Baylor’s opener didn’t end the way the Bears wanted, but Monday’s weekly press conference made one thing clear: Dave Aranda came away encouraged by what his defense showed in the 17-16 loss to Auburn.
The biggest reason was up front. Baylor’s defensive line backed up the preseason buzz, controlling the trenches and helping hold Auburn to a little more than three yards per carry. The Bears also piled up five sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss, the kind of disruption that changes the feel of a game.
“There were a bunch of one-on-one wins,” Aranda said. “There was the ability to stop the run.
On the play-action passes, there was the ability to kind of get knocked back and recognize it's a pass and get in a rush move and get after the quarterback. . . . I think it's really just the start.
There's enough depth where you can roll your 2's and 3's and not miss a beat of what was happening with the (starters). That's the difference from maybe what we've had before to what we've got now.
It's just depth and the ability to roll those guys.”
That same standard, Aranda said, has to carry over into Saturday’s home opener against Prairie View A&M. Baylor, now 0-1, hosts the 1-1 Panthers at 7 p.m. at McLane Stadium, with the game set to stream on ESPN+.
Aranda made it plain that he wants no drift, no softness and no letdown against an FCS opponent that is coming off a 52-14 win over Texas Southern. Prairie View quarterback Tevin Carter, he said, is a problem because he can do damage in multiple ways.
Aranda said he is “invigorated to fight” the idea of any complacency.
“Even though we didn't get the result we wanted, what our guys were able to do to invest in the preparation, the will to prepare, was the best I've ever seen at Baylor. That's what gave us the ability to fight how we fought.
So, we have to do that again. This opponent is a nameless, faceless opponent.
Our standard is the standard, regardless of who we play. That will be the fight, and I'm fired up to fight it.”
There was also a spotlight on one of Baylor’s surprise producers from the Auburn game. Oklahoma State transfer Gavin Freeman turned in a career performance with 12 catches for 154 yards and the 5-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal with nine seconds left.
Aranda, though, said Freeman’s output wasn’t a shock at all.
“He's been like that since we got him,” Aranda said. “He's been like that since I've known him.
He was that at Oklahoma, Oklahoma State. I think it's the guys that are the quietest and go about it in the most humble way that can kind of come up and surprise you.
But he's been that guy from the start.”
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's Gamble Just Fueled A Bigger Baylor Debate
Dave Aranda kept leaning into the same trait that has defined plenty of his biggest calls in Waco: he trusts aggression over caution. Against Auburn, Baylor put itself in position to leave with a tie, and Aranda opted for the more daring path late instead of settling for the extra point. It fit a pattern that has shown up before, whether on fourth down or in short-yardage moments, and it once again put the Bears in a spot where one decision became the story.
The play itself moved Baylor close enough to make the building hold its breath, with the pass to Matt Klopfenstein finished but not quite reaching the line Baylor needed. From there, the rest became familiar and frustrating for a team that has lived through the consequences of these gambles before. The onside kick failed, Auburn escaped 17-16, and the bigger debate around Aranda's instincts only got louder. [Read more 🡒]