Beat the Frogs
And they said rivalry was dead. This weekend, Baylor will face their biggest opponent, TCU, at 11 a.m., a rivalry that stretches back to 1899. The Bears are on the long haul to reach their road win streak to six.
During their last meet-up, Baylor won its third game as part of a six-game win streak of the 2024 season during the first blackout game since 2017. Overall, TCU leads in series wins, 59-54-7, but this year Baylor is rolling — and their confidence shows.
Fifth-year senior quarterback Sawyer Robertson was named the DCTF Midseason Offensive MVP. Robertson is the leading passer in the country with 2,058 passing yards and 19 touchdowns through six games in 2025.
Did we mention we will be hosting a watch party?!
Trust Your Gut
New research shows that the stability of gut bacteria in early life plays a critical role in whether children thrive or struggle with undernutrition. In a yearlong study of Malawian children, the team found that children who grew at a steady rate maintained a stable bacterial populations, more than those of the latter.
Jeremiah J “Jake” Minich, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology and lead of this research, said in an article from Baylor, “If the microbial community is unstable, nutrients may not be absorbed properly – even if food is available.”
The research also suggests that gut microbes are often passed from mothers to children, and geography, diet, and environment influence bacterial diversity.
Heart-wired
Brent Craven, Ph.D., professor of mechanical engineering, in his first semester, is involved in a number of research projects with universities and hospitals around the country – many first initiated during his time working for the FDA.
The focus on the projects – developing computational models for simulating the function of cardiovascular devices such as stents, heart valves, and ventricular assist devices.
In many of his side projects, including Boston’s Children’s Hospital, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and more. Craven is working closely with a Baylor engineering graduate student to develop a computational model to predict whether a cardiovascular device might damage blood.
Sport Meets Spirit
Andrew R. Meyer, PhD, Associate Professor of Sport Foundations, research examines sport in contemporary culture. Since 2012, he has taught Religion and Sport, a course that invites students to think philosophically about how sport and religion intersect – examining how Christian characters shape the connection between competition and conviction.
In a Baylor release, Meyer said, “Religion and sport are two really important cultural activities for human beings around the world. There is no society—remote ones—that does not have something we would consider sport.”
In this class, Meyer is able to teach that Christian virtues are human virtues, and sport can show how transparent humanity has in common. For this current semester, the Christian character traits the students selected are initiative, patience, integrity, humility, respect, and perseverance.
