WACO, Texas (KXXV/KRHD) — Baylor is carrying momentum from what head coach Dave Aranda called the team's most complete performance of the season into Saturday night's rivalry game against TCU at McLane Stadium.
WATCH the full story here:
Aranda says the challenge coming out of the bye week was making sure that momentum didn't stop.
"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. And we haven't done anything yet," Aranda said.
Against Arizona State, Baylor's offense took a major step forward. The running game broke through, the offensive line played with confidence, and quarterback DJ Lagway looked more comfortable leading the offense.
Rather than letting the bye week interrupt that progress, Aranda says the Bears used the time to study themselves.
"How do we create momentum during a bye week? What the guys talked about was energy in practice, energy in meetings, a lot of one-on-one stuff, a lot of good versus good in practice, and keeping score, having winners and losers," Aranda said.
The extra time also allowed Baylor to get healthier. Aranda says the offensive line is full-go, while Lagway's ankle has also improved coming out of the bye.
Now the question remains whether Baylor can recreate what worked against Arizona State. Receiver Louis Brown IV says the answer comes down to consistency.
"We just have to keep our foot on the pedal, keep doing our one of 11, and keep showing up day in and day out through practice and sticking to the course. Just keep doing what the standard is: being smart, tough, and dependable week in and week out," Brown said.
Those three words — smart, tough and dependable — are what Aranda wants to define this team. Against Arizona State, he believes the Bears showed signs of all three.
"We want to be able to play tough for four quarters, 60 minutes all the way through. This last game particularly, we were able to play smart, which was a nice relief from what it's been. We want to continue to play smart football and not play two opponents, just play one," Aranda said.
Saturday night's matchup against TCU may be a new rivalry for many of the transfers on Baylor's roster, but for the players who have been around it before, there is no need to explain what this game means.
"I just don't like them. I mean, none of us do. We got to go out there and win. We haven't had the most success against TCU in my time here, and I feel like it's about time that changes," Micah Gifford said.
Aranda says he is making sure his new players understand the history of the rivalry.
"A lot of our guys are transfers and are all new to it, so we're trying to tell them, 'Hey, this is where it's at. Here's what we can do about it.' I think it's way important, and to hear from so many people how much this means is cool to be a part of," Aranda said.
Baylor knows TCU presents problems on both sides of the ball. Aranda says the Horned Frogs' defensive line may be the best his offense has faced this season, while TCU quarterback Jaden Craig's ability through the air and on the ground presents another challenge for the Bears defense.
"They're really talented. I think the quarterback's a talented player. You can 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. Then defensively, I think their D-line might be the best D-line that we've played to this point," Aranda said.
For Baylor's defense, the formula remains the same — prevent as few mistakes as possible.
"Just playing for each other. Out on the field, communicating, getting the calls across, and making sure everyone's on the same page. If we got all 11 of us doing the same thing, whether it's right or wrong, if we're just playing fast and on the same page, then it's going to go good for us," Gifford said.
Gifford says the Bears don't take kindly to opponents coming to their home.
"It feels like all of us feel disrespected when they come to our home trying to go up on us," Gifford said.
With two conference wins already under their belt, the Bears sit fourth in the Big 12 standings but remain the only undefeated team in conference play that isn't ranked. Baylor has another opportunity to make its case against rival TCU on Saturday night.
The Bears and Horned Frogs kick off at 6 p.m. at McLane Stadium, with fans encouraged to wear black for the annual "Blackout on the Brazos" game.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
