Baylor’s 1-1 start has left enough to think about, even after a comfortable win over Prairie View A&M. The Bears were close to sitting at 2-0, but the Auburn game wasn’t the only place where the details got away from them. There were still clear issues on display in the second week of the season, and the list starts with the kind of mistake that stops drives cold.
False starts are the sort of penalty that’s tough to defend. Unlike a holding call or a pass interference flag, there isn’t much room to argue the upside.
They push the offense backward, kill momentum, and can force a play change before the snap even happens. That’s the kind of problem Baylor needs to clean up fast.
The offensive line is also still searching for the kind of steady leadership Baylor has already found on the defensive side. Hosea Wheeler has been leading the defensive line, and Travion Barnes has been doing the same for the linebackers.
Up front on offense, the Bears need their own version of that presence. The talent is there, but most of those linemen are still new to playing together, and that lack of continuity shows.
Koltin Sieracki’s injury only made things harder. He was one of the important pieces on the line, and his absence was unfortunate. Dave Aranda said Monday during media availability that Sieracki is day-to-day, though expected to play.
The run game has shown flashes, with Dawson Pendergrass and Caden Knighten both proving they can pick up yards once the ball is in their hands. The next step is obvious: give them more room to work. If the offensive line can create cleaner lanes and move defenders off the line, those gains can grow into something bigger.
The passing game has its own imbalance. Gavin Freeman has been the clear focal point, with 22 receptions through the first two games out of the team’s total passing completions. That production is real - his 10+ catch and 100+ yard performances back that up - but Baylor needs more than one dependable target carrying the load.
The next-closest receiver has only six catches on the season, and just one came in week two. Against Prairie View A&M, Baylor did spread the ball around, with 12 different players catching passes. But four of those were primarily running backs, and Jayden McGowan was the only other dedicated wide receiver to catch more than one pass, finishing with three.
Fourth-down decisions aren’t really the main issue. There are situations where a field goal is too long, a punt doesn’t do enough, and a conversion try makes sense.
The bigger problem is getting to fourth down in the first place. Better execution on third down would take a lot of that pressure off and make the choice much simpler.
In Other News...
Dave Aranda Sees One Baylor Problem That Win Didn't Fix
A 44-3 win over Prairie View A&M gave Baylor a comfortable result, but it did not completely quiet Dave Arandas concerns. Afterward, the Bears coach pointed to penalties and turnovers as issues that still need cleaning up, a reminder that the bigger tests will punish the kinds of mistakes Baylor could absorb in a lopsided nonconference game.
Aranda also had a mixed set of roster updates as the Bears turn their attention to the next one. Quarterback DJ Lagway and center Koltin Sierck are expected back for the upcoming game, while defensive tackle Devonte Tezino is out for the season with a severe leg injury. In the middle of it all, Aranda singled out transfer defensive tackle Hosea Wheeler for the leadership and toughness he has brought to the group. [Read more 🡒]
Dave Aranda Just Put Baylors Biggest Early Problem On Notice
Early in the season, Dave Aranda is already leaning on one of the most basic truths in football: Baylor cannot keep beating itself. After a start defined in part by frustrating offensive penalties and giveaways, the Bears coach used his latest media session to zero in on the kinds of mistakes that stall drives and shrink margins, especially when they come from the offensive line and from quarterback decisions that lead to interceptions.
Arandas message was less about panic than about urgency, and that is what makes it worth watching going forward. Baylor still has time to settle in, but the standard he laid out was clear - cleaner execution, better consistency and fewer self-inflicted errors have to show up soon if the offense is going to look like a unit moving in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor's Week 2 Win Still Left Fans With One Ranking Frustration
Baylor handled Prairie View A&M in Week 2 with a strong offensive showing even while missing key starters, a performance that gave the Bears plenty to feel good about heading into the next stretch of the season. The result also brought a modest bump in some computer-based evaluations, including a slight rise in ESPNs FPI, suggesting the win did move the needle at least a little behind the scenes.
Still, the broader national picture was far less satisfying for Baylor fans hoping to see a bigger reward. The Bears remained outside the AP Top 25 and did not crack CBS Sports power rankings, while some other metrics even nudged them down a bit, leaving the sense that a convincing win was not enough to change the teams standing in the eyes of pollsters and evaluators. [Read more 🡒]