Aranda's Call Sheet: Bye Week Blues, Hungry For Wins & Taking On Texas Tech

On Monday, head coach Dave Aranda held his weekly press conference before the Bears (2-4, 0-2) travel to Lubbock to take on conference foe Texas Tech (5-1, 3-0) at Jones AT&T Stadium on Saturday. He discussed the bye week, how the team is hungry for a win and what to expect from the Big 12-leading Red Raiders.

Bye Week Blues

Coming off a 43-21 blowout loss to No. 16 Iowa State, head coach Dave Aranda and the Bears returned to Waco with a much-needed bye week awaiting them. However, the mood surrounding the team was “disheartening,” according to Aranda, after being outscored 40-7 across the final two and a half quarters in Ames.

"The bye week is always hard after a really tough loss because you're just sitting in it," Aranda said. "But I think if you use that feeling to try and get honest about what needs to improve, a lot of times, that's opposite of what you want to believe. If you look in the mirror, it's hard. If you do that, you have a good chance to get better, and I think there's been a fair amount of that in the last couple of days."

In the defensive disaster, Baylor allowed a season-high 542 yards to the Cyclones and fell to 2-4 at the season's midpoint. With bowl aspirations hanging in the balance, Aranda is trying to rally his troops and have them refocus as they prepare for the back half of the schedule.

"It's important to stay focused, continue to get up, continue to give your best and continue to try to achieve; I think that's been the message," Aranda said. "So far, so good with that; the energy and execution this past week have been good."

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Baylor is coming off a bye week before they travel to Lubbock to face Texas Tech on Saturday.

With the pressure turned up and the outside noise getting louder, Aranda is telling his team to focus on themselves and not worry about what others think or have to say.

"All we can control is what's right in front of us with this play, this particular series, this group period and this team period," he said. "Focusing on the focus is a big emphasis, and I think when you do that, you recognize your talent and skill and what's possible; I know our guys still feel that. I can feel the energy; they don't have to use their words."

With the bye week as a proverbial reset button in the rearview, the Bears must return to work as they prepare for Texas Tech on Saturday. Aranda mentioned that the team took advantage of the extra rest to get healthy and that the secondary, in particular, would be getting back three "integral" players in Caden Jenkins (So.), Carl Williams IV (So.) and Kendrick Simpkins (5Sr.).

"Everyone is fresh and has a fair amount of juice coming off the bye week," Aranda said. "There was some good work for guys who needed it and good rest for the guys we needed to get back."

Hungry For Wins

As the focus shifts to the upcoming matchup against the Red Raiders, Aranda knows how important it is for the Bears to get back in the win column. A loss on Saturday would drop Baylor to 0-4 in Big 12 play, 1-9 in their last 10 conference games and 2-16 against Power Four teams since Nov. 12, 2022.

"They're hungry for [a win]; I think everyone is, and I know our fans and coaches are," Aranda said. "To keep that belief and confidence in the fight and search for a win when you've come so close at times, that's where we're at, and that's the challenge."

What Baylor must figure out now is how to play a complete game. The Bears have shown flashes in halves but have yet to put it together for an entire contest, and Aranda recognizes how important that will be on Saturday to get an upset win on the road.

"It starts with playing four quarters," he said. "To start fast really means we're not going to wait and see what new plays they have, what adjustments we have to make or how different this is from what we practice; it means we're going to run through the smoke. That's something that some guys can innately do, and we have to teach other guys."

Aranda added to that, saying, "This is the big leagues. The schemes and mismatches are all happening fast, and we've got to be able to respond fast. If all of that happens for four quarters, I think we'll be in a position to close it out."

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Aranda noted that the play of QB Sawyer Robertson (RJr.) has been one of the biggest positives so far this season.

Even with the 2-4 start to the season, the fifth-year head coach stressed his confidence in his team on Monday. He highlighted the offensive weapons and rushing defense but said there needs to be more consistency on both sides of the ball.

"The positive is that we've got the potential to be a really good team," Aranda said. "We have talent."

So far this season, one of the main bright spots has been the play of quarterback Sawyer Robertson (RJr.). After taking over for an injured Dequan Finn (6Sr.), Robertson has shined, totaling eight touchdowns and 978 passing yards through four starts. 

"Going back to when it was going to be this quarterback or that quarterback, I think that's hard," Aranda said. "Now, it's, 'Hey, this is my job. I got to do this.' You have to settle into that [starting role] and say, 'This is my thing now. I'm not renting this. I own it now.' I think he's been able to do that … He's very well-adjusted. He always was a leader, but he's taken that role as the leader, and that's really good to see."

Taking On Texas Tech

Late in the 2021 season, Joey McGuire left the Baylor program to take the head coaching job at Texas Tech. Now, roughly three years since his departure, Aranda doesn't believe McGuire has a unique advantage when facing the Bears.

"There's enough for us to worry about our stuff, playing four quarters and doing the things that it takes to win," Aranda said. "I'm impressed with their team and how they're playing. You watch their film, they play hard. I know it'll be a challenge. It'll be the best that they got when we get together on Saturday. I know that's going to be the case."

In 2022, the Bears got the best of the Red Raiders with a 45-17 road win. Last season, McGuire and Texas Tech returned the favor, crushing Baylor at McLane Stadium 39-14. Aranda believes the key to winning on Saturday is forcing them into passing situations on third down.

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Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire was a Baylor assisant coach from 2017-2021.

"If we can get ahead of the sticks, their tempo slows down, and we can get them into third-and-have-to-throw situations," he said. "Two years ago, we were able to do that, and we had a bunch of picks. Last year, we really struggled with big plays and defending the run, so we were never really able to get into those situations."

The Red Raiders are 5-1 on the season and are undefeated in conference play so far but have played in four one-score games. If Baylor comes ready to play on Saturday, the Bears can pull off the upset.

"Offensively, they've found a good rhythm," Aranda said. "Once they get into the red zone, they run trick plays. I think we saw five of them versus BYU a couple of weeks ago, and they are very similar in that respect."

On the other side of the ball, Aranda added, "Defensively, they're playing hard and are improved. They are playing with an edge. When you put on their tape, they are an aggressive team that plays confidently."