Bears hope Arlington site will help them right ship against Tech

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This will be the sixth straight year Baylor has faced Texas Tech at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, but the trip to Jerry World never gets old.

The Bears are looking forward to renewing their rivalry against the Red Raiders at 5 p.m. Friday in the Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Shootout.

“Being a Cowboys fan, playing at AT&T Stadium is always a big deal,” said Baylor senior nickelback Patrick Levels. “It’s always fun to be out there and being on the field where the Cowboys play. Just thinking Ezekiel Elliott and Dez Bryant have been there. Just having the opportunity to be in that stadium is always a great time.”

Baylor freshman quarterback Zach Smith will play his first game at the Cowboys stadium, but he’s familiar with it since he’s seen NFL, college and high school games there. He’ll try to lead the Bears to their sixth straight win against the Red Raiders.

“I went and watched them (Baylor and Texas Tech) play there last year, and it was a pretty fun deal,” Smith said. “I went to the first (Cowboys) game this year. I would usually go watch some of the state championship games when they have them there.”

Making his second start for the Bears after replacing injured Seth Russell, Smith is seeking a more consistent performance than he delivered in his starting debut. Smith hit 27 of 45 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns but was also intercepted three times in the Bears’ 42-21 loss to Kansas State last weekend at McLane Stadium.

But the Baylor running game didn’t give Smith much support with just 110 yards rushing. The Bears (6-4, 3-4) dropped their fourth straight game after winning their first six.

“I think for a freshman quarterback, all the other 10 guys needed to elevate,” said Baylor coach Jim Grobe. “They needed to play better and I don’t think we did. I don’t think we had a very consistent performance out of all those guys. The rookie is the guy that needs to take the least amount of criticism.”

Smith will match up against the most prolific quarterback in the country. Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes leads the nation with 4,466 yards passing while throwing 35 touchdowns. In the last two games against the Bears, Mahomes has thrown for more than 1,000 yards in Texas Tech losses.

But he was off his game in last week’s 66-10 loss to Iowa State in Ames as he hit 18 of 36 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown while throwing two interceptions. With their sixth loss in the last seven games, the Red Raiders fell out of bowl contention with a 4-7 record.

“Going against Patrick Mahomes is always a challenge because he knows how to make plays,” Levels said. “He knows how to go outside the pocket and extend plays to give his receivers more time down the field. He can also throw the ball anywhere on the field. His arm is very strong.”

Baylor’s defense will need to play much better than it has in the last month. During the last three games, the Bears have allowed an average of 51 points.

“We’ve got to stay determined and continue to practice hard and just improve on the places that we’ve been slacking on lately,” said Baylor linebacker Aiavion Edwards. “A lot of small things need to be corrected. Tackling, missed assignments, things like that. There’s a lot of different things that contribute to not playing well and losing.”

With Terence Williams back from a tendon injury and JaMycal Hasty returning from a knee injury, Baylor’s running game should be stronger against the Red Raiders.

After missing the Oklahoma game with a suspension, Shock Linwood picked up 110 yards on 24 carries against Kansas State, but the Bears had trouble establishing any consistency.

Texas Tech’s defense has struggled all season, ranking last in the country by allowing 547.1 yards per game and second to last nationally by allowing 44.3 points per game.

“One of the things that we really need to do offensively is just execute,” said Baylor center Kyle Fuller. “Regardless of whether it’s a run or a pass, making sure that we’re all on the same page, because that’s how this offense works. You can’t have some guys doing one thing and other guys doing something else.”

Despite their losing streak, the Bears say they haven’t given up on the season.

“We most definitely plan to get it back on track,” Levels said. “We want to go out there and play for each other and as hard as we can. We’re going to figure out a way to get the win.”

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Baylor vs. Texas Tech

Kickoff: 5 p.m., AT&T Stadium in Arlington

TV: ESPN (find channel: wacotrib.com/tv)

Radio: 1660-AM

Records: Baylor 6-4 (3-4); TT 4-7 (2-6)

Series: Baylor leads, 37-36-1

Last meeting: Baylor, 63-35 (2015, in Arlington)

Line: BU by 5 1/2

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