Browsing: Dave Aranda

Baylor football head coach Dave Aranda has always been a defensive guy, so allowing 30 or more points in seven games during a bounce-back bowl season left a sour taste. Leaning on second-year defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield and a veteran defensive line, the Bears are working to right the ship early in spring camp.

For the first time since 2020, Baylor football kicked off spring practice with no question marks surrounding who the starting quarterback would be. Highlighted by redshirt senior Sawyer Robertson, the uncontested QB1, the quarterback room is looking to elevate the Bears’ top 20 offense in year two with offensive coordinator Jake Spavital.

While outdoor conditions fluctuate around chilly temperatures, Baylor Athletics stayed warm during winter break with a busy schedule. From bowl games to the first meet of the season, now that school is back in session, it’s time to catch up on everything you may have missed since finals.

December is here, which means one big thing for college football: Bowl season is near. Before the matchup is set in stone, the Baylor Lariat Sports Desk predicts which bowl the Bears will play in and who will stand on the opposing sideline.

While school was out of session for students to enjoy Thanksgiving with their families, Baylor Athletics continued trucking as it feasted. Across four different sports, the Bears combined to go 8-1 during the weeklong vacation. Here’s everything you may have missed in Baylor Athletics over Thanksgiving break.

Since hiring Spavital this offseason (and moving redshirt junior quarterback Sawyer Robertson into the starting lineup), Baylor’s offense has sped light years ahead of where it was a year ago. Jeff Grimes’ wide zone offense finished No. 101 nationally at 23.1 points per game. In less than a full season on the job, Spavital has the Bears up to No. 23 nationally and second in the Big 12 at 35.1 points per game.

Baylor football head coach Dave Aranda is one win away from bouncing back from a 3-9 season in 2023 and securing bowl eligibility in 2024. The Bears (5-4, 3-3 Big 12) are on a three-game winning streak and will look to win their first game on the road against West Virginia in program history at 3 p.m. Saturday at Milan-Puskar Stadium in Morgantown.

Ten years from kicker Chris Callahan’s historic last-second game-winning field goal to knock off TCU 61-58, redshirt junior kicker Isaiah Hankins replicated the magic with a 33-yard field goal as time expired to help Baylor football knock off their in-state rival, 37-34, on Saturday night at McLane Stadium.