Since 2017, the Baylor Football team has been more of a defense-led program. As Matt Rhule built the program up from his 1-11 first season, the Bears’ defense improved in leaps and bounds.
The 2019 Sugar Bowl team touted consensus All-American defensive lineman James Lynch alongside Bravvion Roy, Clay Johnston, Grayland Arnold, and Henry Black.
When Dave Aranda took over as head coach, there was a fair expectation that the savant of defensive scheme would keep the improvement going. Despite a poor 2-7 record in the COVID-riddled 2020 season, he did just that.
Because it is just over three weeks till the kickoff of the 2022 season, let’s focus on the 22 straight games that the Baylor Bears have forced a turnover.
The streak began in the second game of that 2020 season, at Morgantown, West Virginia with two interceptions and two fumbles recovered. Since that game, the green and gold have forced a further 40 turnovers.
That makes the turnover total under Aranda 44 in his 23 total games coached for the Bears.
I’m not sure how those numbers stack up across college football, but that sounds pretty darn good to me.
