Baylor heads into Saturday’s game at Kansas with some important injury news tilted in its favor.
The Bears, sitting at 4-2 overall and 2-1 in Big 12 play, are trying to bounce back after a 17-6 loss at home to TCU that ended their four-game winning streak. The good news is that Baylor is not adding any new names to its availability concerns from last week’s rivalry game.
The same five players who were out against the Horned Frogs remain unavailable. That group includes senior safety Redding and fifth-year senior defensive lineman Tezino, both of whom have already been ruled out for the season because of ACL and ankle injuries, respectively. Baylor also remains without freshman cornerback Jamarion Richardson, senior offensive lineman Cayden Tone and sophomore wide receiver Ashton Jones.
So while the Bears are still dealing with three defensive absences and two offensive ones, the injury report itself is unchanged from a week ago.
What stands out for Baylor is who is not on that report. Junior left guard Nate Kibble and junior cornerback Devon Jordan are both absent from the questionable or doubtful list ahead of the Kansas matchup.
Kibble left Saturday’s loss after logging just 34 snaps and appearing to pick up an injury. Jordan also saw reduced work, playing a season-low 44 snaps against Power Four competition.
Their status suggests Baylor could have both available against the Jayhawks, which would matter on both sides of the ball. Kibble’s return would be especially useful for an offensive line that had a rough day against TCU. The Bears rushed for only 54 yards on 34 carries, and quarterback DJ Lagway was taken down four times.
Lagway is not listed on the injury report, but his movement is still something to monitor after last week. He has been dealing with a high-ankle sprain since Baylor’s season opener and looked limited at times against TCU. He scrambled three times for 14 yards while going 22 of 53 for 256 yards and an interception.
His 41.5% completion rate was the lowest of his career.
Asked Monday if Lagway was still feeling the effects of the injury, head coach Dave Aranda said the quarterback is continuing to push toward full strength.
“Where he was, however many weeks ago, was not 100%, and he's closer to it. He's always working, always trying to get better, and always wants the best.
He wants the best for this team. He wants the best for this community.
He's going to be really hard on himself, and so you look at the criticism and the ways that he can get better. Those are things that he internalizes, and so I know that we're going to get a better DJ coming out of this game.”
Kansas enters at 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the Big 12, still looking for its first conference win. Kickoff is set for noon CT at David Booth Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas, and the game will air nationally on TNT.
In Other News...
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For Dave Aranda, the result only adds to the scrutiny that has followed a disappointing stretch for the Bears. There is already speculation that the game could wind up being the final chapter of his seven-season run in Waco, and this one did little to quiet that conversation. When a streak ends, it usually prompts a reset in perspective. In this case, it may end up forcing an even larger reckoning about where Baylor goes next. [Read more 🡒]
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The defense has taken steps forward from last season, giving Baylor more stability on that side of the ball, but the offense still has not consistently carried its weight when it matters most. The running game has been a particular issue, and with three ranked opponents still ahead, the Bears are running out of time to turn individual success into something more durable. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Just Turned A Brutal Start Into A Statement Win
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The bigger milestone came with the result itself, since the victory was Ryan McGuyres 250th at Baylor and moved him past everyone else in program history for career wins. For a team that looked in trouble early, it became the sort of night that says as much about resilience as it does about the resume-building win attached to it. [Read more 🡒]