Baylor heads to Orlando on Friday night needing a reset, and it comes with a new face running the sideline. The 4-3 Bears are trying to snap a two-game skid when they visit UCF, a team riding momentum after an overtime win over BYU last week. That result came just days after the Cougars knocked off Notre Dame, so the Knights enter this one with plenty of confidence.
For Baylor, the biggest change is on the sideline. This will be the first game without Dave Aranda after his firing following another gut-punch loss. In Aranda’s seventh season in Waco, the Bears fell to Kansas last Saturday when Rhett Armstrong’s kick was blocked, giving Baylor back-to-back defeats.
Defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman has stepped in as the interim head coach, and he’ll keep handling the defense as well. That double duty makes Baylor’s defensive performance one of the more interesting things to watch, especially with the unit expected to keep playing physical football while Klanderman takes on more responsibility.
UCF hasn’t exactly been airtight through the air. The Knights have given up at least 250 passing yards in four of their last five games, which gives Baylor a possible opening. If the Bears are going to leave Orlando with a win, DJ Lagway likely needs another strong performance.
The ground game, though, is a harder sell. The problem hasn’t been the backs so much as the offensive line, which has struggled to create space all season. Baylor just hasn’t been opening enough holes to trust that part of the offense.
That puts even more pressure on Gavin Freeman, who has taken over as the clear focal point of the passing game. He’s been one of the top playmakers in the country, averaging nearly 100 yards per game, and Lagway has leaned on him heavily. UCF is well aware of that.
Freeman is going to get his touches and his production. The question is who else can step up.
Louis Brown has been Baylor’s second-leading receiver with 22 catches for 345 yards and three touchdowns, and he’s already shown he can swing a game. In three different contests this season, Brown has posted at least five receptions and finished with between 62 and 74 yards.
UCF will likely focus on Freeman, but Baylor may not need to force that battle every snap. The Knights can try to take away the obvious option, yet if Lagway starts attacking downfield, Brown could become the outlet that matters most. If Baylor can get a second playmaker rolling next to Freeman, the offense has a chance to open up in a hurry.
In Other News...
Noah Fifita Faces A New Big 12 Test As QB Race Tightens
Week 8 gave the Big 12 another reminder that quarterback depth can swing the league in a hurry, with a few lesser-known passers stepping into the spotlight and changing the feel of the race. Cincinnati got a jolt from JC French IV in its upset of Texas Tech, while UCF found stability from Keyone Jenkins in a win over BYU, the kind of performance that can reshape how a staff views its own quarterback room heading into the next stretch of conference play.
Now the Knights are heading into another tricky Big 12 test, and the QB conversation around them has only gotten louder. Injuries and benching questions are circling the league, the Week 9 slate brings more chances for movement, and Noah Fifita sits right in the middle of a pecking order that is getting harder to sort out as the season turns. [Read more 🡒]
Johnny Dawkins Just Landed A Guard UCF Fans Need To Watch
Johnny Dawkins added another significant piece to UCFs future with the commitment of Jacoby Briscoe, a 6-foot-6 combo guard out of Virginia who is regarded as one of the top prospects in his state. Briscoe, ranked No. 2 in Virginia, said the visit to campus stood out because of the family atmosphere Dawkins presented along with the vision for how he fits into the program.
For the Knights, the pledge gives the staff a talented perimeter option with size and versatility, and it also says plenty about the pull UCF can now have in a recruiting battle. Briscoes arrival gives Dawkins another high-end building block to sell to the fan base, with the kind of profile that immediately raises expectations for what comes next in Orlando. [Read more 🡒]
Baylors First Game After Aranda Will Show A Lot
Baylor heads into its next game against UCF with a different look on the sideline, and the timing makes the matchup even more interesting. Joe Klanderman has taken over as the Bears interim head coach, and with the coaching change comes the usual questions about how much will stay the same and how much will shift in a hurry. One area worth watching is the offense, where Klanderman has already expressed support for Jake Spavitals play calling as Baylor tries to steady itself.
For UCF, that means preparing for a team in a transition period but still capable of changing the feel of a game with a few adjustments. The Bears have every reason to come out with urgency after the move at the top, and the first outing under the new staff will say plenty about how they want to attack, how freely Spavital can operate, and whether Baylor can turn a difficult week into something more competitive on Saturday. [Read more 🡒]