Behind Enemy Lines: What Matt Campbell Has to Say About Baylor

While Baylor (2-3, 0-2) has a tall task ahead of them on Saturday night in Ames, it’s not unreasonable to see a scenario where the Bears can pull off an upset of No. 16 Iowa State (4-0, 1-0). The Bears have won seven of the last 11 meetings against the Cyclones, including the last meeting in Ames in 2022.

Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell understands that Baylor can’t be taken lightly despite their current struggles.

“I wouldn’t say we have a concern about Baylor, but a respect for Baylor. When you look at their games this season, nobody in the country has played better in the second half,” Campbell said. “They’ve had some new guys come into their program on both sides of the ball, and I think that’s why you see their team start to get into the flow over the past couple of games.”

It’s very frustrating knowing that Baylor has let multiple opportunities slip through its hands to begin the season, which has put a dark cloud back over the program. You can point to coaching all you want, and rightfully so, but at some point, they need the players to step up and make plays.

Campbell echoed that sentiment with his respect for head coach Dave Aranda and all the adversity that he’s experienced at the helm in Waco.

“My respect goes out to Coach Aranda, knowing what kind of coach that he truly is,” Campbell said. “He’s a championship level coach in the Big 12 and a guy that knows what it takes to have elite success. You can really see his team playing that way. I know they haven’t been rewarded over the past two weeks with a win, but how they play and their ability to come storming back in these games with their mentality and toughness, we’re gonna get maybe the best team we’ve seen coming in here on Saturday night.”

You can’t deny the strength of schedule that Baylor has faced so far this season. If you include the Cyclones, the Bears will have faced three ranked opponents with a combined record of 22-6 overall and 6-1 in Big 12 play. 

The Bears desperately need a win with their opportunities to become bowl eligible starting to narrow down. It won’t be easy to pull the upset this week, especially facing another elite defense like the one Iowa State possesses. The Cyclones last two opponents never made it into the red zone, and they’ve yet to allow an opponent to pass for more than 125 yards in a game this season.

Kickoff for the Bears and Cyclones is set for 6:30 p.m. on FOX. Be sure to tune into the 365 Sports pregame show from 9-10:30 a.m. Saturday morning on YouTube and KWTX.