Aranda's Call Sheet: New Kids on the Block, Taking on CU in Prime Time, Injury Updates
On Monday, head coach Dave Aranda held his weekly press conference before the Bears (2-1) hit the road to open conference play against Colorado (2-1). He talked about key performances in the win over Air Force, what to expect from the Buffaloes and provided injury updates.
New Kids on the Block
Against Air Force, Sawyer Robertson (RJr.) got the nod at quarterback in place of an injured Dequan Finn (6Sr.). Robertson stole the show, leading the Bears to their first FBS home victory since 2022 and throwing for a career-high 248 yards on 18-of-24 passing.
"Sawyer came in and performed really well," Aranda said after Saturday's win. "There was poise with him. At times, in camp, the rush has gotten in his face, and he's getting the ball out. He's calm in the pocket. The ball was distributed to guys who could do something with it, so that's a positive."
On the ground, Bryson Washington (RFr.) made his 2024 debut and showcased his talent, rushing for a career-high 106 yards and a touchdown.
When asked whether Washington's superb start was a surprise, Aranda said, "We've been expecting it. I'm glad that he's back." The fifth-year head coach went on to say, "Having him back and healthy makes a big difference. The violence and the vision he plays with make a big difference. He's a great complement to the outside guys we have."
One of the only negatives from the victory was three first-half fumbles. When the mistakes were cleaned up in the second half, Baylor outscored Air Force 25-0 and outgained the Falcons in total yardage, 478-to-218.
The Bears became the first non-service academy to hold Air Force without a touchdown since San Diego State in 2003 and were the first non-service academy to outrush the Falcons since Wyoming in 2022.
"Once we were able to hold on to the ball and really capitalize on the momentum, the complementary football showed up the second half, particularly," Aranda said. "It makes stuff taste a little bit better when the defense is playing fast, and the offense feels a rush of momentum."
Now, the goal for Aranda's Bears is to play like they did in the second half against Air Force for an entire contest, and that has to start this weekend in the conference opener against Colorado.
"Everyone knows that that this is real," Aranda said. "The intentionality of today leads to an outcome that we want on Saturday. [We have to make sure] the bright lights and the TV cameras don't get in the way of what's right in front of us and what we've been repping since Monday. We've got to be able to get that better this time than a couple of weeks ago."
Facing the Buffaloes in Prime-Time
Before dissecting Baylor's upcoming opponent, the Colorado Buffaloes, Aranda made his admiration for CU's polarizing head coach, Deion Sanders, clear in Monday's press conference.
"I have a lot of respect for him and the energy, notoriety and the juice that he's brought to that program," Aranda said. "We're going into a homecoming game for them, and it's going to be packed, and it's nationally televised, probably not for us, it's probably for them. I think he's doing a great job."
The prime-time 7 p.m. matchup on FOX will be crucial for both sides as each team fights to make a bowl game this fall. For the Buffaloes, it starts on offense with quarterback Shedeur Sanders (Sr.) and their talented wide receiver trio of Travis Hunter (Jr.), Jimmy Horn (Sr.) and LaJohntay Webster (Sr.).
"The quarterback makes some really hard throws, and if he knows what you're in, he'll eat you up because the throws are out before the turns are made and before the coverage has a chance to work leverage," Aranda said. "With their skill [positions], you can only double-cover so many people."
To no fault of their own, the Bears have yet to be tested against a pass-heavy team. Baylor faced Tarleton's backup quarterback, Utah's freshman backup quarterback for an entire half and played a service academy that doesn't throw the ball. Now the script is flipped with the Bears taking on a Colorado team that throws the ball on roughly 70% of offensive snaps.
"We've been playing a lot of running teams, and to go from one end to the other end is our task; a lot of work needs to happen for us," Aranda said. "[Colorado] is a team that looks like they're trending up, and it's going to be a tough environment for us. It's going to take our best."
Injury Updates
Despite Saturday's win, some key Bears missed the game due to injury, namely Finn, wide receiver Hal Presley (Sr.), defensive lineman Cooper Lanz (RJr.) and defensive back Carl Williams IV (So.).
The main takeaway from the win over Air Force was how much smoother the offense looked with Robertson at the helm in place of an injured Finn. Aranda, however, kept his cards close to the vest and offered minimal updates about Finn's status at Monday's press conference.
"Right now, we're going day-to-day," Aranda said. "Dequan's out of his sling, so we had practice this morning, and he was able to move around better. There are limitations on what we can do per day, but I think we're in a good spot."
The focus now moves to Finn's health, and if he's good to go, who will line up under center for Baylor on Saturday night against Colorado – Finn or Robertson?
"We had the 'player of the game' award that we do when we win, and Sawyer won that award," Aranda added. "The team was really fired up and excited for him. We're going to see what tomorrow brings and what Dequan can do, as well as see how we progress. We hope to have an idea of [who is starting at quarterback] prior to Saturday."
Elsewhere, the Bears will look to get one of their top weapons back in the coming days. After taking a wicked shot to the head against No. 11 Utah on Sept. 7, Presley didn't play a snap versus the Falcons this past weekend, but Aranda remains optimistic that Baylor will get him back for Colorado.
"I think there's a chance for Hal," Aranda said. "He may not get the practice time that we would want him to have, but there's a chance we'll get Hal back [before this weekend]."
On the defensive side of the ball, the Bears will need Lanz (ankle) and Williams IV (knee sprain) to return to help mitigate the Buffalo's lethal passing attack.
"Both were [practicing] today and looked good, so we'll see," Aranda noted. "This would be a game where you sure would like to have Carl [Williams IV]. Today looked good, and tomorrow is going to be a bigger test. Coop [Lanz] looked good. He's all bandaged up; his ankle [is huge] with all the bandages, but he moved well. We're hopeful that we can get smaller bandages on that [ankle] closer to game time."