Baylor football fell to rock bottom in 2017 after finishing just 1-11 in Matt Rhule’s first season. But just like at Temple, Rhule has already started the rebuild in year two.

The Bears miraculously found a way to win critical games down the stretch and earn their first bowl trip since 2016. Rhule was hired to tear down the program and build from the ashes, but few expected that the turnaround could come so quickly.

Here’s our full postmortem and review of the 2018 Baylor Bears football season.

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Baylor Bears Season Recap

Final record: 7-6, 4-5 Big 12

Head coach: Matt Rhule (36-40, 8-17 at Baylor)

Coordinators: Co-OC Jeff Nixon, Co-OC Glenn Thomas, DC Phil Snow

Offensive MVP: QB Charlie Brewer

It took a little while for Brewer to convincingly win the starting job. Once he did, the sophomore from Lake Travis put forth a strong season. Brewer threw for more than 3,000 yards, 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions despite missing time with injuries. In his final two games of the year, Brewer combined to complete 67 percent of his passes for 692 passing yards, five touchdowns, two interceptions and two rushing scores. Brewer played a critical role in all seven of Baylor’s wins.

Defensive MVP: DL James Lynch

Baylor needed someone to step up and become a disruptive presence on the defensive line. True sophomore James Lynch was happy to oblige. The Round Rock product led the team with nine tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in a breakout second season. Even when he didn’t get all the way to the quarterback, Lynch was a disruptive force that helped create opportunities for other defenders.