Baylor gets another shot at the kind of start it wanted.
After coming up just short against Auburn in Week 1, the Bears return home Saturday night in Waco, Texas, to face Prairie View A&M with a chance to clean up the mistakes that cost them last weekend. Baylor opened its season with a 17-16 loss in Atlanta, a game that turned on a late two-point try when Tigers safety Eric Winters stopped tight end Matthew Klopfenstein just shy of the goal line.
The frustration for Baylor wasn’t a lack of movement. The Bears piled up 436 total yards and put together multiple long drives, but the offense couldn’t finish when it got close.
“I want to be able to score when we're consistently moving the ball,” Bears coach Dave Aranda said Monday. “We're talking about these long drives, where we were able to ... move it this way, and we stall out and don't get points.
“I'd like to see us sustain the drives and eventually score on our drives by running the football.”
That running game could become a bigger part of the answer. Senior back Dawson Pendergrass handled 25 carries against Auburn and finished with 88 yards, and Baylor will be looking for more from him as it tries to turn those extended possessions into touchdowns instead of empty yardage.
Quarterback DJ Lagway also has plenty to sort out after a rocky debut. His first two drives ended with a fumble and an interception, and he sprained his ankle in the first half. Even so, the Florida transfer stayed on the field and completed 27 of 54 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns.
Prairie View A&M arrives with momentum after rolling past Texas Southern 52-14 on Sunday. The Panthers, who play in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, will be taking on Baylor of the Big 12 for the first time.
“I’m excited for our guys to compete at a high level,” Prairie View A&M coach Tremaine Jackson said on YouTube's "Smoak Show."
“I think what they do schematically is awesome. Watching them play against Auburn, both on the TV copy and the coaches' copy, I think they're much improved than what they were a year ago.”
Prairie View A&M was picked to finish first in the SWAC’s West division, and senior quarterback Tevin Carter has been a big reason why. Against Texas Southern, he threw for 217 yards, accounted for four passing touchdowns and added another score on the ground.
In Other News...
Baylors Home Opener Is Bringing Back A Feeling Fans Missed
Baylors first home game of the season against Prairie View A&M is set up as more than just an early reset in the schedule. The school is leaning into the occasion with the 254 game, a nod to the Central Texas area code, and players Reggie Bush, Nate Kibble and Hawkins Polley all sounded energized during media availability about the chance to play in front of the home crowd and reconnect with the community that surrounds the program.
The off-field touches are part of the appeal, too. Athletics director Doug McNamee has rolled out fan-friendly concession pricing, including a 254 Classics Menu and the 1845 Bear Family Pack, while the Bear Bell will return as a permanent fixture at McLane Stadium. After each touchdown, Bruiser and Marigold will ring it, giving fans another piece of game-day pageantry to welcome back as Baylor tries to make the opener feel like something familiar again. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Is Trying To Make McLane Stadium A Bigger Game-Day Draw
Baylor is taking a fresh approach to the McLane Stadium experience, rolling out a slate of new fan offerings for the 2026 football home opener and beyond. The university announced expanded tailgating areas, new concessions, upgraded stadium lighting and live concerts, along with the return of the Bear Bell and a wider mix of fan engagement activities designed to make game day feel bigger from the moment people arrive.
The changes also reach beyond the building itself, with stroller parking and exclusive ticket opportunities for Waco residents among the additions aimed at making attendance more convenient and more local-friendly. It is a clear sign Baylor wants McLane to be more than just the site of football Saturdays, and the details suggest the school is trying to build a fuller event around the game without losing the traditions that already give the stadium its identity. [Read more 🡒]
Sam Leavitt Faces An Early Big 12 Test Arizona State Fans Should Track
Week 1 did not offer much clarity on the Big 12 quarterback pecking order, mostly because so many of the leagues passers opened against Group of Six or FCS defenses. A few did get real tests right away, including Floridas DJ Lagway and UCFs Barnett, but for the most part the first weekend was about sorting through box scores, identifying who looked comfortable and who still has work to do before the schedule gets tougher.
Sam Leavitt is next in that line of quarterbacks to watch, with Arizona State set for an early Big 12 barometer that should tell a lot more than last week did. The matchup gives fans a chance to see how he handles a stronger defense after a relatively soft opening slate around the conference, and it is part of a Week 2 schedule that starts separating the pretenders from the passers who are ready for the leagues tougher stretch. [Read more 🡒]