Baylor opens Big 12 play on Saturday with Colorado coming to Waco, and the matchup brings a familiar face back into the conversation: Coach Deion Sanders. The Bears are 2-1 and still carrying the sting of last year’s overtime loss to the Buffaloes, while Colorado arrives at 2-1 after a rough showing against Northwestern.
One of the biggest questions for Baylor is how much it can get out of DJ Lagway. He is expected to start, but he is not at full strength yet.
Dave Aranda said, "[Lagway] was 70 percent [last] Tuesday," head coach Dave Aranda said. "How about next Tuesday being 90 percent or 85 percent or something like that?
Let's take that, you know, and let's have you as close to 100 percent as we can."
If Lagway is still short of 100 percent, that changes how Baylor can use him. He likely won’t be much of a running threat, which would make it easier for Colorado to get pressure and harder for him to escape it. That puts even more weight on Baylor’s offensive line, which has to be sharper in pass protection than it was against Louisiana Tech.
The passing game should have chances early. Colorado gave up 423 yards and 41 points to Northwestern, and Baylor should look to attack that defense before settling into a more controlled rhythm.
With Lagway’s arm and Gavin Freeman working out of the slot, the Bears have the kind of pieces that can stress the Buffaloes quickly. A few deep shots early, followed by longer, more methodical drives later, could be the right formula.
Baylor’s defense also has a chance to swing this game. Colorado turned it over four times against Northwestern, and Julian Lewis threw the first two interceptions of his career in that loss.
The Bears’ defensive line has enough talent to make life difficult and force the ball loose again. If Baylor can generate takeaways early, it could take control before the game has a chance to tighten up.
There are still some areas Baylor has to clean up, though. The Bears struggled on third down against a slippery Bulldog quarterback last week, but that kind of issue should be less of a concern here if they stay disciplined. Colorado failed on three of its four fourth-down tries against Northwestern, so Baylor’s job is to hold firm on third and fourth down and short.
Penalties are another problem both teams have dealt with, and Baylor can’t afford to keep giving Colorado fresh chances. Limiting those mistakes would help the Bears keep drives from extending and give them a cleaner path to handling their home opener in conference play.
In Other News...
Deion Sanders Has A Colorado Problem That Could Cost The Buffs
Colorados early-season sloppiness has become impossible to ignore, and it has shown up in the one area that can quietly wreck a game long before the final drive. Through three games, the Buffaloes have been the Big 12s most-penalized team, a frustrating start for a program that has spent plenty of time talking about discipline and details.
Deion Sanders has pointed to pressure as a factor, saying it can disrupt player discipline even when practice emphasis is there. The problem was especially costly in the loss to Northwestern, and with Big 12 play beginning, Colorado is already treating the penalty issue as something that needs close attention before it turns into a deeper season-long problem. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Fans Still Dont Know Who Deion Is Really Cutting
Deion Sanders latest roster shakeup left Colorado fans with a familiar kind of uncertainty on Monday, with the Buffaloes coach saying multiple players had been dismissed for off-field conduct. The move came after a frustrating loss and after Sanders pointed to continuing problems with player behavior, underscoring how aggressively he has been willing to reshape the program since arriving in Boulder.
The university, though, later said the situation is not fully settled and that potential roster changes have not been finalized. An updated roster is expected later in the week, leaving the Buffaloes in a holding pattern as the teams next chapter on personnel still has to be sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Gets Its First Real Big 12 Test At Home
No. 13 Colorado returns to Prentup Field on September 24 for its Big 12 home opener, and this one already carries the feel of a measuring stick. The Buffaloes are 7-1-1 overall and unbeaten in conference play so far, while No. 10 West Virginia arrives with its own clean early record and the kind of ranking that instantly sharpens the attention around a matchup.
Colorado has won four straight and has looked steady enough to keep building momentum, but this is the first league home date that really asks where the Buffaloes stack up in the conference race. Head coach Danny Sanchez has already pointed to the challenge ahead, and with two ranked teams on the same field, the answer figures to come with plenty of pressure, pace and a test Colorado has been waiting to see. [Read more 🡒]