The Baylor Red Raiders turned in a dominant defensive performance Friday night in a 35-0 nonregion victory over the potent Tyner Rams.
Baylor coupled that stout defense with a strong running game that totaled 144 yards despite missing star running back Elijah Howard for most of the game.
Both teams forced punts on their foes’ respective first possessions, but on Baylor’s second time with the ball, a pass-interference penalty set up a 15-yard touchdown run by Howard. The standout junior ended up rushing 11 times for 58 yards before being pulled in the second quarter with a minor ankle injury.
“Elijah is fine,” Baylor coach Phil Massey said. “He’s just been nursing a sore ankle. We’ve been wanting to rest him since he’s been such a big part of the offense and we need him down the stretch.”
In Howard’s absence, the visiting Red Raiders (6-1) continued to roll. In the second quarter they capitalized on a bad snap on a punt that gave them first-and goal on the 1-yard line. Running back Riley Jenne punched it in one play later to give them a 14-0 lead. Later in the quarter, Red Raiders quarterback Neyland Jean found Gabriel Stulce for a 37-yard strike to put them up 21.
Early in the second half, Tyner (4-3) was poised to get on the board when it drove to the 3-yard line, but Baylor’s defense roared again, forcing the Rams’ second lost fumble of the game.
On the ensuing possession, Baylor turned to running back Jeremiah Skipworth. The sophomore gashed the Rams’ defense for 36 yards and capped a 72-yard drive with a 5-yard score.
“It was a team effort,” Skipworth said. “We had to step up in the second half and do what we needed to do to get the win.”
Baylor scored its final touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard pass from Jean to Carson Yates.
Tyner’s Martavius Ryals completed five passes for 39 yards. Four of those completions were to standout wide receiver Jeremiah Batiste.
Contact Dan Kopf at sports@timesfreepress.com.