Baylor Football

Game Thread: Baylor Battles Louisiana Tech Before Big 12 Play Begins

Game thread ahead of Baylor versus Louisiana Tech.
By SicEm365 Staff
September 18, 2026
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SICEM365 GAME THREAD

Baylor vs. Louisiana Tech

Non-Conference Finale • Family Weekend
Saturday, September 19, 2026 • 3:00 p.m. CT • ESPNU
McLane Stadium • Waco, TX • Home
Records Baylor 1-1 (0-0 Big 12) | Louisiana Tech 1-1 (0-0 Sun Belt)
Coaches Dave Aranda (Year 7) vs. Sonny Cumbie (Year 5)
Kickoff 3:00 p.m. CT / 4:00 p.m. ET
TV ESPNU
Radio John Morris, Geff Gandy, Bryson Jackson • KRZI 1660 AM / 92.3 FM
Stream ESPNU / ESPN app • BaylorBears.com radio
Series Baylor leads 5-1 • 3-1 in Waco
Last meeting Baylor 24, Louisiana Tech 16 (Shreveport, Sept. 7, 1996)
Last game Baylor 44, Prairie View A&M 3 (Sept. 12)
Line Baylor -19.5 • O/U 51.5 • as of Sept. 17

Why This Game Matters

  • Final non-conference game before Colorado opens Big 12 play next week
  • Family Weekend at McLane; Baylor Backyard Live with Members Only
  • Both starting QBs are out: DJ Lagway (ankle) and Blake Baker (hand)
  • Nate Bennett makes his second start after 314 yards and 4 TDs vs. PVAMU
  • Need to clean up 9 penalties and 3 turnovers from last Saturday

Series History

  • Baylor leads 5-1 all-time; last meeting was 1996 in Shreveport (24-16 BU)
  • Tech’s only win: 10-9 at Floyd Casey in 1992
  • Tech this year: W 80-6 vs. Northwestern State, L 45-14 at No. 8 LSU
  • Tech trailed LSU just 10-7 at half after four first-half takeaways

Keys for Baylor

  1. Protect the ball. Tech is +2 in turnover margin and picked Sam Leavitt three times.
  2. Cut the flags. Aranda: “Right now, it’s too easy to beat us, with the penalties and the turnovers.”
  3. Start fast. Tech hung around into the third quarter at LSU. Do not wait for a punch.
  4. Win the line without Tezino. Season-ending leg injury last week. Mitchell’s injunction keeps him available.
  5. Let Bennett play on schedule. Run Pendergrass, take the easy throws, avoid the two-pick repeat.

Players to Watch

Baylor: QB Nate Bennett • RB Dawson Pendergrass • WR Gavin Freeman, Louis Brown IV, Dre'lon Miller • DE Kyler Jordan • DL Hosea Wheeler, Traevon Mitchell • LB Travion Barnes

Louisiana Tech: QB Trey Kukuk (start with Baker out) • WR Jalen Mickens • DB Jordan McRae (100-yard INT return vs. LSU) • a DL/LB group Aranda called talented and takeaway-heavy

SicEm365 Louisiana Tech week reading

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Game Thread Baylor-La Tech Baylor vs. Louisiana Tech Football Baylor Louisiana Tech 2026
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Discussion from...

Game Thread: Baylor Battles Louisiana Tech Before Big 12 Play Begins

39,306 Views | 459 Replies | Last: 9 days ago by FLBear5630
JXL
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3:52p, 9/19/26
That was a nice deep ball
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Team America
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3:52p, 9/19/26
Bennett is ballin'!!!
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Big12Fan2024
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3:52p, 9/19/26
Bennett has been pretty impressive today.
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boognish_bear
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3:52p, 9/19/26
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PLSQL_BEAR
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In reply to bear2be2 • 3:52p, 9/19/26
bear2be2 said:
That defensive possession looked much, much better. Score here and we'll be able to pull away.


Ask and ye shall receive.
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ImABearToo
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3:52p, 9/19/26
Nate "Nick Florence" Bennett.
“Life is short, eat desert first!”
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whitetrash
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3:53p, 9/19/26
Holder bungled the snap. Never got the ball placed.
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BUATX2000
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3:53p, 9/19/26
Who is the dip **** that started ringing the bell in the stadium right as we snapped the extra point.
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BUGWBBear
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3:53p, 9/19/26
F this kicker. Get a kid off the soccer team.
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Delmar 2.0
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3:53p, 9/19/26
TOUCHDOWN B:TCHES !!!!
I ain't quite as dumb as I seem
-- (P.C. 1974)
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william
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3:54p, 9/19/26
TD Bears!

