Baylor gets back to work Saturday with a new quarterback, a familiar challenge and a crowd-facing setup the program hopes will make the night feel bigger than just another early-season game.
The Bears’ focus starts with Prairie View A&M, and tight end Hawkins Polley made the message plain: this isn’t about who the opponent is or where it comes from. Prairie View A&M arrives after a 52-14 win over Texas Southern and a 49-30 road loss to FCS fourth-ranked Tarleton State in Zero Week, but Baylor is treating it like a test that demands full attention.
"I think the key is having the same mentality as Auburn. It's a nameless, faceless opponent," said tight end Hawkins Polley.
"It doesn't matter where they come from, what conference they're in, what stadium we're playing them in. We get to go play college football, so we're just as excited about Prairie View as we were about Auburn.
It's a chance to prove to th rest of the Big 12 and the rest of the country who we are as a football team. It doesn't matter who we're playing."
That mindset matters even more with DJ Lagway expected to miss the game because of the sprained ankle that limited him last week. Junior Nate Bennett is set for his first start, and Baylor is leaning on a quarterback who has barely been used so far. Bennett has completed 6-of-9 passes for 53 yards in backup duty behind Sawyer Robertson.
"I feel really good about Nate and (Edward Griffin)," head coach Dave Aranda said. "We have guys that have been here and have invested and know the offense.
Each has his particular talent sets. So, we can kind of tweak things and the offense can go in a different direction to utilize the best of their talents."
With the quarterback situation changing, the run game takes on added weight. Baylor wants more from that part of the offense than it showed last week, and left guard Nate Kibble said the line took a step forward in understanding how to handle a defense over four quarters.
"The offensive line got better at reading their defense and we learned how to strain for four quarters," said UT transfer Nate Kibble, the starter at left guard.
Running back Dawson Pendergrass is the kind of back Baylor wants to feature in that approach. He ran for 88 yards on 25 carries against Auburn, and Kibble described him as a downhill runner who welcomes contact.
"not trying to go around anything," Kibble said. "He can make you miss, but he's a dog.
He wants to go through somebody. And I love blocking for a guy like that."
Defensively, the Bears will have to keep an eye on Prairie View A&M quarterback Tevin Carter, who leads the Panthers in rushing and also does plenty of damage through the air. Carter has thrown for 531 yards and five touchdowns while adding 147 yards and two scores on the ground.
Baylor’s defense already showed it can control a quarterback-driven attack. Against Auburn, the Bears produced five sacks, three interceptions and 11 stops behind the line while keeping Byrum Brown in check all night.
"We're just trying to focus on keeping our eyes right, playing how we're supposed to play, making no mistakes and just being 1-0," said cornerback Reggie Bush II.
Saturday’s game is also being shaped as a community night. Doug McNamee’s fan-first push includes the 254 Game, which highlights Waco and Central Texas with an extended Bear Walk, the Backyard Live concert with Suede, discounted concession prices, new menu items and an LED light show.
Kibble, who has been in Waco since January, said he wants the team to put on a show for the people around the program.
"I want to show out for the community," said Kibble, who's only been in Waco since January. "Everything I feel has been great from the community, from Meet the Bears to all that, everything has been great.
I heard there's four hot dogs and four sodas for ($18.45). That's something I would be all in for."
In Other News...
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Baylor womens basketball added another notable frontcourt name to its future plans, with head coach Nicki Collen announcing the signing of Kate Koval for the 2026-27 roster. Koval arrives with a track record that should fit right into the Bears inside game, having already logged meaningful stretches at LSU and Notre Dame and shown the kind of production that can change the feel of a game around the rim.
For a Baylor program coming off a successful 2025-26 campaign, the move signals that Collen is still keeping an eye on how to stay physically imposing in the Big 12. Koval has flashed double-double potential and real shot-blocking ability, the sort of frontcourt profile that can give opponents problems before a season even starts, and her addition gives Baylor another piece worth watching as the next roster takes shape. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Home Opener Suddenly Carries One Big Concern On Offense
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The absences dont stop there, either, with multiple other players listed as unavailable. For a team trying to use its first home game to build rhythm, the immediate concern is how the offense holds together without its starter and how quickly the Bears can sort through the depth chart before the opener puts the pressure on. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Just Proved It Can Push No. 1 Nebraska To The Brink
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Ksenia Rakhmanchik led Baylor with 18 kills, giving the Bears a go-to presence even in a tough road environment. The result still counts as a loss, but the performance offered a clearer picture of where Baylor stands early in the season: close enough to challenge the best team in the country, with room to turn those competitive stretches into something more. [Read more 🡒]