Baylor’s night against TCU left Dave Aranda searching for the right words, and he didn’t hide from the truth. After a 17-6 loss that saw the Bears go three quarters without a touchdown, Aranda called the defeat “disappointing,” “embarrassing” and “frustrating.”
“I’m so appreciative of the fan turnout,” Aranda said. “I think there were a couple of folks that said, 'Hey, we're here.'
It's a hollow feeling. You feel gutted when you can't win.”
The crowd at McLane Stadium showed up in force after Aranda posted on his own account asking fans to come out, and the university also pushed hard to fill the student section. The result was a crowd of more than 46,000. Baylor still couldn’t make it matter on the field.
“It’s disappointing. It’s embarrassing.
Frustrating is probably the strongest thing you feel. Embarrassing is right there, close second.”
The biggest problem was up front, where Baylor never established anything on the ground. The Bears managed just 54 rushing yards on 34 carries, and Aranda said the offense spent the night stuck against a TCU front that never had to budge.
“On the line of scrimmage on offense, we struggled. You know, I think that whole second half, they were in a 4-1 box.
The windows and the lanes are really to run the ball, and we couldn't do it versus a really wide box. And that was the whole game.”
He said the lack of push up front got worse because Baylor wasn’t getting yards after contact, either.
“The other thing that goes in with the lack of movement up front is compounded when there are no yards after contact. ... We have to run the ball better. We've got to be more competitive up front.”
That failure in the run game fed into everything else, including a rough night for DJ Lagway. Aranda pointed to both the protection and the lack of balance as part of the issue.
“I think a lot of the issues that we have with DJ were a lack of the run game and a lack of protection at times as well. It's just a tough night for him in terms of things being clean and things being where they're supposed to be prior to any pass completion.”
Lagway completed only 42% of his passes, the lowest rate in a Jake Spavital offense ever. With the offensive line under constant pressure and the ground game offering little support, Baylor’s passing attack never found a rhythm.
Aranda made sure to say the quarterback won’t be left to carry this alone.
“I said [to Lagway], 'I believe in you. We're going to work to get better,' ...
I believe in him. I see him; I'm going to have his back.”
Even with the offense stuck in neutral, Aranda said he saw fight from the other side of the ball. He credited the defense for bringing energy in difficult moments and for being the unit that sets the tone in the locker room.
“I thought defensively, there's a whole bunch of energy that came from the sidelines onto the field in really tough spots. ... Even in the locker room, the defensive guys are the main guys that are kind of leading it.”
For all the disappointment of the loss, Aranda said he still believes the group will respond.
“I believe in this team. I believe in the guys in that locker room.
And they care about winning. They care about Baylor.
I know we're going to get right back up.”
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Baylor Has A Chance To Make A Real Statement At TCU
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Head coach Ryan McGuyre and setter Isabela Haggard both framed the trip as an important test, and for Baylor the broader appeal goes beyond one Sunday result. The Bears have already shown they can string together wins, but this is the kind of meet-up that can sharpen the conversation around what they are becoming and whether that progress is ready to hold up against a ranked opponent in a hostile gym. [Read more 🡒]