Dave Aranda meets with media ahead of Baylor's matchup with Texas
On Monday, Baylor head coach Dave Aranda met with the media ahead of a matchup with Texas in Austin on Saturday afternoon.
On mood for return to practice…
It was great to be back. It was good to see the staff and see them back. There’s some real excitement there. I think some guys were able to spend some quality time with their families. Others were able to do studies and make some cuts of different systems. But I think everybody was waiting for us to be back, and it was good to see the excitement on everyone’s face. Player-wise even more so really, and so they were really excited. There was great energy, and I think it was the start of some momentum. If there could be on a Sunday on a walk-through, we had it. You felt it, so it was pretty cool to be a part of that.
As far as getting 11 guys on offense and defense, I feel really good about that. We had our tests yesterday, and everyone is negative, coaches, players, everybody. We’ve been in the right direction for the last couple of those. I feel like by the middle of the week we’ll have most everybody back. So far, so good, headed in the right direction.
On the difficulties of shutting down and then cranking back up…
I think you try to do within the time what you can within the bye week. After the West Virginia game, I thought we had a really good Sunday. Tuesday and Wednesday of that bye week were two of our best practices. The energy, the physicality, the attention to detail on both of those days were really strong. We did half-line work on Tuesday, and on Wednesday we had pods or one-on-one type work, or rather two-on-two type work. A guard and a center working a combo off a shade up to a linebacker. Guys were getting pushed, guys were getting off blocks, and so there were really good things there, things I can really address what needs to be addressed. I was anticipating a good Thursday, and then we’re stopped, and rightfully so.
But within the time that we had we had good-bad tapes throughout the week. So our players were able to meet off Zoom with our coaches. There would be 10 plays of good and 10 plays of this you can do better. The good would be highlighted by this is how we see you. These are the things you’re really doing well. Then the things that need to improve, there would be an example of say there’s an NFL player or a player at Baylor or there’s someone that coach has coached before. Here’s how they’re doing it. This is what we want it to look like, and here’s what you’re doing now. Here’s the drill we’re going to do to help you get there. So there’s a lot of it. Up to Wednesday, I thought that was really strong. So using the time that we had I felt like we really invested wisely there. You’d love to be on the grass, but I feel we’ll attack it come Tuesday.
On his relationship with Tom Herman…
Tom was already at Cal Lutheran when I was at San Bernardino Valley College, and I was looking to go to Cal Lutheran. I remember myself and a buddy drove up there. Our head high school coach at Redlands High School, Jim Walker, had gone to Cal Lutheran, and so he had mentioned it as a possible place. I didn’t really know much about Cal Lutheran prior to that. Beautiful campus, man, you drive through LA County and get into Ventura County, and it’s green rolling hills. My tour guide or my host, if you can call my visit like a recruiting visit, but my host was Tom Herman. I remember him, the school was small, it’s a little bit bigger now but not really, but he’s knowing everybody. He’s talking to everyone and smiling, making jokes. This guy’s like the mayor, walking around with him. I was so impressed with him as a player. He was hurt all the time, he’d be iced up, he’d be in the training room. He’d come out and play. We were playing Occidental College and we needed to get a big first down, and Tom makes the catch. He was always that guy. When you needed something, it always went through him.
I remember him being the emcee at our women’s basketball games. My girlfriend at the time, my wife now, was on that basketball team. So I would show up in the gym, and there’s Tom, he’s announcing it. Then it would get to halftime, and the lights would turn down, and they’d have these strobe lights and Tom is on the table dancing. So it’s like wow. I’ve always been impressed with Tom, and he’s always been great to me.
When we were grad assistants, I was in Lubbock and he was in Austin, and we’d play each other. My wife now, my girlfriend at the time, would go down to Austin and hang out with him and his wife now, and she was his girlfriend at the time. Just pretty cool that all that happened and here we are. I do talk to him quite a bit. I imagine it won’t be this week, but I count on him a lot for his view of things and how sees it. A lot of respect for him.
On Sam Ehlinger…
One of the things that strikes me about the offense is the amount of motion. I feel there’s more motion in this year’s offense than previous. What that does for him is help in man, zone tendencies. Is it man coverage? Is it zone coverage? Is it a blitz? Is it not? I think he’s able to make decisions quickly. So that ball comes out faster than I remember coming out when we (LSU) was preparing for him last year. I think the things that stay the same are just his competitiveness, his instinct. When the game is close and the ball’s in his hand, he’s going to make a play and own it. He’s similar to our guy (Charlie Brewer) in that respect. But a lot of respect for him. I know the offense runs through him. Their ability to have the run game, and there’s tempo, there’s RPOs, there’s some shot plays, there’s stacks that they motion to create and try to hide. But then there’s a bunch of key runs by a quarterback counter, quarterback power, by a quarterback zone read. I think when they get into certain parts of the game when they need a play, it goes to him. Our ability to play team defense vs. that I think is key.
On relief provided by frequent testing…
I think they feel we’re heading in the right direction. I think they feel that whatever the day’s event is, whether it’s a meeting or a practice or a school, there’s nothing in the windshield of like hey what’s coming next? They can focus on the here and now, I feel. I’ve felt that here the last couple of days.
On value of Charlie Brewer’s leadership…
Our offense in particular, and our team looks to Charlie. They respect him. He doesn’t say a lot, but when he says something it’s one of those things when everyone listens and everybody follows through. His ability to be our quarterback, and to run the offense through him and feature him and do things he’s comfortable with and things that speak to him and allow him to be the best version of him, I think all that is very true. When that happens, and I see some of these things with Sam (Ehlinger) as well, there’s an unconscious level that they play at where it’s almost on auto pilot and it’s scary when you get to that part if you’re on the other side of it because the competitor comes out. So I know that’s our goal on this side and I’m sure it’s there’s as well.
