowl at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 01, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

2. Sugar Bowl berth

Baylor was in shambles following the Art Briles scandal and subsequent firing which led to the Bears hiring Matt Rhule in order to get things back on track.

Rhule was known as a program rebuilder, turning Temple around in a few short years, going 2-10 in his first season and then winning 10 games in back-to-back years right before getting hired in at Baylor. The hire was a win for the program, but the Bears didn’t see it paying off right away as he went just 1-11 in year one.

Not only did he win just one game in his first season, but he had NFL teams calling him for a potential jump and it probably would have been easier to bolt, but he stuck around to finish the job he started. He won seven games in year two and then his team burst out with an 11-1 regular season in 2019 with a lone loss to Oklahoma.

The Bears met the Sooners again in the Big 12 Championship Game, but fell again. They still earned a trip to the Sugar Bowl which is shocking considering they were just two years removed from a 1-11 season and fresh off a 7-6 campaign.

Who could have seen this team make the monster leap from 7-6 and barely in a bowl game to Sugar Bowl-bound?

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