Baylor heads into its home matchup with Louisiana Tech still waiting on DJ Lagway, the offseason addition who went down with an ankle injury in Week 1 against Auburn. The good news is that he’s expected to make a full recovery soon, but for now the Bears are again leaning on backup Nate Bennett.
That puts the spotlight squarely on a Baylor offense that should have enough around its quarterback to control the game. Gavin Freeman, along with running backs Dawson Pendergrass and Caden Knighten, figures to stay busy as the Bears try to ease the burden on Bennett.
The matchup sets up as a defense-first game. Baylor has given up just 20 points through two games, and Louisiana Tech has shown it can make plays on that side of the ball too, including three interceptions in a half against LSU last week. Even so, this one looks much more likely to stay low-scoring than Baylor’s home opener.
Louisiana Tech will be dealing with its own quarterback issue, too. The Bulldogs are without their usual starter after a throwing hand fracture, which should make life even tougher against a Baylor defense that is already playing well.
Bennett still has some cleaning up to do. Discipline and vivid vision are still works in progress, and he threw two ugly picks against Prairie View last week.
The level of opposition rises here, so another turnover or two would not be a surprise. Still, the expectation is that he does enough to get the job done.
Freeman should be a focal point again, with another 8+ targets in play, while Pendergrass and Knighten are projected to combine for another 175-200 yards. That ground game would give Baylor a steady way to keep the pressure off its backup quarterback.
Louisiana Tech’s Trey Kukuk brings some experience of his own. He went 4-1 when starting games last season, and that veteran edge could help the Bulldogs get off to a decent start. Baylor’s defensive line should keep him contained, but the secondary has already shown it can give up some big plays.
The result, though, still points toward Baylor taking control. Louisiana Tech’s confidence and Kukuk’s experience could help the Bulldogs hang around early, but the Bears are expected to pull away late in the first half or early in the second.
In Other News...
Baylor Volleyball Showed Real Fight In A Sweep Fans Will Love
Baylor volleyball kept building momentum at the Baylor Classic with a straight-sets win over UTEP, one that showed both the polish and the resilience that have made this start so encouraging. The Bears picked up their fifth sweep of the season and moved to 8-2, with Ksenia Rakhmanchik pacing the attack with 15 kills and 15.5 points while Isabela Haggard kept the offense moving with 45 assists.
What stood out most was the way Baylor handled the third set, when it had to dig out of a seven-point hole instead of letting the match drift. Those are the kinds of moments coaches point to when they talk about a team learning how to close, and this group has now shown it can win comfortably when things are flowing and still find a way when the margin gets tight. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Exposed A Baylor Problem That Could Decide Two Games
Texas Techs latest look at Houston offered Baylor a useful scouting lesson, because the Red Raiders showed how much damage can be done when an offense spreads the field with players who can hurt you in more than one spot. For the Bears, the concern is not just one matchup problem, but the way that kind of versatility can stress a defense snap after snap, especially when those two Big XII opponents are waiting later on the schedule in both Waco and on the road.
Baylor will have to sort out how to handle Texas Techs multi-position threats without losing shape elsewhere, and the challenge shifts quickly when Houston comes into view. Conner Weigman gives the Cougars a different kind of test, since the Bears will need constant pressure on the quarterback to keep the game from settling into a rhythm, and the way Baylor answers those two problems may go a long way toward deciding how those conference games unfold. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Heads Into Saturday Facing Pressure In All The Wrong Spots
Baylor is spending this week managing injuries and patching together key spots on both sides of the ball, with backup players stepping into expanded roles as the Bears get ready for Saturday at McLane Stadium. Nate Bennett is set to start at quarterback, while Traevon Michell and Braylen Jackson are among the players taking on bigger responsibilities at defensive tackle, giving Dave Arandas staff a chance to see how the next men up handle real game pressure.
The bigger concerns, though, still sit in areas that have followed Baylor for stretches of the season: the running game and the penalty count. Aranda has addressed both as part of the teams effort to clean up its play and get more consistent in the basics, and the Bears are also trying to create a stronger home-field look by asking fans to wear gold shirts for the matchup. With injuries forcing changes and execution still in focus, Saturday carries a little extra weight for a team trying to steady itself in the right places. [Read more 🡒]