Baylor head coach Dave Aranda didn’t waste time Monday setting the tone for the week. With TCU up next, he made it clear the Bears still feel like they have more to prove - and more to build.
“It’s good to see everybody here, excited for this one. The message to the team is that we’re not done getting all of the blocks we need to get in yet.
We’re not done pressuring the quarterback for four quarters yet. We’re not done becoming who we can become yet.
We haven’t done anything yet. And so I thought last week was positive in terms of focusing on us.
“And the message last week was, how do we create momentum during a bye? And had the team kind of go through it and identify how they can practice, how they can go through their day-to-day.
And I thought we achieved those things. We’ve got a really big test this week with TCU.
I know that we’re going to get their best game. They’re a talented team.
A lot of respect for Sonny and the coaching staff there. So excited about this matchup and excited about getting back to work.”
That opening line - “We’re not done yet” - set the theme for everything else Aranda discussed. Baylor used the bye week to keep the focus on internal habits and how the team handles the day-to-day, and he said the group followed through on that approach.
The good news on the injury front was just as important. Aranda said, “Looking good. Yeah, everybody is full-go right now.”
He also gave an encouraging update on DJ Lagway. “Looks improved.
Yeah, I think from where he was when he played on Saturday to where he is now, much improved. And so he’s running around.
There’s pocket movement for him. There’s quarterback runs for him.
And so he’s moving around much better.”
Aranda said the team has spent time drilling the idea of sticking to its routine and not getting pulled off course by outside noise. “I made a big point of it, and we’ll continue to do that.
I think our process, our routine over any type of noise is the mantra here. By process, it’s like, hey, what does it take to get a really strong Monday practice?
What do you go through to get to where you’re at your best for a Tuesday morning practice, right, for an evening game on Saturday, right?
“How does that Friday and Saturday look like, right? What do you do to put yourself in the best?
Each guy’s different. Some people use music, some people will use imagery.
Some guys will just get into a bunch of film. And so other guys will write their notes and kind of review their notes and quizzes and things.
But we want ownership in all of that. And so that when we get to those moments, we’re at our best.”
Baylor enters the matchup having won four straight, and the bye week added another layer to the challenge of keeping that momentum sharp. Aranda said the pause was handled with an eye toward staying connected to the rhythm of game week.
On TCU, he made it clear the Bears are expecting a serious test. “They’re really talented.
I think quarterback’s a talented player. You could tell he’s got touch.
He’s got a great ability to run as well. I feel that tight end for them is a mismatch.
And they use them as such. Running back does a great job of sticking his foot in the ground, getting vertical.
They’re a big wide zone team.
“And so some of those holes that are created by the offensive line are big.Then defensively, I think their D line, some of the best D line might be the best D line that we’ve played to this point. They’ve got really twitchy guys in the interior that can really be disruptive. And it’s gonna be a challenge for our group.”
Aranda is 2-4 against TCU as Baylor’s head coach, and this week gives him another chance to shift that record in a hurry.
In Other News...
TCU Has One Chance To Reset Before Baylor Changes Everything
TCU is trying to keep the mood upbeat after its loss to BYU, even with the result making the road ahead much trickier in the Big 12 race. The Horned Frogs are treating this week as a reset point, leaning on a defense that has given them a chance to stay in games while the offense works to find more consistency before the matchup with Baylor.
Senior players KaMorreun Pimpton and Hudson Hooper both sounded confident that the group can respond and close the season in a better place than it started this stretch. The challenge now is turning that optimism into cleaner execution, because the margin for error is shrinking and Baylor is waiting at a point in the schedule where one more slip can change the conversation quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Faces A Rivalry Threat That Could Hit Big 12 Hopes Hard
Baylors trip to face TCU carries more weight than a typical rivalry game, even with the Bears installed as the favorite. The matchup has the feel of a measuring stick for both programs, with Baylor trying to keep its Big 12 position intact and TCU leaning on the kind of defensive edge that can make a favorite uncomfortable on the road.
For the Horned Frogs, the stakes are obvious even without much room for error in league play, and that is part of what makes this one so intriguing. Baylor can ill afford a slip if it wants to stay in the title conversation, while TCU has enough on its side to make this a game that could turn quickly if the Bears are forced into a tight fourth-quarter fight. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Faces A Bowl Pressure Game With West Virginia Coming To Town
The Big 12 has set TCUs home matchup with West Virginia for Oct. 24, giving the Horned Frogs another clear checkpoint in a season where bowl positioning is starting to matter. The noon-hour kickoff at Amon G. Carter Stadium will land on ESPN2, and it arrives with both programs searching for traction after uneven starts, with TCUs offense still trying to find more consistency.
West Virginia brings an offense that can create problems, while TCU will be leaning on the fact that Sonny Dykes has handled the Mountaineers well during his time in Fort Worth. For the Horned Frogs, the bigger picture is obvious: this is the kind of midseason game that can shape the rest of October, especially with bowl eligibility hanging in the balance and little margin left for slipups. [Read more 🡒]