Baylor takes early shot, surfs Webb

Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog

After delivering an overwhelming knockout in their season opener, the Baylor Red Raiders got punched early Friday night against Knoxville Webb.

An early fumble allowed visiting Webb to convert a short field into a quick touchdown, and before the home fans got settled and the Diet Cokes got cold, the Red Raiders were in a quick hole.

But a big play from the special teams and a relentless defensive effort kept order and kept Baylor unbeaten after a rallying 34-7 win over the visiting Spartans.

"After the turnover we did a lot of good things," Baylor coach Phil Massey said after his team moved to 2-0. "The defense played really well against [a wing-T], which we don't see a lot. It takes a lot of discipline to follow your keys against that."

The keys were followed, mainly by piercing linebacker Ryan Parker, who had four tackles for loss, including a sack. The Baylor senior got to play downhill against a power-running game anchored by fullback Brant Mitchell, who has committed to Georgia Tech.

"It's awesome. I love playing against [a wing-T], because the keys are easier to read and you just react," Parker said after recording a double-digit total of tackles and catching two passes, including his first varsity touchdown. "It really allows all of us linebackers to make plays and hit people.

"We love it."

The defense never wavered, but the offense was given a kick from a strong right foot. After the early turnover and Webb score, Baylor went three-and-out.

Shell-shocked and needing a jolt, the Red Raiders got it from the right foot of Colin Brewer, who flipped the field with a 60-yard punt.

"He's done an amazing job for us," Massey said. "He's waited his turn behind a couple of great kickers, and now he is making the most of his chance."

After Parker led a quick three-and-out, Baylor quarterback Nick Tiano and the offense started at the Webb 40: A gain of 38 yards in field position in three plays put the Baylor offense in business.

And once the Red Raiders opened the door, they closed out Webb.

A quick Kalvin Watson scoring run tied the game and Baylor added touchdowns on its next three possesions -- a Sean Wampler run followed by scoring passes from Tiano to Parker and then Watson -- to take a 27-7 lead into the break.

"We're not good enough to play poorly for that length of time," Webb coach David Meske told his team afterward. "I thought we lost the game in the second quarter but thought we played very hard throughout the second half."

Forced from the comfort zone of its power running game, Webb tried a passing attack that was ineffective. Baylor notched three interceptions, including two by ball-waking free safety Ulysess Strawter, who also deflected two passes.

With Parker, Strawter and the rest of the defense flying around and checking its keys, a 20-point lead was more than enough before Tiano, the Mississippi State commitment who ranked second among Chattanooga-area seniors as a college prospect, added the final score.

Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com.

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