Dave Aranda made the kind of call that defines a coach’s night - and maybe the game itself - in Baylor’s 17-16 loss to Auburn on Saturday.
After Baylor scored a touchdown with nine seconds left, Aranda had a straightforward choice: take the PAT and push the game toward overtime, or chase the win with a two-point try. He chose aggression, sending a pass to tight end Matt Klopfenstein. The ball was caught, but Klopfenstein was stopped just short of the goal line, and that was effectively the end of it.
There was still a sliver of hope after that. Baylor tried an onside kick, but it bounced out of bounds. Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown then took a kneel down to drain the final seconds, and the Tigers escaped with the one-point win.
Aranda explained the decision afterward in the post-game media scrum, and the logic was clear enough: Baylor had a play it believed could work, and it came close. But close did not change the result. Football doesn’t hand out points for almost getting there.
That wasn’t the only moment in the game where Aranda’s instinct to press the issue ended with Baylor empty-handed. His willingness to gamble on fourth down or chase two-point conversions has long been part of how he coaches. When he thinks the move gives his team the best shot, he goes for it.
That approach has a certain edge to it. It’s bold, and sometimes it can feel like the right kind of fearlessness. But there was also the reality of watching the special teams unit stay on the sideline after the Gavin Freeman touchdown, and that’s where the frustration sets in.
This wasn’t the first time Baylor has dealt with that kind of decision this season, either. And if this game is any indication, the Bears may not be done living with those calls.
The bigger picture around Baylor looks far better than it did a year ago. The defense has been rebuilt into something that looks dangerous.
The receiver room has been reloaded with multiple threats. DJ Lagway showed real growth when healthy and can be the quarterback this team needs.
But one issue from last season still hangs around: Dave Aranda himself.
This isn’t a call to fire him. It’s a warning about the way these decisions keep showing up in the biggest moments.
Baylor can be good enough to win ten games again, but that margin gets thin fast when fourth-down gambles and two-point tries keep ending in frustration. Aranda is going to keep coaching to win.
The problem is that, at times, those same decisions are helping Baylor lose.
In Other News...
Dave Aranda Just Put Baylors Biggest Preseason Concern Back In Focus
Dave Aranda spent part of his latest injury update doing what coaches at this point in the season usually do: sorting out who can go, who is close, and who is still waiting for a little more time. DJ Lagway is day-to-day and was available for a walkthrough, while Kaden Sieracki, Kolton Sieracki and Jadon Porter are also listed as day-to-day with lower leg injuries. For a Baylor team still trying to settle into a rhythm, the health of that group matters because every practice rep and every available body starts to carry a little more weight once September gives way to the games that count most.
Aranda also addressed the loss of safety Jacob Redding, who was lost for the season with a torn ACL before it even began, and it is the kind of setback that keeps a preseason concern from ever really going away. He stressed the need to keep stacking wins in the upcoming stretch and said he believes in what this team can become, but the broader picture is still easy to see: Baylors margin for error depends heavily on how quickly those injured players can return and how much stability the Bears can regain on that side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor's Week 2 Suddenly Hinges On DJ Lagway's Mobility
DJ Lagways right ankle injury turned Baylors Week 1 into a much different kind of game than the Bears likely expected, and now the ripple effects are carrying straight into Week 2. Head coach Dave Aranda called the quarterback day-to-day after Lagway was limited in his mobility for the rest of the contest, a situation that immediately changed how Baylor could operate on offense.
The biggest concern is less about the label attached to the injury than what it means for the Bears game plan if Lagway still cant move freely. Baylor had to cut back on running plays that depend on his legs, and Aranda said the team will keep evaluating him throughout the week before deciding how much of the offense it can fully open up again. [Read more 🡒]
Aranda Sees One Early Baylor Strength Fans Can't Ignore
Dave Aranda had plenty to sort through after Baylors season-opening loss to Auburn, but one early takeaway stood out on the defensive side. The Bears defensive line showed the kind of strength and depth the coach has been looking for, and Aranda made clear that group gave him reasons to believe the front can be a real foundation as the season unfolds.
The challenge now is carrying that standard into Saturdays matchup with Prairie View A&M, where Aranda wants the same preparation and attention to detail regardless of the opponent. He also singled out Oklahoma State transfer Gavin Freeman for the way he has worked and performed, a sign Baylor already has some emerging pieces beyond the obvious headlines as it turns the page from Week 1. [Read more 🡒]