Baylor Football

Game Thread: Baylor Looks to Upset Arizona State in Tempe

Bears face Sun Devils.
By SicEm365 Staff
October 2, 2026
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670 Comments
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SICEM365 GAME THREAD

Baylor at Arizona State

First True Road Game • Big 12 Night Game
Saturday, October 3, 2026 • 9:30 p.m. CT • ESPN
Mountain America Stadium • Tempe, AZ
Records Baylor 3-1 (1-0 Big 12) | Arizona State 2-1 (1-0 Big 12)
Coaches Dave Aranda (Year 7) vs. Kenny Dillingham (Year 4)
Kickoff 9:30 p.m. CT / 7:30 p.m. MT / 10:30 p.m. ET
TV ESPN — Roy Philpott, Brock Osweiler, Sherree Burruss
Radio John Morris, Geff Gandy, Bryson Jackson • KRZI 1660 AM / 92.3 FM
Stream ESPN / ESPN app • BaylorBears.com radio
Series Arizona State leads 2-0
Last meeting Arizona State 27, Baylor 24 (Waco, Sept. 20, 2025) • Gomez 43-yard FG as time expired
Last game Baylor 23, Colorado 13 (Sept. 26)
Line Arizona State -3.5 • O/U 49.5 • as of Oct. 2

Why This Game Matters

  • First true road game of 2026 (Auburn was a neutral site in Atlanta)
  • Night game in Tempe after ASU’s bye; Sun Devils opened league play with a 24-17 win over Kansas in London
  • Baylor has held all four opponents under 20 points, the longest such streak since 2005
  • DJ Lagway is a week removed from a rusty return: 19-of-39, 221 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT vs. Colorado
  • Initial injury report is clean — no Bears listed doubtful or questionable

Series History

  • Arizona State leads 2-0
  • 1990 in Tempe: ASU 34, Baylor 13 — Baylor’s only previous trip to Tempe
  • 2025 in Waco: ASU 27, Baylor 24 on Jesus Gomez’s 43-yard field goal as time expired
  • ASU this year: W vs. Morgan State, L 48-20 at Texas A&M, bye, W 24-17 vs. Kansas (London)

Keys for Baylor

  1. Survive the environment. Aranda called it loud and electric at night. First conference home night game for a lot of this ASU roster.
  2. Get Lagway on schedule. Efficiency has to jump from the Colorado line. 
  3. Win up front. The ASU offensive line is still searching. ASU’s Cutter Boley (736 yards, 9 TD) is the guy to pressure.
  4. Keep the scoring defense intact. Plenty of bend but don’t break for Baylor in 2026. ASU is built to drive on offense. Be better. 
  5. Finish drives. 23 points against Colorado will not be enough if the Sun Devils get their home offense going. Don’t leave points on the field. 

Players to Watch

Baylor: QB DJ Lagway • RB Dawson Pendergrass • WR Gavin Freeman, Jayden McGowan, Dre'lon Miller • OL Koltin Sieracki • LB Travion Barnes • S Bo Onu, Micah Gifford • DL Hosea Wheeler, Traevon Mitchell

Arizona State: QB Cutter Boley • RB Kyson Brown • WR Reed Harris • K Jesus Gomez • HC Kenny Dillingham

SicEm365 Arizona State week reading

SICEM365
670 Comments
Tags
Dave Aranda Game Thread Kenny Dillingham Baylor-Arizona State Baylor at Arizona State Football Arizona State Baylor 2026
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Discussion from...

Game Thread: Baylor Looks to Upset Arizona State in Tempe

43,551 Views | 670 Replies | Last: 1 hr ago by Karab
FLBear5630
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In reply to Youre a clown • 12:41p
Youre a clown said:
FLBear5630 said:
historian said:
Jack Bauer said:
Thus was BUGWBBEARs worst nightmare

All the haters too

Yeah, the anti-Dave crowd have the shakes. 2 more wins, bowl eligible. Only blemish a 1 foot loss to Auburn in Atlanta... A lot of fetal positions...


