Baylor walked away from Saturday’s loss with a 0-1 record, but there was enough in the performance to leave the fanbase feeling a little better about where this season could go. The final result stung, no question. Still, the way Baylor played against Auburn gave a glimpse of a team with real upside.
Start with the defense, because that’s where the biggest statement came. Auburn came in as a strong test, especially up front, and Baylor’s defensive line met it head-on.
The Bears finished with five sacks and 11 TFLs in the loss. That number matters even more when stacked against last season, when Baylor’s defense had just 12 sacks all year.
For Dave Aranda, and for Joe Klanderman after Aranda took a chance on hiring him, that kind of leap is hard to ignore.
It also helps that Auburn may wind up being one of the three best offensive lines Baylor sees all season. If that’s true, then the ceiling for this defensive front gets even more interesting as 2026 approaches.
The secondary turned heads too. Baylor entered the game without star safety Jacob Redding, who was ruled out for the Auburn game and the rest of the season, but the group still came away with three interceptions.
Reggie Bush II picked off one pass, and Micah Gifford added another. Bush has been in the program for five years and finally got his moment.
Gifford’s path is its own story - four years in the program after starting as a wide receiver and moving to safety.
First-career interception for @ReggieBush_II ‼️📺 ABC pic.twitter.com/vwPoKdqX63
That production goes beyond the turnovers themselves. It points to something Baylor fans have been waiting to see more of: development. For a staff that has taken heat over whether players are actually getting better, Bush II and Gifford offered a clear answer on Saturday.
On offense, the offensive line was the biggest question coming in, and the verdict was mixed. It wasn’t a clean outing, but it also wasn’t a disaster. Baylor allowed only one sack, and the line gave Lagway enough time to make plays when it mattered.
The run game, though, never really got going. Dawson Pendergrass finished with 88 yards on 25 carries, averaging 3.5 yards per attempt with a long run of seven yards. That kind of output puts the spotlight right back on the offensive line.
2️⃣ + 4️⃣ = 6️⃣ 🙌@DerekLagway 🤝 @Louis4Brown 📺 ABC pic.twitter.com/4utalK446v
There’s still room for movement there, too. As Baylor heads into a couple of tune-up games before Big 12 play begins, offensive line coach Austin Woods could shuffle things around. Cole Rhett and Harrison Cluff are two names to keep an eye on if the Bears decide to open up competition for starting spots.
And the schedule gives Baylor a chance to build momentum. The next two games should be wins, followed by a home game against Colorado. Then comes a trip to Tempe to face Arizona State, a much tougher assignment, before Baylor returns home to play a questionable TCU team.
After that, the Bears line up against Kansas, UCF, and Iowa State before the schedule tightens up late. Through that stretch, a 7-2 mark would not be surprising.
The last run - BYU, Texas Tech, and Houston - is where Baylor will have to show what it really is. But that’s a problem for later.
In Other News...
Dave Aranda Just Put Baylors Biggest Preseason Concern Back In Focus
Dave Aranda spent part of his latest injury update doing what coaches at this point in the season usually do: sorting out who can go, who is close, and who is still waiting for a little more time. DJ Lagway is day-to-day and was available for a walkthrough, while Kaden Sieracki, Kolton Sieracki and Jadon Porter are also listed as day-to-day with lower leg injuries. For a Baylor team still trying to settle into a rhythm, the health of that group matters because every practice rep and every available body starts to carry a little more weight once September gives way to the games that count most.
Aranda also addressed the loss of safety Jacob Redding, who was lost for the season with a torn ACL before it even began, and it is the kind of setback that keeps a preseason concern from ever really going away. He stressed the need to keep stacking wins in the upcoming stretch and said he believes in what this team can become, but the broader picture is still easy to see: Baylors margin for error depends heavily on how quickly those injured players can return and how much stability the Bears can regain on that side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor's Week 2 Suddenly Hinges On DJ Lagway's Mobility
DJ Lagways right ankle injury turned Baylors Week 1 into a much different kind of game than the Bears likely expected, and now the ripple effects are carrying straight into Week 2. Head coach Dave Aranda called the quarterback day-to-day after Lagway was limited in his mobility for the rest of the contest, a situation that immediately changed how Baylor could operate on offense.
The biggest concern is less about the label attached to the injury than what it means for the Bears game plan if Lagway still cant move freely. Baylor had to cut back on running plays that depend on his legs, and Aranda said the team will keep evaluating him throughout the week before deciding how much of the offense it can fully open up again. [Read more 🡒]
Aranda's Gamble Just Fueled A Bigger Baylor Debate
Dave Aranda kept leaning into the same trait that has defined plenty of his biggest calls in Waco: he trusts aggression over caution. Against Auburn, Baylor put itself in position to leave with a tie, and Aranda opted for the more daring path late instead of settling for the extra point. It fit a pattern that has shown up before, whether on fourth down or in short-yardage moments, and it once again put the Bears in a spot where one decision became the story.
The play itself moved Baylor close enough to make the building hold its breath, with the pass to Matt Klopfenstein finished but not quite reaching the line Baylor needed. From there, the rest became familiar and frustrating for a team that has lived through the consequences of these gambles before. The onside kick failed, Auburn escaped 17-16, and the bigger debate around Aranda's instincts only got louder. [Read more 🡒]