Wooooooooo!!

- el UF

This one's for Dale!!!
Go Bears!
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william
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In reply to BUGWBBear • 3:55p, 9/19/26
BUGWBBear said:
F this kicker. Get a kid off the soccer team.

.... a certain Mule might be available.

- el UF

Don Knotts not.

BID.

Go Bears!
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Team America
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In reply to BUGWBBear • 3:55p, 9/19/26
BUGWBBear said:
F this kicker. Get a kid off the soccer team.


That was not on the kicker. That was the holder all the way.
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bear2be2
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In reply to boognish_bear • 3:55p, 9/19/26
boognish_bear said:

How bad is Oklahoma?
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Big12Fan2024
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3:55p, 9/19/26
I may jinx us here, but the thing that's impressed me with Klanderman in the first 3 games is that you can actually see him making adjustments on D after then initial series or two. That's something I don't know that I saw Dave do many times last year.
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ImABearToo
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In reply to Big12Fan2024 • 3:56p, 9/19/26
Not even after half time.
“Life is short, eat desert first!”
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bear2be2
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3:56p, 9/19/26
If they're going to continue to try to stack the box and man up our receivers on the outside, just keep beating them over the top for big plays.
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historian
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3:57p, 9/19/26
Bennett again!
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
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bear2be2
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In reply to Big12Fan2024 • 3:57p, 9/19/26
Big12Fan2024 said:
I may jinx us here, but the thing that's impressed me with Klanderman in the first 3 games is that you can actually see him making adjustments on D after then initial series or two. That's something I don't know that I saw Dave do many times last year.

He's really good at his job ... obviously. This defense is so much better and more sound than our last two or three it's insane.
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JXL
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3:59p, 9/19/26
La tech is really self destructing with the penalties
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ImABearToo
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3:59p, 9/19/26
DB's are actually on the receiver, not that 3-4 yds off like prior years.
“Life is short, eat desert first!”
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JXL
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4:00p, 9/19/26
Ouch
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bear2be2
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In reply to BellCountyBear • 4:00p, 9/19/26
BellCountyBear said:
This defense is really not that much better than last year's.

Want a mulligan? This defense is way better than last year's. Like night and day better.
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bear2be2
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In reply to ImABearToo • 4:01p, 9/19/26
ImABearToo said:
DB's are actually on the receiver, not that 3-4 yds off like prior years.

This is a very solid, well-coached defense. And you don't know how refreshing it is to be able to say that with a straight face. Actually ... you probably do.
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ImABearToo
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In reply to bear2be2 • 4:01p, 9/19/26
They don't stand around and watch, they fly to the ball.
“Life is short, eat desert first!”
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whitetrash
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4:01p, 9/19/26
Oh jeez: now it's Sing Along with Tay-Tay.
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bear2be2
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In reply to ImABearToo • 4:02p, 9/19/26
ImABearToo said:
They don't stand around and watch, they fly to the ball.

They're just reading, reacting and firing. They're not standing there flat-footed thinking all the time like they were in Aranda's failed scheme.
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ImABearToo
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In reply to whitetrash • 4:02p, 9/19/26
McLane home field advantage.
“Life is short, eat desert first!”
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bear2be2
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4:03p, 9/19/26
That was a nice hole on Turner's first-down run. Maybe those deep balls will loosen up their defense a little bit.
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bear2be2
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4:04p, 9/19/26
Our receivers have looked good today, too. That's been nice to see. It was basically all Freeman the first two weeks.
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whitetrash
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4:04p, 9/19/26
Derp.
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JXL
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4:05p, 9/19/26
Well that certainly didn't work
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boognish_bear
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4:05p, 9/19/26
Miami-Ohio 28
Cincy 7

Half
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Big12Fan2024
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4:05p, 9/19/26
Awful blocking by our TE and RB. Bennett had no chance.
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bear2be2
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4:05p, 9/19/26
That was not great.

The third-down runs are clearly a Spav staple. It's not a terrible strategy when you can actually get a push. But it's a wasted play when you can't.
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