A satisfied smile crept over Barrett Gouger as he recounted how Baylor's offensive line took command when it mattered most.
With the top-ranked Red Raiders clinging to a three-point halftime lead, it was the offensive line -- led by four senior starters, including the 6-foot-5, 285-pound Gouger -- who paved the way for a second-half surge.
After a first half in which it had just one more rushing attempt than passes thrown, Baylor went back to basics and pulled away for a 38-14 Division II-AA victory over fourth-ranked Battle Ground Academy.
"We've got a lot of experience on the line and we take it personally when we don't run the ball," Gouger said. "We feel like it's our responsibility to make the offense go, so I think we definitely liked the idea of just running it right down their throats.
"That's what we were going to do until they stopped us, but they never really did in the second half."
With the win, Baylor (9-1) earned a first-round playoff bye and will host through the semifinals.
The Red Raiders ran the ball 28 times and gained 158 of their 202 rushing yards in the second half, opting to attempt just six passes in the last two quarters. Senior quarterback Matthew Oellerich ran for 90 yards and two touchdowns to go along with his 204 passing yards and two TDs.
"We were a lot more consistent after halftime," Oellerich said. "The defense did a great job of getting us the ball with great field position, and we cashed in.
"Getting home-field advantage in this league is huge. We've only lost twice at home the last three years, so it should be a big confidence boost having our playoff games here."
Baylor began three of its first four second-half possessions in BGA territory after two 28-yard punts and a 30-yard interception return by Taylor Landry. The Red Raiders used the short field to score quickly and begin pulling away.
Oellerich scored on runs of 25 and 8 yards on the first two possessions and connected with Reggie Upshaw on a short TD pass.
Connor Davidson rushed for 96 of his 104 yards in the second half and added a TD in the closing minutes for Baylor.
"We just decided to put the ball in Matthew's hands and let him and Connor run behind our line, because that's our strength," Baylor coach Phil Massey said. "They were giving us a lot of different looks defensively, so the best way to attack them was to just lean on that offensive line."