Baylor opens Big 12 play on Saturday with Colorado coming to Waco, and the matchup brings a familiar face back into the conversation: Coach Deion Sanders. The Bears are 2-1 and still carrying the sting of last year’s overtime loss to the Buffaloes, while Colorado arrives at 2-1 after a rough showing against Northwestern.
One of the biggest questions for Baylor is how much it can get out of DJ Lagway. He is expected to start, but he is not at full strength yet.
Dave Aranda said, "[Lagway] was 70 percent [last] Tuesday," head coach Dave Aranda said. "How about next Tuesday being 90 percent or 85 percent or something like that?
Let's take that, you know, and let's have you as close to 100 percent as we can."
If Lagway is still short of 100 percent, that changes how Baylor can use him. He likely won’t be much of a running threat, which would make it easier for Colorado to get pressure and harder for him to escape it. That puts even more weight on Baylor’s offensive line, which has to be sharper in pass protection than it was against Louisiana Tech.
The passing game should have chances early. Colorado gave up 423 yards and 41 points to Northwestern, and Baylor should look to attack that defense before settling into a more controlled rhythm.
With Lagway’s arm and Gavin Freeman working out of the slot, the Bears have the kind of pieces that can stress the Buffaloes quickly. A few deep shots early, followed by longer, more methodical drives later, could be the right formula.
Baylor’s defense also has a chance to swing this game. Colorado turned it over four times against Northwestern, and Julian Lewis threw the first two interceptions of his career in that loss.
The Bears’ defensive line has enough talent to make life difficult and force the ball loose again. If Baylor can generate takeaways early, it could take control before the game has a chance to tighten up.
There are still some areas Baylor has to clean up, though. The Bears struggled on third down against a slippery Bulldog quarterback last week, but that kind of issue should be less of a concern here if they stay disciplined. Colorado failed on three of its four fourth-down tries against Northwestern, so Baylor’s job is to hold firm on third and fourth down and short.
Penalties are another problem both teams have dealt with, and Baylor can’t afford to keep giving Colorado fresh chances. Limiting those mistakes would help the Bears keep drives from extending and give them a cleaner path to handling their home opener in conference play.
In Other News...
Baylors QB Decision Carries A Bigger Risk Than Just Colorado
Dave Arandas quarterback choice for Baylors upcoming Big 12 matchup with Colorado is as much about the long view as the next snap. Nate Bennett gets the start because DJ Lagway is still working his way back from injury, and Aranda has made it clear the staff is trying to balance urgency with caution. Lagway is improving, but Baylor is also staring at a conference schedule that leaves little margin for error, so the decision to lean on the healthier option fits the bigger picture.
Bennett has earned some trust with the way he has filled in lately, which gives the Bears a steadier bridge while Lagway continues his recovery. The wrinkle for Baylor is obvious enough: this is not just about surviving one game against Colorado, but about whether the team can keep enough flexibility to handle what comes next. If Lagway is close, the Bears still have a potentially important decision looming, and Aranda does not sound like he is ready to rush it. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Is Catching A Colorado Team Under Serious Pressure
Colorado is heading into its Big 12 opener against Baylor with plenty of off-field noise still hanging over the program after Deion Sanders dismissed several players for what he described as a pattern of conduct detrimental to the team. It is the kind of reset that forces a locker room to refocus quickly, and safety Randon Fontenette spent time in media availability stressing that the Buffaloes attention has to stay on winning and on maintaining the standards Sanders has set.
For Baylor, the timing adds another layer to a conference opener that already carried some weight. The Bears are catching a Colorado team trying to steady itself in the middle of sudden roster turnover, and those situations often reveal whether a program can settle in fast or keep slipping into distraction. However Colorado responds, it will be doing so with the pressure of a fresh Big 12 start and a thinner margin for error than it had a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor's Bowl Hopes May Hinge On One Offensive Turnaround
Through three games, Baylors offense has left the kind of statistical trail that usually puts a team on the wrong side of bowl season. The Bears have been lagging in two of the clearest markers tied to postseason eligibility - yards per carry and third-down conversion rate - and history says teams that fall short in those areas tend to spend November watching the bowl picture from a distance.
That is why the return of DJ Lagway looms so large for Baylor. If his presence gives the offense the lift it has been missing, the Bears could start climbing back toward the profile of a bowl team. If not, the margin for error gets thin fast, and the next few weeks may decide whether this season still has a December destination. [Read more 🡒]