Baylor Bears Come Close, but No Cigar Against UConn Huskies

Growing up, my father often said, "close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades."

On Friday night that saying was true for the Baylor Bears, so close they came to pulling off the win, yet so far from the win itself.

Winning against UConn would have set the Bears up nicely for the conference, but even losing this game has to make the Bears feel good about themselves. The Bears moved the ball well, and turned an interception into an early 7-0 lead.

The Bears also looked good in their first away challenge so far this year, passing and running the ball quite well. In the end, the Bears should feel pretty good about themselves, even with another “L” in the record.

Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin threw for 208 yards and three touchdowns. Not too shabby for a true freshman and a quarterback for the losing team.

Even better news for the Bears was the ability to score. The Bears faced a team that had had been a wall for not allowing opponents to score touchdowns, but Baylor found a way.

The second half saw UConn begin to really click, and begin to control the clock, but early in the fourth quarter the Bears took their final lead. The game itself saw six lead changes, another fact the Bears should both be proud of, but want to improve upon.

Heading into conference the Bears should be proud of their situation, but improvement is in order if the Bears hope to compete in conference games.

In the end being close may not count, or even get the win but it is clearly better than being completely off the map. To the Bears, kudos for at least being close.

Photo: Courtesy of Baylor Bears website.