4 Takeaways From Baylor's Dominant 41-9 Win at UCF

After struggling offensively against TCU and Kansas, the Bears finally gave their defense some support. DJ Lagway threw four touchdowns, Baylor piled up 503 yards of offense and several previously quiet receivers stepped up against a UCF team coming off an upset of No. 2 BYU.

The defense was equally impressive, keeping the Knights out of the end zone as Baylor improved to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in Big 12 play.

Here are four instant takeaways from the win:

Lagway's rushing ability gives Baylor's offense another option

DJ Lagway looked considerably more comfortable against UCF, delivering an impressive passing performance while showing how much his rushing ability can help Baylor's offense.

Lagway completed 16 of 25 passes for 319 yards and four touchdowns, averaging nearly 20 yards per completion without throwing an interception against a UCF defense that entered Friday among the Big 12 leaders in forced turnovers.

His mobility was especially valuable on Baylor's first touchdown drive. Facing third-and-6 at UCF's 14-yard line, Lagway scrambled for 10 yards before finding Tony Livingston for a 4-yard score on the next play.

Lagway finished with 23 net rushing yards on 11 carries, including three sacks for 11 yards lost. Excluding sacks, he gained 34 yards on eight attempts, giving defenses another threat to account for without taking away from his passing.

He later connected with Livingston for a 21-yard touchdown, Gavin Freeman for a 77-yard score and Matthew Klopfenstein for a 5-yard touchdown. After scoring only six points against TCU and 17 against Kansas, Baylor finally showed what its offense is capable of when Lagway is comfortable both passing and running.

Baylor's other pass catchers finally step up

Gavin Freeman finished with five catches for 114 yards, including a 77-yard touchdown, but Baylor didn't need him to carry the passing attack nearly as much as it had in recent games.

Jadon Porter caught two passes for 74 yards, including a 53-yard gain, while Dre'lon Miller added two receptions for 44 yards. Jayden McGowan contributed a 29-yard catch, giving the three a combined 147 receiving yards.

That was a big improvement from the previous week, when Freeman accounted for 123 of Baylor's 236 passing yards against Kansas. Porter and Miller combined for only 17 yards in that game, compared with 118 against UCF.

Livingston also caught two touchdown passes totaling 25 yards, while Klopfenstein added a 5-yard touchdown reception. Taz Williams Jr. and DeBraun Hampton contributed another 28 yards combined.

Altogether, Baylor's seven pass catchers other than Freeman combined for 11 receptions, 205 yards and three touchdowns.

Freeman remains Baylor's most dependable receiver, but Friday showed how much more dangerous the offense can be when Lagway has multiple productive targets. If the Bears can maintain that balance, opposing defenses will have a much harder time focusing their attention on Freeman.

Dawson Pendergrass might be Baylor's RB4

Dawson Pendergrass entered the season expected to lead Baylor's backfield, but his role has continued to shrink. Against UCF, three other running backs received carries before he got his first opportunity.

Ryelan Morris led Baylor with 82 yards on 11 carries, averaging 7.5 yards per attempt. Michael Turner added 41 yards on 12 carries, while Caden Knighten rushed seven times for 31 yards and a touchdown. Pendergrass received only one carry for 7 yards.

Morris also broke off two 26-yard runs in the second half to help set up touchdowns. His performance strengthened his case for more opportunities, while Pendergrass barely saw the field as a ball carrier.

The reduced workload follows a disappointing performance against Kansas, when Pendergrass managed only 4 yards on four carries. Turner received nine attempts in that game, while Knighten had seven and Morris had four.

Baylor has frequently rotated running backs based on who is producing, but Pendergrass' situation appears to go beyond simply riding the hot hand. Despite entering the season as the projected starter, he received only five carries over the past two games, compared with 50 combined for Turner, Morris and Knighten.

Baylor's defense continues to impress despite penalty problems

While Baylor's offensive improvement was the biggest difference from its previous two games, the defense delivered another dominant performance under Klanderman.

The Bears held UCF to nine points without allowing a touchdown, especially impressive considering the Knights scored 39 against previously unbeaten BYU the week before.

Baylor limited UCF to 283 total yards, including just 66 rushing yards on 30 attempts. The Bears recorded seven sacks and 12 tackles for loss while allowing the Knights to convert only two of their 14 third-down attempts.

Devon Jordan also recorded his fourth interception of the season, giving Baylor excellent field position before its first touchdown. The Bears finished with two takeaways.

The performance continued a strong defensive season for Baylor, which held its first six opponents to 20 points or fewer before allowing 25 against Kansas. Even when the offense has struggled, Klanderman's defense has consistently given the Bears opportunities to win.

Penalties, however, remain a concern. Baylor committed 12 for 85 yards against UCF, including an unnecessary roughness penalty following Jordan's interception. That was an improvement from the 116 penalty yards against Kansas, but the Bears were flagged 12 times in both games.

Baylor's offense was productive enough to overcome those mistakes Friday, but the Bears will need to clean up the penalties if they hope to build on Klanderman's impressive debut.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/baylor as 4 Takeaways From Baylor's Dominant 41-9 Win at UCF.