Debut Of Matt Rhule Spoiled As Liberty Shocks Baylor

This​ ​definitely​ ​wasn’t​ ​how​ ​Matt​ ​Rhule​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​begin​ ​his​ ​career​ ​at​ ​Baylor. Liberty​ ​quarterback ​Stephen​ ​Calvert​ torched the Baylor defense for 447 yards en route to a shocking 48-45 win for the Flames.​

The​ ​Bears​ ​found​ ​themselves​ ​down​ ​3-0​ ​with​ ​11:27​ ​left​ ​in​ ​the​ ​first​ ​quarter​ ​and​ ​​ ​weren’t​ ​able​ ​to answer​ ​on​ ​their​ ​following​ ​possession.​ ​Liberty​ ​drove​ ​down​ ​the​ ​field​ ​once​ ​more​ ​and​ ​with​ ​another Alex​ ​Probert​ ​field​ ​goal​ ​extended​ ​their​ ​lead​ ​to​ ​6-0.​ ​Baylor​ ​was​ ​finally​ ​able​ ​to​ ​get​ ​on​ ​the scoreboard​ ​in​ ​the​ ​2nd​ ​quarter,​ ​when​ ​Anu​ ​Solomon​ ​connected​ ​with​ ​Denzel​ ​Mims​ ​on​ ​a​ ​45​ ​yard pass.​

​The​ ​Baylor​ ​lead​ ​didn’t​ ​last​ ​long​ ​though,​ ​Calvert​ ​hit​ ​receiver Antonio ​Gandy-Golden for​ ​a​ ​40​ ​yard​ ​touchdown​ ​pass​ ​to​ ​take​ ​the​ ​lead​ ​after​ ​making​ ​a​ ​two-point​ ​conversion.​ ​The​ ​teams entered​ ​the​ ​half​ ​tied​ ​at​ ​17.

Baylor​ ​got​ ​the​ ​ball​ ​first​ ​to​ ​begin​ ​the​ ​second​ ​half,​ ​but​ ​Solomon​ ​threw​ ​a​ ​pick​ ​6​ ​and​ ​Liberty​ ​took​ ​the lead​ ​24-17.​ ​Baylor​ ​was​ ​able​ ​to​ ​answer​ ​22​ ​seconds​ ​later,​ ​when​ ​Solomon​ ​hit​ ​Chris​ ​Platt​ ​on​ ​a​ ​20 yard​ ​touchdown​ ​pass.​ ​After​ ​a​ ​quick​ ​start​ ​the​ ​pace​ ​of​ ​the​ ​3rd​ ​quarter​ ​slowed​ ​dramatically​ ​and​ ​at the​ ​5:48​ ​mark​ ​Liberty​ ​reclaimed​ ​the​ ​lead​ ​on​ ​a​ ​31​ ​yard​ ​field​ ​goal,​ ​bringing​ ​the​ ​score​ ​to​ ​27-24.

Baylor​ ​only​ ​needed​ ​11​ ​seconds​ ​to​ ​take​ ​the​ ​lead​ ​back,​ ​Solomon​ ​threw​ ​a​ ​75​ ​yard​ ​bomb​ ​to​ ​Chris Platt​ ​and​ ​the​ ​Bears​ ​were​ ​up​ ​31-27.​ ​Stephen​ ​Calvert​ ​was​ ​able​ ​to​ ​take​ ​advantage​ ​of​ ​the inexperienced​ ​Baylor​ ​secondary​ ​again​ ​with​ ​a​ ​13​ ​yard​ ​touchdown​ ​pass​ ​to​ ​Antonio Gandy-Golden,​ ​giving​ ​Liberty​ ​the​ ​lead​ ​once​ ​more​ ​34-31.

Liberty​ ​lined​ ​up​ ​and​ ​ran​ ​the​ ​ball​ ​straight​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Baylor​ ​defense​ ​to​ ​start​ ​the​ ​4th​ ​quarter.​ ​The Flames​ ​were​ ​able​ ​to​ ​turn​ ​a​ ​busted​ ​play​ ​into​ ​a​ ​score,​ ​as​ ​Calvert​ ​ran​ ​the​ ​ball​ ​in​ ​for​ ​a​ ​8​ ​yard touchdown,​ ​increasing​ ​the​ ​lead​ ​to​ ​41-31.​ ​Solomon​ ​wasn’t​ ​looking​ ​to​ ​be​ ​outdone,​ ​so​ ​he drove​ ​Baylor​ ​into​ ​the​ ​red​ ​zone​ ​and finished it with an 11 yard run by John Lovett to bring it back within three at 41-38. ​

​The​ ​Flames​ ​torched​ ​the​ ​Baylor​ ​defense​ ​again​ ​on​ ​a​ ​26​ ​yard​ ​touchdown​ ​pass​ ​from Calvert​ ​to​ ​Spencer​ ​Jones,​ ​bringing​ ​the​ ​score​ ​to​ ​48-38​ ​Liberty.​ ​Baylor​ ​kept​ ​clawing​ ​away​ ​and was​ ​able​ ​to​ ​score​ ​on​ ​a​ ​34​ ​yard​ ​touchdown​ ​run​ ​by​ ​John​ ​Lovett,​ ​making​ ​the​ ​score​ ​48-45​ ​Liberty. With​ ​one​ ​last​ ​hope​ ​Baylor​ ​went​ ​for​ ​a​ ​Hail​ ​Mary,​ ​but​ ​Liberty​ ​intercepted​ ​the​ ​ball​ to end the game.

When​ ​asked​ ​how​ ​he​ ​felt​ ​after​ ​visiting​ ​with​ ​his​ ​team​ ​Coach​ ​Rhule​ ​responded​ ​by​ ​saying​ ​“I know​ ​their​ ​disappointed​ ​and​ ​their​ ​hurt,​ ​but​ ​at​ ​the​ ​same​ ​time​ , they’re not​ ​blaming​ ​each​ ​other.​ ​They were​ ​coming​ ​together,​ ​which​ ​in​ ​hard​ ​times​ ​is​ ​what​ ​you​ ​do​ ​and​ ​I​ ​told​ ​them​ ​I​ ​put​ ​this​ ​game​ ​on​ ​me as​ ​the​ ​head​ ​coach.​ ​We’ll​ ​fight,​ ​work,​ ​scratch,​ ​and​ ​claw​ ​to​ ​get​ ​it​ ​corrected​ ​and​ ​I​ ​expect​ ​them​ ​to do​ ​the​ ​same​ ​and​ ​I​ ​know​ ​they​ ​will.”