This is a bad take. No one cares about a close loss, and bowl eligibility in the current big 12 is not a big accomplishment. Standard this year should be eight wins minimum

BS. Its a bad take because it hit a nerve. 8 wins?? Who cares about a number, it has to be tied to some accomplishment.

Bowl Eligible is first goal in any Conference, it is a positive. The loss and how it happens plays into Bowl selection, so it does matter. After Bowl eligibility with no bad losses, Conference Championship game participation is the next notch. Etc...

8 wins may be good enough, may not. May need more. It may win the Conference. It may mean nothing. Auburn is a good loss, on the road, premiere Conference opponent, going for it on 4th down. Bad losses hurt, good losses help with Bowls.

And yes, there are some that wouldn't give a crap if we made the Playoff. More interested in if Eastern New Mexico rights the ship.
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oldbear69
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In reply to FLBear5630 • 1:10p
FLBear5630 said:
Youre a clown said:
FLBear5630 said:
historian said:
Jack Bauer said:
Thus was BUGWBBEARs worst nightmare

All the haters too

Yeah, the anti-Dave crowd have the shakes. 2 more wins, bowl eligible. Only blemish a 1 foot loss to Auburn in Atlanta... A lot of fetal positions...


This is a bad take. No one cares about a close loss, and bowl eligibility in the current big 12 is not a big accomplishment. Standard this year should be eight wins minimum

BS. Its a bad take because it hit a nerve. 8 wins?? Who cares about a number, it has to be tied to some accomplishment.

Bowl Eligible is first goal in any Conference, it is a positive. The loss and how it happens plays into Bowl selection, so it does matter. After Bowl eligibility with no bad losses, Conference Championship game participation is the next notch. Etc...

8 wins may be good enough, may not. May need more. It may win the Conference. It may mean nothing. Auburn is a good loss, on the road, premiere Conference opponent, going for it on 4th down. Bad losses hurt, good losses help with Bowls.

And yes, there are some that wouldn't give a crap if we made the Playoff. More interested in if Eastern New Mexico rights the ship.


Go hounds….
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Youre a clown
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In reply to FLBear5630 • 1:11p
FLBear5630 said:
Youre a clown said:
FLBear5630 said:
historian said:
Jack Bauer said:
Thus was BUGWBBEARs worst nightmare

All the haters too

Yeah, the anti-Dave crowd have the shakes. 2 more wins, bowl eligible. Only blemish a 1 foot loss to Auburn in Atlanta... A lot of fetal positions...


This is a bad take. No one cares about a close loss, and bowl eligibility in the current big 12 is not a big accomplishment. Standard this year should be eight wins minimum

BS. Its a bad take because it hit a nerve. 8 wins?? Who cares about a number, it has to be tied to some accomplishment.

Bowl Eligible is first goal in any Conference, it is a positive. The loss and how it happens plays into Bowl selection, so it does matter. After Bowl eligibility with no bad losses, Conference Championship game participation is the next notch. Etc...

8 wins may be good enough, may not. May need more. It may win the Conference. It may mean nothing. Auburn is a good loss, on the road, premiere Conference opponent, going for it on 4th down. Bad losses hurt, good losses help with Bowls.

And yes, there are some that wouldn't give a crap if we made the Playoff. More interested in if Eastern New Mexico rights the ship.

merely getting to six wins in the current big 12 is not a big accomplishment. End of story
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historian
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In reply to oldbear69 • 1:39p
A lot of people care about the number of wins. Most football fans, coaches, the cfp committee. You might be the only one who doesn't. I know you're making a point but I disagree. In 2026 bowl eligibility is a low floor and many Baylor fans see the situation differently considering the past 4 years.
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
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Karab
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2:39p
The players won the Big 12 and Sugar Bowl in spite of Dave.

I'm convinced the players and coordinators might do something again in spite of Dave this year.

But it's still in spite of himself unless he strings together consistent years.
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