On getting a faster start on offense and Brewer’s health…
I think one of the things we can do to improve offensively is to limit our penalties. And I take full responsibility for that. For us to not get behind the sticks and get into these second-and-longs and then conversely into third-and-longs, but to try to stay ahead of it and run the football. I feel like the games last year, I was really impressed with the offense. And then I look at our first game, when Baylor is at its best, it’s able to run the football. And I think our ability to do that and to not play Baylor, so to speak, but to play Texas, and kind of get out of our own way, that’s integral right there. And then the second part of your question was Charlie’s health. He’s great. His energy and his enthusiasm and his focus, I think is all there. Excited to get going on the week with him.
On overall state of pass rush and its importance…
I feel like overall, with the defense, I think players and coaches have done a great job of really kind of owning the scheme and owning the culture there. I feel like the progression is going to get to where it’s almost more simple and it’s more basic. And, if there are four guys lined up on the line of scrimmage, those four guys can win and create a rush on their own. And if a team is going to run the ball, and we have a three-man front, those guys can get knocked back and the linebackers can flow and beat blocks one-on-one and come off and make a play. Where, I feel like at this stage right now, there’s a progression there. We’re not there by any means. I feel like we’re taking adequate steps to do that, but I think that there’s a fair amount of scheme. We’re bringing a corner, and the line is cutting the ball, the linebackers can fall back, or the STAR is rushing and (Jalen) Pitre is making a play. Or, the line is again cutting off the ball and Terrel (Bernard) falls back. So, there’s a fair amount of that. And, Texas does a lot of the same thing. But, I think there are times where you can do that, and then there are times where we’ve got to put our cleats in the grass, here you are, here we are, let’s go. And I think we’re progressing to that point. Before you know it, that’s what it will end up being. And we just have to be ready for it.
On goals for tight ends and Ben Sims importance…
We’re trying to get him involved as much as possible. And the thought there is just in 11 personnel, being a multiple 11 personnel team, is you would want someone that can be attached to the core, attached to the five O-linemen, and have combo blocks with them, can pass protect versus a defensive end if need be, and can also flex out and be fleet enough afoot as a receiver to run through or run by a re-route, make a play in space, make somebody miss if need be. Or, drop a shoulder on a guy, if need be. First of all, that’s the job requirement right there. That’s a guy that can do all of it. And I feel like we’ve got those guys. Now, once you have that, let’s say they’re giving a two-high structure and they’re given attention on the outside, then the inside is open. So, there’s the ability to hit the guy in the open. If they’re bringing people in the box and singling everything up, then there’s the ability for play-action pass pot passes, which we’ve tried quite a bit and I think are good at keeping people honest. So, I think there is a fair amount of not only counterbalancing that comes with tight ends, but really featuring. So, I’m excited to see kind of where it goes. I think we’ve got the guys to do it.
On if he pays attention to local rivalries or treats it same as other games…
We try to do that, just do what we do. I think we need to play the brand. And we talk about being the toughest, hardest working, most-competitive team, and to put that on tape. We talked about this with the staff today. I saw that when I would watch Baylor play in the past. There are friends of mine that called after our first game and mentioned that they saw that when they watched our team play. There is no greater compliment as a coach when you ID our team is this, and someone from the outside sees your team and calls you that. There is no greater compliment than that. So, I think if we do that, then a lot of things will take care of itself.
On what he did during 12-day shutdown…
Early in the morning, I’d see my kids, they’d get ready for school, and then we would have staff meetings, we would have recruiting meetings and then we would have offense/defense meetings. So, Monday through Wednesday was a lot of self-scout. So, you had special teams, offense and defense all looking at their stuff. So, like offensively, out of this formation, this is how people have been playing us, this is what we’ve done. With these percentages, or these numbers, this is what we can expect how people are going to play us now. So, there’s that. And then, hey, out of this formation, we’ve gotten pressure and our win percentage versus pressure is this percent. So, we can anticipate seeing more pressure. I think sometimes when you’re in the games, and then you even have time off, sometimes there’s a narrative that goes into your head. It’s like, let’s get down to what the truth is, let’s get down to what the reality is, and you have to go down to where that is and do the work. So, I feel like we were able to do that. And then defensively, I think the ability to see disguise-wise, we’re trying to show two-high looks, is that really what’s happening? Is there one guy that’s tipping it? We bring (Jalen) Pitre a lot, the STAR, so does it like he’s covering before he comes, or does he tip it? And then special teams-wise, there are certain units that are performing better than others. Is that personnel? Is that scheme? Is that other people’s scheme and/or personnel? So, all of it is kind of whittling down to, what is the reality? This is where we’re at, this is where we want to go, this is how we’ve got to get there. So, I appreciate those days. And then, Thursday-Friday was kind of getting opponent’s scout. Zoom, I forgot how it worked for a little bit, but now I know again.
On program mindset following shutdown…
I think it’s business as usual. I feel like there’s excitement coming back, for sure. But then, it is owning the process, man. It’s doing all the ordinary things at an extraordinary level. We call that the Baylor standard performance. So, it’s being early to things, it’s dressing the right way to things. It’s when you’re in meetings, and you’re taking notes, you’re sitting straight up, you’ve got a pen or pencil and a pad of paper and you’re on it. When we’re in the indoor and we’re having our meetings and you leave to go from a team meeting to a unit meeting, you pick up after yourself so there’s nothing on the ground. You throw stuff away. When we’re on the practice field, you run on and off the practice field. When we’re having walk-throughs, you’re communicating, you own it. Don’t let someone else say something that you already know, let it be known, step out there, be that guy. All of those things add momentum to the day. And when you put little wins like that on top of each other, then you end up getting a bigger one. So, that’s the plan.