Baylor vs. Vanderbilt: Texas Bowl preview and predictions
Baylor (6-6) vs. Vanderbilt (6-6)
Location: Houston | When: Dec. 27 (9 p.m. ET) | TV: ESPN | Line: Vanderbilt -4.5
HOW THESE TEAMS GOT HERE
Baylor: The Bears were 4-2 to start the season but needed a last-weekend win against Texas Tech to get bowl eligible. Baylor went 4-5 in the Big 12, beating Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and the Red Raiders. Not really an upset in the bunch there, but it was enough to get the Bears to a bowl game. Texas Tech missed out on a bowl because of that last game of the season and ended up making a coaching change.
Vanderbilt: While Baylor had to win its last game of the season to get to a bowl, Vanderbilt had to win its last two games to get to a bowl. The Commodores beat Ole Miss 36-29 in the penultimate game of the season and then demolished Tennessee 38-13 to get to 6-6. It was a heck of a recovery after a 1-5 stretch in the middle of the season. Four of those losses, however, came against opponents who were ranked in the top 15 at the time.
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH
One of these teams has to get to .500. How crazy will it get? This is not the most enticing of bowl matchups, but it’s a Thursday night football game. Watch it.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Charlie Brewer, QB, Baylor: Brewer has 23 combined touchdowns in 2018. The sophomore’s stats aren’t as good as they were when he played in seven games as a freshman in 2017, but Brewer has become a serviceable Big 12 quarterback. Brewer is 219-of-356 passing for 2,635 yards and 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions and has contributed three rushing touchdowns.
Ke’Shawn Vaughn, RB, Vanderbilt: Vaughn broke the 1,000-yard mark against Tennessee by a single yard. He’s done it on just 144 carries, meaning he’s averaged seven yards a carry in 2018. He also has 13 catches for 170 yards and two touchdowns. He’s the only Vanderbilt player who has more than 100 carries and is the only player who has over 1,000 yards from scrimmage.
WHAT’S ON THE LINE
Baylor: The Bears are going for a third-straight bowl win and a third win in four seasons after missing out on a bowl game in 2017 after a 1-11 season.
Vanderbilt: The Commodores haven’t won a bowl game since 2013. But Thursday’s game is also just the second bowl appearance since then.
PREDICTIONS
Nick Bromberg: Vanderbilt 31, Baylor 20
Sam Cooper: Baylor 31, Vanderbilt 27
Pat Forde: Vanderbilt 34, Baylor 27
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
Follow @NickBromberg on Twitter
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
