Want to know what killed Baylor’s defense a year ago? Just watch the Texas Bowl.

On the third play of the game, Baylor allowed a 65-yard breakaway touchdown pass. On the Commodores’ third possession, running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn confounded the defense and ran it 68 yards for a touchdown. Three Vandy plays later, Vaughn took another ball 69 yards for a touchdown. Two other touchdowns were set up by a 66-yard run and a 52-yard completion.

“Ten percent of the plays gave up 50 percent of the total yards we gave up,” defensive coordinator Phil Snow said. “If you keep saying those five to six plays get you beat and don’t do anything about it, you never get better.”

The Texas Bowl numbers were right in line with the rest of the season. Those five plays — eight percent — accounted for 320 yards and 56 percent of Vanderbilt’s offense.

The flipside? Baylor’s defense gave up just 4.3 yards per play on all of the 59 other plays that Vanderbilt ran. The big play is killing the Bears. If they can wrangle in

that 10 percent of plays, a salty defensive foundation is waiting under the surface.

The projected 2019 depth chart is filled with upperclassmen. Twenty-one different players on defense have participated in at least 10 games, and 15 have started multiple games. Linebackers Clay Johnston and Jordan Williams, cornerback Grayland Arnold and defensive tackle Bravvion Roy are multiple-year starters. Keep an eye out for John Lovett on defense, too. Snow thinks the former running back could have a long-term future at the position.

“We’re older now: We have a lot of sophomores and juniors and some seniors,” Snow said. “We’re much further along in that regard. They know what to expect now. They’ve bought in to what we’re doing.”

The final step of development likely comes in the trenches. James Lynch will slide inside to defensive tackle full time next to Roy. James Lockhart has to take the next step on the edge, as the Bears lost three of their top four pass rushers. JUCO defensive end Niadre Zouzoua will also get a crack at the rotation.

Everything is lining up for Baylor to rise quickly up the defensive charts. The system is in place. The roster is too. Now, the players have to perform.