After starting the season 0-3, the Baker football team has a chance to get its record back to .500 with a win at Lindenwood University at 1 p.m. Saturday at Liston Stadium.
Baker is coming off back-to-back lopsided victories against Avila University and Culver-Stockton College.
“I think getting those wins were extra large for confidence,” senior Matt Brock said. “We just got to have those if we have a chance at the playoffs.”
The Wildcats scored a combined 40 points in their first three games, but have scored a total of 104 points in their last two games.
The team knows the offense will have to play well to defeat Lindenwood.
The Lions are averaging 51 points per game and enter Saturday’s game 4-1.
“We have to score points,” sophomore Jake Green said. “That is the first thing. We have to keep it close and can’t let them get out to a big lead. We need to try to jump out early and keep it going throughout the game.”
BU racked up a season high 461 yards of total offense in its 63-10 victory against Culver-Stockton Saturday.
Head coach Mike Grossner was pleased with how the team played, with the exception of the performance of the team’s kickers. Baker missed three field goals and three extra point attempts.”You can’t miss extra points and you can’t miss field goals,” Grossner said.
While the place kicking was sub-par against Culver-Stockton, punter Garrett Chumley earned the honor of HAAC Special Team Player of the Week by averaging 46 yards on four punts, with his longest being a 70-yard kick in Saturday’s matchup.
The 53-point win over Culver-Stockton did have a few low points as well, beside the place kicking.
Baker will most likely have its starting left tackle, Phil Collins, out for the next few weeks with a leg injury suffered Saturday. BU also has a number of other players who are playing through, or coming back from, injuries suffered earlier in the season.
“As far as the defensive line goes, we’ve had guys banged up,” Brock said. “James Guyton is banged up, (Charleston) DeLa Cruz is banged up, but both those guys are back and they played. Having those guys back is great, but also, when you have injuries like that, you can get a lot of guys in and when it comes to the defensive line, we really have more depth now.”
Even with the injuries, Grossner is excited about playing Lindenwood Saturday. Grossner watched the second half of Lindenwood’s loss to MidAmerica Nazarene University on Sept. 25 and thinks BU can compete against the defending conference champions.
Baker lost to MNU 24-16, but had multiple miscues that made a big difference in the game.
“I’m a little concerned with our injuries, and what we are going to do, but we are going to go out and execute,” Grossner said.