Baylor comes home Saturday night with one simple task: take care of business.
After a heartbreaking loss to Auburn, a game in which the Bears had several chances to win, they should be in position to get their first victory of the season when Prairie View A&M visits McLane Stadium. The Panthers arrive as SWAC champions, and they bring plenty of winning pedigree with them, including the 2025 SWAC Freshman of the Year at running back, Chase Bingmon, and SWAC Coach of the Year Tremaine Jackson.
That said, Baylor is expected to be the heavier favorite, and the staff at Baylor on SI is treating this as a game the Bears ought to control. The bigger question isn’t whether Baylor can win. It’s how the offense looks while doing it, and what the ankle injury to DJ Lagway means for the rest of the night.
Several of the predictions pointed in the same direction: Baylor should move the ball, score well into the 30s, and eventually pull away once the starters come out. One forecast had the Bears topping 38 points, while another expected Lagway to throw three touchdowns before being pulled in the late third quarter. Another saw Prairie View A&M hanging around just long enough to add a late score after Dave Aranda turns to backups.
There’s also a real focus on the run game. Baylor didn’t have trouble advancing the ball against Auburn, but it struggled to finish drives with touchdowns. The hope now is for cleaner execution, especially on the ground, along with a defense that carries over the momentum from Week 1.
The matchup still carries a little unpredictability. Prairie View A&M runs at a tempo similar to Auburn, and one busted alignment could open the door to a quick touchdown.
If Baylor keeps sputtering on third down or continues to leave too many passes incomplete, the margin could tighten. Prairie View has athletes, some former FBS players, and enough special-teams ability to make things interesting.
Aranda has already acknowledged that the Panthers present a real offensive challenge, describing their system as one that produces open receivers who “put you in conflict.” Still, the expectation around Baylor is clear: the Bears should even their record at 1-1.
The real measuring stick will be Lagway. If his ankle lets him move the way he did for more of the opener, that would be a strong sign for what comes next.
If he is stuck operating mostly from the pocket, the offense could have a tougher time once the schedule turns harder. Either way, Baylor is expected to leave Saturday night with a win.
In Other News...
Baylors QB Situation Just Changed How Auburns Week 1 Win Feels
DJ Lagways injury is already casting a shadow over Baylors week, and it changes the way that Auburn result looks in hindsight. The quarterback suffered a high-ankle sprain in the game against the Tigers, and while Dave Aranda first framed him as day-to-day, the latest read is more concerning as Baylor turns toward Prairie View A&M.
If Lagway cannot go, Nate Bennett is the expected starter, and that would likely push Baylor toward a heavier dose of the run game. It is an early-season wrinkle the Bears did not need, and it leaves their quarterback picture heading into the next game looking a lot less settled than it did before kickoff against Auburn. [Read more 🡒]
Baylors 2027 Commits Are Giving Fans Plenty To Watch Already
Baylors 2027 recruiting class is already offering a glimpse of why the Bears are so interested in those players, with several commitments turning in notable Friday night performances across the high school calendar. The roundup touches on the kind of production Baylor fans like to track early in the process: defensive work in the form of tackles and interceptions, plus offensive damage through yards and touchdowns, all while these prospects continue moving through the season with more games still ahead.
For a program that has made recruiting momentum part of its longer-term build, those weekly updates matter because they show whether the early evals are translating under the lights. The story also points ahead to each players next matchup, which gives Baylor supporters another reason to keep one eye on the Bears future while following the present. [Read more 🡒]
Baylors Offense Has Something To Prove In This Tune-Up
Baylor heads into its meeting with Prairie View A&M looking for cleaner answers on offense after a revealing opener against Auburn. The focus starts up front, where the offensive line needs to set the tone in the run game and help the Bears build more rhythm, while the receiving group is expected to be part of a more complete performance as the staff keeps sorting out roles and chemistry.
The defense, meanwhile, already showed it can carry over against a lesser opponent. Baylors front was disruptive against Auburn and should have every chance to keep stressing an overmatched offense, which puts even more pressure on the Bears to use this tune-up to find some traction and leave with a clearer picture of what the offense can become. [Read more 🡒]