The Baylor Bears only spent one season away from a bowl game, but head coach Matt Rhule says they are happy to be back.
"One unique thing about this bowl game is that both these teams weren't in the bowl games last year. So, we both really want to be here. Usually, with bowl games, it comes down to who wants to be here. We both want to be here, but now we have to focus on the game," Head Baylor Football coach Matt Rhule said.
Focus will be key for Baylor. Vanderbilt is on a two-game winning streak going into the Texas Bowl, but Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer says his Bears have done plenty of growing up over the last month.
"I mean, it's crazy from how I first got here until now, just how more mature the team is. I think once you start to win more that has a lot to do with it. I think that you know we're pretty locked in right now," Rhule said.
Coach Rhule says the responsibility for that growth has to be at the feet of this senior class. Senior offensive lineman Blake Blackmar says he and his teammates understood just how important their role would be for this program.
"We knew how Baylor was before everything happened. We knew those core ideas that those teams had and the organization and the university and we know those lined up with exactly what coach Rhule wants. Together we were able to push this team back in the right direction and it's meant a lot," Blackmar said.
Now, Baylor football has just one more game for this team to play together and they want to go out on top.
Baylor is scheduled to kick off against Vanderbilt Dec. 27 at 8 p.m. in Houston.
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