Baylor is heading into Saturday’s game against La Tech with the same message echoing through the building: tighten up the details, and do it without making excuses.
That starts up front, where the Bears took a hit over the weekend. Fifth-year senior defensive lineman Devonte Tezino is out for the season with a lower body injury, a tough blow for a unit that has been one of Baylor’s early bright spots.
Tezino’s absence leaves more on the shoulders of fellow fifth-year senior Traevon Mitchell, who was cleared Tuesday to play the rest of the season after previously receiving a temporary restraining order last month and now a temporary injunction. Through two games, Mitchell has three tackles and three quarterback hurries.
Kyler Jordan said the loss of Tezino matters, but he also pointed to the depth Baylor believes it has built in that room.
"We're fifth-year guys, we've been through it all. All of the highs and the lows, he means a lot," Jordan stated.
"I think there's a lot of guys in that room ready to step up. Braylen Jackson, Kamren Washington, Jackson Blackwell.
There's a lot of guys who will do what they can to fill that role."
The defense has given Baylor a strong early foundation. The Bears lead the Big 12 in tackles for loss with 18 and sacks with 9, and they sit second in the league in turnovers forced with 4. Even with those numbers, Jordan said the unit still has work to do before conference play gets rolling.
"I think in order for us to grow, we have to get better at limiting explosive plays and communicate better," said Jordan. "I think a lot of those self-inflicted wounds could be solved with better communication."
The same kind of cleanup is needed on the other side of the ball. Baylor’s offensive line is dealing with its own wear and tear after getting banged up against Auburn, and the Bears were without starting center Koltin Sieracki last week. He is expected back on Saturday against La Tech.
Kaden Sieracki said the group is already focused on correcting the issues that showed up in the last game, including a dip in the rushing attack in the third quarter.
"I feel like we're getting better. This past game you might have noticed a dip in the rushing attack in the third quarter," said the elder Sieracki.
"You go through those things sometimes, but they're correctable and I think we got it corrected yesterday. I think today's practice showed that we're hungry and ready to get back out there."
Penalties were another problem Baylor could not ignore. The Bears were flagged 11 times against PVAM, and junior right guard Asher Hale was charged with five of them.
Coach Aranda addressed that issue Monday, saying, "We have to get it cleaned up. Particularly along the offensive line."
The challenge gets sharper this week. Baylor knows it cannot afford to take La Tech lightly after the Bulldogs went into Baton Rouge and punched LSU in the mouth last week before getting overwhelmed in the second half.
For Sieracki, the offensive line has to come out with a different edge.
"I think us guys along the offensive line need to come out and play balls to the wall aggressive. We need to come out as hard as we can," said Sieracki.
"I don't think we came out with the right intentions against PVAM like we did against Auburn. We treated PVAM like a faceless opponent we could take for granted, when we need to treat every opponent with the same mindset."
In Other News...
Baylor Suddenly Has A Defensive Line Question Slug Mitchell Could Answer
Baylors defensive front has a new wrinkle after fifth-year lineman Traevon Mitchell, better known as Slug, was granted a temporary injunction by Judge Alan Bennett that makes him eligible to play for at least the rest of the regular season. With the next trial date still estimated to be about 90 days away, the Bears suddenly have a veteran body back in the conversation at a position group that can use all the help it can get.
Dave Aranda has already been asked about what Mitchell could mean after a season-ending injury thinned out the rotation, and the timing makes the situation especially relevant for Baylors defense. For a team trying to stabilize its line depth in the middle of the season, Mitchells availability adds another layer of intrigue, even if the legal process around his status is still far from finished. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Has A Week 3 Problem It Needs To Fix Fast
Baylor heads into its Week 3 matchup at McLane Stadium tied at 1-1 with Louisiana Tech, and the early-season tone around the Bears is clear enough: there are fixable issues, but they need fixing quickly. The cleanest path to a win runs through the basics, with turnover margin, time of possession and penalty control all sitting near the top of the list as Baylor tries to sharpen up before the schedule starts demanding more from it.
The Bears have already stressed the need for discipline and consistent effort on both sides of the ball, and that emphasis is no accident after the first two games. Against a Louisiana Tech team that will be looking for the same kind of early momentum, Baylor cannot afford sloppy stretches or self-inflicted setbacks if it wants to leave Saturday with the kind of performance that steadies things rather than complicates them. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Suddenly Has A Breakout Star Chasing A Historic Pace
Gavin Freeman arrived at Baylor with the kind of transfer profile that usually calls for patience, but the senior wide receiver has made that unnecessary in a hurry. Through two games, he leads college football with 22 receptions and has already become one of the most important parts of the Bears offense, helping drive wins against Auburn and Prairie View A&M.
Freemans early pace has opened the door to some eye-catching season projections, and it is hard not to notice how quickly he has settled into a featured role. For Baylor, the bigger question now is whether this start is the beginning of something sustainable, because if he keeps producing anywhere close to this level, his season will become one of the more notable stories in the sport. [Read more 🡒]