Joe Klanderman didn’t leave much room for interpretation before Baylor’s win over Iowa State. The interim head coach said the Bears were done being an unpredictable group, and he put the standard in plain terms.
“Our guys are buying into the fact that we’re through being this wishy-washy group, wondering which Baylor group is going to show up,” Klanderman said. “You’re going to get a Baylor group that’s going to play their butts off.”
Two games later, that message is carrying real weight.
Since Baylor moved on from Dave Aranda, the Bears have strung together back-to-back wins, knocking off UCF 41-9 and then beating Iowa State 42-31 on Saturday. That adds up to 83 points across two games, a sharp turnaround for a team that had spent much of the first half of the season fighting inconsistency.
The results have pushed Baylor to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in Big 12 play. With that record, the Bears are one of five conference teams with two losses or fewer as the regular season heads into its final three weeks. They’re still alive in the Big 12 Championship Game race, even if they need help to get there.
That’s a striking spot for a program that looked very different just a couple of weeks ago.
The road ahead, though, is no joke. Baylor’s final three games bring a trip to BYU, a home date with Texas Tech and a road matchup at Houston. All three are in the Big 12 championship mix, which means the Bears are about to find out quickly whether this surge is built to last.
There’s also a bigger question hovering over Klanderman now. If he can guide Baylor to another win or two through that stretch, does he enter the conversation for the permanent job?
It may be early, but it’s not far-fetched anymore.
For now, Klanderman has said exactly what he wanted his team to be, and Baylor has backed it up: a group that shows up and competes every week.
In Other News...
Baylors Offense Looked Dangerous But One Concern Still Lingers
Baylors Homecoming win over Iowa State had plenty to like on the offensive side, with DJ Lagway making his mark as both a passer and runner in a 42-31 victory that showed how many different ways the Bears can move the ball. Production came from several position groups, and the overall balance gave the offense a more dangerous look than it has shown at times this season.
Still, the game also left one familiar concern hanging around. Baylors defense got to the quarterback with three sacks and finished with nine tackles for loss, but Iowa State was still able to lean on its rushing attack and stay in the game longer than the Bears would have preferred. Special teams did its part with clean extra points and solid punting, yet the defensive run-stopping issue remains the piece that could matter most as the schedule moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Just Got The Interim-Coach Boost Fans Were Hoping For
Baylors season took another step forward Saturday with a 42-31 win over Iowa State, a result that pushed the Bears to 6-3 and made them bowl-eligible. It also gave Joe Klanderman his first home victory as Baylors interim head coach, a useful marker for a program trying to steady itself while still keeping its focus on the field.
The Bears did it with offense, scoring 42 points and holding the lead after halftime even as Iowa State found room on the ground through Aiden Flora. For Baylor, the bigger takeaway was the combination of progress and urgency that comes with this stretch of the season, when every win can change the tone around a team and every performance starts to matter a little more. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Opens Big 12 Run With A Rematch That Could Set Tone
Baylors Big 12 tournament path begins with a familiar opponent and a chance to keep its strong season rolling in the postseason. The No. 8 Bears, seeded third after a 15-3-1 regular season, meet No. 25 Houston in the quarterfinals at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium, where the stakes rise quickly in a bracket that leaves little room for error.
Houston arrives as the No. 6 seed at 11-4-4, making this a matchup that should test Baylor right away rather than ease it in. A victory would send the Bears into the semifinals against either Texas Tech or UCF, and for a team positioned near the top of the league race, the opener could go a long way toward shaping how this tournament run is remembered. [Read more 🡒]