Baylor Football saw an opening in Monday night’s chaos at Doak Campbell Stadium and took it.
Florida State and SMU were stuck in a nearly 90-minute delay to close Week 1 of college football after a power outage hit the stadium. According to the message shown on the stadium video board, the outage came from an electrical short in the main transformer supplying power, “causing a disruption to the west side tower.”
By the time the game was finally ready to move forward, the lights were only “mostly” restored. It wasn’t exactly full-speed, modern football either. Some lights were still out, there was no PA comm., no IPads for the football players, and no coach-to-player comm.
Once the first half ended, though, the full setup was back, and SMU finished the job against Florida State.
That delay gave Baylor football a chance to fire off a post of its own, reminding everyone that the lights will be on Saturday night when the Bears host Prairie View A&M at 7 p.m. CT.
The official Baylor Football X account posted a photo of McLane Stadium lit up and added: “Lights are ON this Saturday for 254 Night pic.twitter.com/2GQ4AhWtmy”
TCU jumped into the conversation too, replying to Baylor’s post with a joke of its own:
"That's it. That seals the deal.
I am no longer a Baylor Football fan. Stadium lights are a serious matter.
I officially will not be renewing my season ticket nor will I watch on tv ever again. I’m going to TCU Football where they know how to take lighting seriously,"
Baylor’s home opener will be the first meeting with Prairie View A&M in series history. The Panthers were the SWAC champion a year ago and are 1-1 right now.
The Bears are also trying to rebound after Week 1 ended in a 17-16 loss to Auburn. Baylor had a late touchdown that gave it a shot to tie the game and push things to overtime, but Dave Aranda chose to go for two and try to leave with a win.
DJ Lagway found TE Matthew Klopfenstein on the inside, but Klopfenstein was tackled a half yard short of the end zone.
Now Baylor gets another shot to reset at home.
In Other News...
Baylors Loss Still Revealed A Reason For Real Optimism
Baylors narrow loss to Auburn still offered a pretty clear reason for optimism, because the defense looked far more disruptive than it had at times earlier in the season. Even without star safety Jacob Redding, the Bears were active all over the field, and the result was a unit that made Auburn work for just about everything while leaving the impression that this group is starting to find its edge.
The most encouraging part is that Baylor did it with contributions from unexpected places, which matters this late in the year. The offensive line was a mixed bag, giving up only one sack but not opening enough running room, so there is still plenty to clean up, but the upcoming stretch is manageable enough that the Bears have time to build on this showing and see whether the defensive progress can hold up. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Fans Will Be Watching These Week 2 Usage Decisions Closely
After Baylors loss to Auburn, the focus shifts quickly to Saturdays visit from Prairie View A&M, where the Bears should have a chance to reset the offense and sort out who is going to matter when the games get tighter again. Dawson Pendergrass, Gavin Freeman, Travion Barnes and Klopfenstein all drew attention in the opener for different reasons, and their roles in Week 2 will say plenty about how the staff wants to distribute touches and create rhythm around the core of the attack.
For Caden Knighten and Drelon Miller, this is the kind of early-season game that can clarify a lot. Baylor fans will be watching whether Knightens workload grows after a modest first outing and whether Miller gets pulled into the passing game after being left out entirely against Auburn, especially with coach Dave Aranda still shaping the feel of the play-calling and the broader rotation. Prairie View A&M may not provide the same test as Auburn, but it should offer a cleaner look at how the Bears want to use their pieces moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Golf Gave Fans An Early Sign Worth Watching
Baylors golf team opened the season with a result that should give the program some confidence after a strong showing at the Bomb Darts Birds Collegiate in Arizona. Competing at Whirlwind Golf Club against a field full of teams from major conferences, the Bears held their own and finished tied for seventh, a respectable early marker in a tournament that Santa Clara won.
Jonas Appel provided the headliner for Baylor, handling the week well enough to stay near the top of the board throughout the event. His performance set the tone for a roster that looked comfortable in a competitive setting, and it gives the Bears something tangible to build on as they move deeper into the fall schedule. [Read more 🡒]