After a game that featured 41 points and 11 turnovers between Baker and Avila University, the Wildcats will have a week off before having a chance to bring their record to 2-2.
The Wildcats came away from the road game with a 41-0 win, but had four turnovers, all fumbles, with three of the fumbles coming inside the 10-yard line. However, the Baker defense forced seven turnovers, five fumbles and two interceptions, in the shutout.
“Overall for the Avila game we had two good confidence boosters for both sides of the ball,” senior Brad Fawcett said.
The Wildcat offense came alive as quarterback Mack Brown threw three touchdown passes, connecting with freshman Reggie Harris, senior Alfonso Nino and sophomore Evan Branscum. Running back Richie Bryant had his best performance of the season, too, rushing for 242 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries.
“We are trying to really figure out what type of offense we are,” Grossner said. “I think we are a ball control, efficient-type group with not a lot of explosive-type plays. Once we execute in the red zone better I think our confidence level will really rise.”
Kicker Derek Doerfler also hit a couple of field goals, including a 57-yard field goal in the third quarter.
“We’ve got a chance to be a decent football team,” Grossner said. “We’ve just got to correct our errors, and they are correctable.”
Baker will use the bye week this week to try and get healthy after playing two physical games against ranked teams to start the season.
“We just need to work on the little things, holding on to the ball, making your blocks,” Fawcett said. “Not the fundamentals so much but just the little things.”
Fawcett and Cody Conover both sat out of the Avila game with broken ribs. Brown, who injured his ankle against MidAmerica Nazarene University, played against Avila but is also looking to recover to 100 percent.
“The first two games were very physical and mentally and physically demanding, so the bye week is coming at the perfect time to where we can get healthy and work on a couple of things that we need to work on to finish off strong,” Brown said.
After the week off, the Wildcats will be back at home to celebrate homecoming against Culver-Stockton College. This is the first home game since the home opener against MidAmerica, where Baker did a “blackout” of Liston Stadium, but lost 45-13.
“We had an amazing crowd for the MidAmerica game,” Brown said. “Hopefully they come back and we can put on a lot better show than we put on against MidAmerica.”
Culver-Stockton has started the season 0-3, losing to Central Methodist University, Missouri Valley College and MidAmerica Nazarene. Culver-Stockton plays Avila Saturday.<br/>&#160;