Baylor enters Saturday’s matchup with TCU looking every bit like one of the Big 12’s hottest teams. The Bears have won four straight, they’re 4-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play, and the version of Baylor showing up in 2026 looks a whole lot different from the 5-7 squad from last season.
What stands out first is how many different ways Baylor can beat you.
In the two conference games, the offense has had two completely different faces. Against Colorado, Baylor managed 337 yards of total offense in a game where neither side ever really settled in. The Bears leaned on their defense and special teams, then finished things off with a big fourth-quarter touchdown drive.
A week later, the Bears were rolling. Against Arizona State, Baylor piled up 564 yards of total offense in a 55-19 win and looked hard to slow down whether it was on the ground or through the air.
A big reason for that explosiveness is wide receiver Gavin Freeman. If you only know him from the Colorado game, it’s probably because of the moment he hurdled a group of defenders and stuck the landing. But his impact has been far bigger than one highlight.
Through Baylor’s first five games, Freeman has 42 catches for 479 yards and two touchdowns. His work out of the slot and his knack for turning short throws into chunk plays could be a real problem for TCU. The Horned Frogs will need to stay locked in on him and tackle cleanly whenever the ball gets there.
Baylor’s backfield gives the Bears another layer. Dawson Pendergrass, Caden Knighten, Ryelan Morris and Michael Turner have all split the workload, giving the offense a true four-headed rotation.
Pendergrass led the team against Colorado with 17 carries for 84 yards. The next week against Arizona State, Turner led the way with 10 carries while Knighten and Morris each ran for 84 yards.
The one area where that group has stayed relatively quiet is in the passing game. Each of the four backs has five receptions through five games, and none has reached 30 receiving yards or caught a touchdown pass. That said, TCU still can’t treat them like afterthoughts.
The Bears’ attack gets even more dangerous when quarterback DJ Lagway is in rhythm. After Week 1, he looked like a player Baylor could live without after a rough showing against Auburn. He also dealt with an ankle injury and missed two games before returning against Colorado.
Since then, the results have been much better. In Baylor’s two conference games, Lagway has completed 44 of 79 passes for 527 yards, six touchdowns and one interception, good for a college passing efficiency rating of 134.26.
Against Arizona State, he threw four touchdown passes and added a rushing score. Baylor is giving him chances to finish drives, and he’s taking them.
That balance makes the Bears tough to defend. TCU can’t afford to sell out against the pass or the run and let the other side of Baylor’s offense take over.
And if the Horned Frogs do find ways to move the ball, they’ll still have to deal with a Baylor defense that has consistently cleaned up mistakes. In the two conference games, opponents have converted only seven of 30 third-down chances, or 23.3%. Baylor has allowed just one touchdown in six red-zone trips during that stretch and has racked up eight sacks for minus-65 yards.
Against Colorado, the Bears made life miserable for a Buffaloes quarterback rotation that included Julian Lewis and Isaac Wilson. Baylor got five sacks and held Colorado to 13 points. Against Arizona State, the Bears gave up only two field goals in the second half, forced three turnovers and turned a competitive first half into a runaway win.
So far this season, Baylor has held all five opponents to 20 points or fewer. That means TCU’s offense is walking into a tough ask.
Up front, the Bears have a defense that can come from anywhere. Bo Onu and Daniel Cobbs lead the team with three sacks apiece, and defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman likes to get aggressive, including pressure from the secondary. Garrick Ponder and Jordan Mack have two sacks each as well, which gives Baylor another way to disrupt quarterbacks.
That trench battle could decide everything. For TCU, protection will matter just as much as play design, especially with quarterback Jaden Craig needing to stay comfortable in the pocket. The Frogs also need to put their best players in positions to make something happen, and Kari Ashley has become a reliable target when the offense needs one.
TCU has had extra time to sort through its offensive problems after the bye week. The last time the Frogs came out of an open date, they beat Grambling State 63-7, but Baylor is a different kind of test. TCU has had the prep time; now it has to show it.
Baylor comes in fresh off its best offensive outing of the season, and the Bears have had time to reset before a bitter rival arrives. TCU wants proof that the bye week fixed something. Baylor wants to prove the break didn’t cool off its momentum.
In Other News...
TCU Has Every Reason To Take This Baylor Rivalry Personally
TCU is heading into its annual matchup with Baylor with a little extra edge, and not just because it is a rivalry game. Several Horned Frogs have talked about how much this one means inside the building, from the program pride to the personal motivation that comes with facing a familiar opponent. With both defenses bringing strength to the table, this shapes up as the kind of game that tends to be decided by who handles the pressure better and who can make the bigger plays when the margin gets tight.
The Frogs also have reason to see this week as a chance to make a statement beyond the usual bragging rights. Transfers and returning players alike have said they are ready to contribute, which only adds to the sense that TCU views this as more than another stop on the schedule. For a team looking to protect its own momentum and add another meaningful chapter to the rivalry, the stakes feel especially personal even before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Sonny Dykes Just Put TCU's Biggest Baylor Week Concerns In Focus
Sonny Dykes spent the lead-up to Baylor week doing what head coaches usually do in a bye, sorting through what needed cleaning up and what could carry over. In a media session with Jamel Johnson and Jeremy Payne, the TCU coach touched on the Horned Frogs' progress during the break, the offense's goals, and what he saw from Baylor's attack, while also offering a few individual observations that suggested the team is heading into the rivalry game with some confidence.
Still, the most interesting part of the discussion was what Dykes left just below the surface. He pointed to the bye week as a useful chance to evaluate the roster and make adjustments, but kept the specifics close to the vest, even as questions lingered around the receiver room and how the Frogs will manage those roles against Baylor. For a TCU team trying to turn a week off into a real edge, the answers may matter as much as the questions. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Comes Out Of The Bye Facing A Big 12 Gut Check
The bye week did not arrive at a great moment for TCU, which now heads into a road trip to Baylor trying to steady itself after back-to-back losses. The Horned Frogs are 2-3 overall and looking for a sharper start to Big 12 play, while Baylor has been one of the leagues cleaner early stories at 4-1 and has already built momentum behind a strong run through September.
For TCU, this feels like an early-season measuring stick as much as a rivalry game. Both teams had time to reset, and both coaching staffs have spent the week talking through what they want to see on Saturday, but the pressure sits differently on each sideline. Baylor gets the chance to keep rolling at home and protect its place near the top of the conference race, while TCU is trying to make sure a difficult opening stretch does not become a more lasting problem. [Read more 🡒]