Baylor heads into Saturday’s game with Louisiana Tech carrying a few familiar questions and a couple of new ones, and the biggest one sits right in the middle of the defense: who steps in at defensive tackle now that Devino Tezino is done for the year?
The Bears have already had to lean on depth in several spots, with Nate Bennett filling in for QB1 DJ Lagway, Jayden McGowan helping cover for receiver Jadon Porter, and Colby McCalister plus Micah Gifford taking on more in the safety room. Now the focus shifts to the front. Head coach Dave Aranda pointed to Traevon Michell and Braylen Jackson as players ready to absorb the load.
“We're certainly going to miss him,” Aranda said, “but we've got guys like Slug (Traevon Michell). I think he's a big one.
He saw a fair amount of time in the game and really showed himself well. Braylen Jackson is another one that really showed up and was able to make some plays.
He's a really physical player, gets good knockback, is improving with the pass rush. But as a defender vs. the run, we feel very comfortable with him.”
That depth issue comes as Baylor is still trying to get more juice from its offense. Through two games, the running game has averaged just 3.7 yards per carry, and the explosive plays have been hard to find. Bennett’s 17-yard touchdown run against Prairie View remains the longest play the Bears have produced this year.
“We just have to be consistent,” Aranda said. “This offense right now, there's some big-play capability if we can get in a good rhythm. But it's a 12-play, 15-play, 17-play outfit, and we can't afford to go backwards when we're trying to go forwards.”
Clean football is another point of emphasis after Baylor was hit with nine penalties for 85 yards in the win over Prairie View. Right guard Asher Hale had the roughest afternoon, drawing four false starts and a holding call that cost the Bears 30 yards. Senior left tackle Kaden Sieracki said the message to Hale was simple.
“We told him to shrug it off, it's just a play,” Sieracki said of Hale, a transfer from South Alabama. “Each play has a life of its own, but once it's gone it's gone.
You can't change it. You're going to have to live with those plays forever, but you've got to learn from it and move on.”
Saturday also sets up a backup-quarterback matchup. Bennett is making his second straight start with Lagway sidelined by an ankle injury, while Louisiana Tech will turn to Trey Kukuk after Blake Baker went down with a hand injury in the Bulldogs’ 45-14 loss to LSU.
Aranda said offensive coordinator Jake Spavital spent the week praising Bennett, and he liked what he saw from the quarterback against Prairie View.
“(Offensive coordinator Jake Spavital) was singing his praises all throughout the week,” Aranda said of Bennett, who was 23-of-35 for 301 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions. “I thought that his preparation put him in a position to play fast and play free, which I thought he did.
I didn't see a lot of double guessing out there. I think there's a couple plays he'd like to take back, but from where he's been and what he's had to overcome and the hurdles that he's had to go through, it's really cool to see him have this moment.”
McLane Stadium should have a different look for the 3 p.m. kickoff. Baylor is bringing back its Gold Rush T-shirts from 2001, with the hope that the stands turn into a wave of gold. The reminder to fans is simple: wear gold and get there ready for the heat.
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
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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 Faces A Bigger Test Than Expected Without DJ Lagway
Baylor is heading into its home game against Louisiana Tech with a different look at quarterback than it expected a week ago, and the timing makes the matchup a little more interesting than it first appeared. DJ Lagway, the offseason addition who was supposed to give the Bears a fresh jolt, is sidelined with an ankle injury from Week 1 against Auburn, so Nate Bennett is set to take over while the staff sorts through the next stretch of the schedule.
The change does not just affect Baylors offense, it also shifts the tone of a game that already carries a few built-in wrinkles, since Louisiana Tech is dealing with its own quarterback absence after a hand fracture. Baylor should still have chances to lean on its defense and get production from players like Gavin Freeman, Dawson Pendergrass and Caden Knighten, but the bigger question is how smoothly the Bears can manage the position without Lagway while waiting for his return. [Read more 🡒]