By Addison Gernenz | Copy Editor
For a chilly October night game, the stands and student section were packed with Baylor fans donned in black. It seemed like everyone showed up to this highly anticipated Revivalry game, with the exception of the Bears’ offense.
Baylor fans had some flickering hope that the team could run the table in the Big 12, riding on a four-game win streak.
Baylor (4-2, 2-1 Big 12) enters the second half of the season after what was a mostly strong beginning to the season. The 17-6 loss to TCU (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) blurs expectations for he remainder of the season is more intimidating games like No. 10 Texas Tech and traveling to No. 8 BYU and No. 20 Houston.
As the Bears approach the second half, a winning season is still on the table. However, any shot at making the Big 12 championship appears to be gone with Lagway’s inconsistent quarterback play.
After a sloppy first half, the Bears seemed to improve as halftime neared.
They began the game with minus-3 yards to TCU’s 80, but bounced back, managing a total of 159 yards to TCU’s 141 at the end of the half.
The third quarter crushed any hope of a comeback with TCU quarterback Jaden Craig throwing for a touchdown 44 seconds in. The offense continued to slide with a mere 31 yards to TCU’s 173 in the third quarter.
Baylor turned the ball over twice, fumbling the ball three times and losing possession once, as well as Lagway’s lone interception. Its defense remained strong but ultimately could not recover where the offense failed.
The Bears reached the red zone one time, only making it as far as TCU’s 15-yard line.
Baylor failed to keep its undefeated Big 12 record, while TCU earned its first win in the Big 12. The largest concern is junior quarterback DJ Lagway.
Lagway threw for 256 yards with one interception and a 41.5% completion rate, the lowest of his career. His previous low was 48.7% against Colorado in September.
It also marks the lowest in a Baylor game under offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, following a 42.9% completion rate against Utah in 2024.
Lagway didn’t look in rhythm with anyone. His passes were off, the timing with the wide receivers was uncertain and the running backs were unable to find windows to move the ball.
“On offense, we struggled,” head coach Dave Aranda said. “That whole second half, [TCU’s] in a 4-1 box … basically playing preventive defense in a way.”
The offense knew that they weren’t able to stack up against one of the Big 12’s top defenses.
“It’s a tough game,” senior tight end Matthew Klopfenstein said. “It’s important that when you’re put in a situation like you are tonight, you go against a good team, a good D-line … that you handle business up front.”
TCU’s defensive line ruled the trenches from the start. Baylor ran 34 times for only 54 yards and 1.6 yards per rushing attempt despite the Horned Frogs not loading at the line of scrimmage.
“The windows are so small, the windows or the lanes … to run the ball,” Aranda said. “We couldn’t do it versus a really light box. … That was the whole game.”
The offense was incapable of running the ball — a stark contrast from the explosive running we showcased against Arizona State — and managed 310 yards after reaching 546 yards in Tempe, Arizona.
“I think the biggest [issue] for us was … just not eliminating simple mistakes,” Klopfenstein said. “It was like more position group doing one mistake and then we just could not get on the same page. And that’s something that we have to clean up going forward. And so, we’ll take a look at the film and evaluate.”
Lagway’s subpar performance could be partly attributed his injury in the first game of the season against Auburn, which led to junior quarterback Nate Bennett replacing him against Prairie View A&M and Louisiana Tech.
“[Lagway’s] probably not 100%, but he is healthy,” Aranda said. “It’s just a tough night for him in terms of things being clean and things being where they’re supposed to be.”
The team looks to pick themselves up and salvage the season as they travel to take on Kansas Saturday, with kickoff time to be determined, at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas.
