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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Discussion from...

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

32,879 Views | 459 Replies | Last: 5 days ago by FLBear5630
oldbear69
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6:12p, 9/19/26
Aranda mr nice guy,.. won't put foot on throat ,,, we quit playing in 3 rd quarter … can't tackle and critical penalties,,, maybe win 4 conf games,,,, maybe ,,, oh did I mention play calling ?
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JXL
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6:12p, 9/19/26
Nice pass
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Dia del DougO
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6:13p, 9/19/26
OK, breathing a little bit easier.

Not sure that play works against higher level players, though.

"The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool."
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Big12Fan2024
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6:13p, 9/19/26
Ok, I can relax now.
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whitetrash
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In reply to Guitarbiscuit • 6:13p, 9/19/26
Guitarbiscuit said:
bear2be2 said:
Danielsjackson114 said:
Typical Dave aranda team

Fire this bald headed loser already

Sad but true.

There is no excuse for this game to be as close as it is.

We're going to win by two scores, but we did everything we could to give them a chance.


I don't trust us to win by 2 scores. Why would you assume that?



Because we are ahead by 3 scores?
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bear2be2
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6:13p, 9/19/26
Great game today by Nate and most of the receivers. Solid game by the defense. Everyone else gets an F.
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bear2be2
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6:14p, 9/19/26
We could have thrown for as many yards as we wanted to if we hadn't been trying to force the run game for the last three quarters.

This team is going to have to open up the run game with the pass. The opposite will not happen at any point this season.
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boognish_bear
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6:14p, 9/19/26
We aren't a good enough team to just start going through the motions when you get a decent lead.

Not sure what to expect next week.
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historian
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6:14p, 9/19/26
Touchdown!!
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
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JXL
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6:14p, 9/19/26
21 of 24 with no INTs is a nice stat line for Nate
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BUGWBBear
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In reply to whitetrash • 6:15p, 9/19/26
Because we should be ahead by 6 scores.
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Big12Fan2024
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6:16p, 9/19/26
Ok, 2-1 heading into Big 12 play which is pretty much what all of us thought we'd be. Interesting times start next week.
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Timbear
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6:17p, 9/19/26
Today's uniforms are by far the ugliest in memory.
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BearFan33
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6:20p, 9/19/26
Good game by Bennett and receivers

Defense pretty good. Better than last year for sure
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boognish_bear
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In reply to Timbear • 6:20p, 9/19/26
Timbear said:
Today's uniforms are by far the ugliest in memory.


They are terrible.

McNamee has been pretty responsive to improving the fan experience so far. Im not sure if he has any say in uniforms...but it's time to move on from what we have now.
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Delmar 2.0
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In reply to Timbear • 6:20p, 9/19/26
Timbear said:
Today's uniforms are by far the ugliest in memory.

False


2009 Homecoming comes to mind
I ain't quite as dumb as I seem
-- (P.C. 1974)
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bear2be2
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In reply to BearFan33 • 6:22p, 9/19/26
BearFan33 said:
Good game by Bennett and receivers

Defense pretty good. Better than last year for sure

I think the most frustrating thing about this one is that you can't really take solace in the return of Lagway because the quarterback position was probably our biggest strength today.

Lagway will be hard-pressed to play better than Nate did today, so we'll need to improve in a lot of other areas if we hope to win games from here on out.

I don't think there's an unwinnable game left on our schedule. But I think almost every one will be tough from here on out. We're going to have to win tight, low-margin games, which hasn't been a strength of ours since 2021.
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True Grit
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6:22p, 9/19/26
Good news… DA was able to get in a lot of clapping and furrowing of his brow for the cameras this game.
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GoldBoy232
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6:23p, 9/19/26
If we lose to CU and at ASU, do we think there's any chance Dave gets canned during the bye week before TCU?
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Jacques Strap
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6:23p, 9/19/26
5 or 6 wins IMHO

Dave returns because BMDs don't want fund the buyout and AD will prefer to spend money on NIL and not the buyout. Hope I'm wrong about win total and Dave returning.
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BUGWBBear
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In reply to True Grit • 6:23p, 9/19/26
True Grit said:
Good news… DA was able to get in a lot of clapping and furrowing of his brow for the cameras this game.


I'd rather watch him get fired on the field
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bear2be2
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6:24p, 9/19/26
It would be funny if we popped a long run for the backdoor cover. I love listening to degenerate gamblers whine about bad beats.
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bear2be2
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In reply to GoldBoy232 • 6:25p, 9/19/26
GoldBoy232 said:
If we lose to CU and at ASU, do we think there's any chance Dave gets canned during the bye week before TCU?

I do. You can't start 0-2 in Big 12 play in a potential lame duck season.
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Big12Fan2024
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6:26p, 9/19/26
Line started at 18.5. Final looks like it will be 17.
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BearFan33
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6:26p, 9/19/26
I think it's a bowl game (6 wins) or bust for DA

So I predict 6 wins

Just enough for another season
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boognish_bear
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6:28p, 9/19/26
Morris looks like he may have an extra gear
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bear2be2
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6:28p, 9/19/26
I like Morris. That dude has something.

I was impressed by him last week.
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Dia del DougO
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6:29p, 9/19/26

Only saw 60 percent of the game, so here are my six things.


It was a win. So there's that. Pretty ugly for 36-19

Pendy no longer trendy. Running game/OL was not a bright spot.

Not a fan of book burning, but this game is making a decent argument for it on both sides of the ball.

Not sure another effort like this can get a win vs any Big 12 team this year.

I hope they were just really, really flat, and not just this bad at football.

All healing vibes go out to DJ. Gonna really need him the rest of the way.

Bonus:

It's really all just one thing. This ain't gonna cut it the rest of the way. I hope this was not an example of what Baylor football looks like the rest of the way.



"The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool."
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Big12Fan2024
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6:29p, 9/19/26
Ok, this Morris kid looks like he has some wheels if he could get to the open field. Probably too raw to contribute a lot this year but it's nice to see we actually do have a guy with speed.
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bear2be2
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In reply to bear2be2 • 6:29p, 9/19/26
bear2be2 said:
It would be funny if we popped a long run for the backdoor cover. I love listening to degenerate gamblers whine about bad beats.

Damn it. We almost did it.
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BearFan33
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In reply to bear2be2 • 6:29p, 9/19/26
bear2be2 said:
I like Morris. That dude has something.

I was impressed by him last week.


If he can catch - wheel route
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Big12Fan2024
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In reply to bear2be2 • 6:30p, 9/19/26
bear2be2 said:
It would be funny if we popped a long run for the backdoor cover. I love listening to degenerate gamblers whine about bad beats.

Almost!
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GoldenBear007
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6:31p, 9/19/26
We should be a bowl team this year
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TechDawgMc
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6:31p, 9/19/26
Almost covered on that last play
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JXL
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6:31p, 9/19/26
A win is a win I suppose, second half was much too sloppy. Next week should be interesting.
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