Questions of the Week: Explosive Plays Here to Stay? Comfortable In Close Games?

After a hard-fought 38-28 homecoming win over Oklahoma State, the Bears will look to keep their winning streak alive as they welcome rival TCU (5-3, 3-2) to town next weekend. Here are the top questions for Dave Aranda and the Bears (4-4, 2-3) going into the matchup against the Horned Frogs.

Explosive Plays Here To Stay?

For the first time since 2021, Baylor has put up over 500 yards of offense in back-to-back games. On Saturday, the Bears rushed for 343 yards on the ground, the most since Sept. 11, 2021, against Texas Southern (419).

Running back Dawson Pendergrass (So.) had the best game of his young career, totaling 142 rushing yards on just six attempts for an astounding 23.6 yards per carry. He also had the game-sealing touchdown run where he broke through the hole for a 55-yard score after having multiple defenders on his back near midfield.

Quarterback Sawyer Robertson (RJr.) also showed off his legs with 73 rushing yards of his own, including a 41-yard score up the gut of the Pokes’ defense.

After the game, both were asked who had the better touchdown run and pointed at each other. Robertson jokingly said, “I would have gotten tackled if I had three guys on my back like he did.”

The improvement in the ground game cannot be understated as a major reason why Baylor has earned back-to-back wins for the first time in two seasons.

“All of the ugliness early on has gotten to a point where now it’s a weapon,” head coach Dave Aranda said post-game. “It’s been cool to see. I wish we started earlier with this, but I’m glad we’re here now.”

Comfortable In Close Games?

Baylor’s victory over Oklahoma State was the first conference win at home since Oct. 22, 2022, against Kansas. Versus the Pokes on Saturday, the Bears fought for four quarters despite the various ebbs and flows of momentum throughout the contest.

“We were in somewhat of a similar situation on the road at Colorado a couple of weeks ago,” Aranda said. “I look back at that and the team we were there, the maturity of our team and the gelling of our team. We’re a completely different team now, and I think that was evident.”

Despite going into half-time tied at 17 apiece, Baylor outscored Oklahoma State 21-8 in the second half and made key defensive stops when it mattered most.

“I hate thinking about those losses early on because those should have been wins,” Robertson said. 

“We could have laid down at that point in the season because that’s what we did last year. It was honestly really good to win a close game because it’s something that hasn’t happened in a while. It’s a gradual thing. You have to learn to win. This team is starting to gel, but we’re not done yet.”

Earlier in the contest, particularly in the first half, the Bears struggled with self-inflicted mistakes, totaling 93 yards in penalties, missing numerous tackles and having several broken coverages. Those errors could have snow-piled in the past and potentially resulted in a loss.

"I thought there were so many mistakes in the first half and the middle part of the game, and I wish that wasn't the case and that we were past that," Aranda said.

"But the ability to fight through it, not accept it, battle and get off the field when we needed to in those long drives was so cool to see. The fight of the team and the belief in each other is really cool and inspiring to me to see it."

Getting Over The Hump Against TCU?

For much of the last decade, TCU has had Baylor’s number. Whether it was the 2021 upset loss in Fort Worth or the last-second field goal in Waco in 2022, the Horned Frogs have repeatedly found ways to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

TCU has won eight of the last 10 matchups and will come to McLane Stadium next Saturday, riding back-to-back wins over Utah and Texas Tech.

“Everybody understands the situation here,” Aranda said. “When you win a game, there’s a chance to exhale, but you really can’t do that because we have another game coming up against a really good opponent.”

Even with the Horned Frogs besting Baylor in recent years, next week is a pivotal matchup for Aranda’s squad. It’s a “black-out” night game at McLane Stadium, and the 2013 and 2014 Big 12 Championship teams will be honored beforehand.

With four games remaining on the schedule and Baylor needing two wins to make a bowl game, the Bears have to find a way to get over the hump against their rival and take care of business under the lights on their home turf.

“There are guys that maybe thought that they could [do it] that know they can [do it] now,” Aranda said. “There’s a team that maybe was hoping to do something, but now they know they can do something. That’s a big difference.”