Aranda's Call Sheet: 'We’re Going To Out-Physical You & Out-Run You'

On Monday, head coach Dave Aranda held his weekly press conference following Baylor's (5-4, 3-3) bye week. He discussed Baylor's explosive offense, the team's vibes coming off the bye week, how the Bears must improve on defense and what to expect from the Mountaineers in Morgantown.

We're Going To Out-Physical You & Out-Run You

Following the thrilling victory over TCU on Nov. 2, star quarterback Sawyer Robertson (RJr.) was seen leaving McLane Stadium in a boot. Aranda calmed any fears about Robertson's status, saying he's "100%" and noted that the team is "as healthy as we've been" going into Saturday's contest against the Mountaineers.

Across the last three games, Baylor's offense has taken off, totaling 1,593 yards and 134 points. While Robertson's play at quarterback has been toward the top of the conference since he took over as the starter, the main reason for the Bears' rapid improvement is the suddenly formidable ground game.

"When we're running the ball, our throw game is more explosive," Aranda said. "Prior to these last three games, there were explosive [passing plays], and that was it. Then the run game came along, giving a solid ground for those explosive [plays] to happen even more often. Once you have all of that, confidence grows in everything."

As the season has continued, the offensive line has improved rapidly and helped propel the Bears to 855 rushing yards during Baylor's three-game winning streak. It's the first time since 2016 that the Bears have rushed for over 250 yards in three straight games.

"Once we [had success], all this confidence came, and it was like, 'Man, this is us. We can do this.' Since then, it's been multiplying, and it's to the point where we believe we can do this, and we're going to out-physical you and out-run you," Aranda said. "It's been the same guys all along, but the belief that wasn't there is now fully there."

Outside of the improvement of the offensive line, the success of the rushing attack can be traced to the emergence of running back Bryson Washington (RFr.), who Aranda likens to Abram Smith, the program's single-season rushing leader (1,601 yards in 2021).

"When [Washington] gets hit, he feels good," Aranda said. "When he delivers hits, he feels better. He adds physicality to our team when he's looking for contact."

The tight ends have also become a major factor in the rushing attack. Not only did Michael Trigg (RJr.) secure the game-winning catch against the Horned Frogs, but he's becoming a lethal option as a blocker as well.

"As the season's gone on, he's gotten more and more locked into his job description and the assignments and roles," Aranda said of Trigg. "His confidence has grown with his mastery of that. I think there's total trust between him, Sawyer, [Coach] Spav and the whole group. He can really flourish; I think this is just the start with him."

Aranda also mentioned that running back Dominic Richardson (Sr.) is no longer with the program and will look elsewhere to use his final year of eligibility. Richardson has only played in four contests this year and finishes his Baylor career with 628 yards and one touchdown on 156 carries.

"Dom is off the team and has another year [of eligibility] and wants to be able to use it; I wish Dom the best," Aranda said. "Running-back wise, we've had some production there, and the rotation probably wasn't what he wanted."

Business-Like & Focused

In most college football seasons, teams only get one idle weekend apiece. This year, every program across the country is benefitting from multiple bye weeks. Coming off a three-game winning streak, Aranda says his team's intensity is still at an all-time high and there's been no time to slow down.

"Throughout these last couple of weeks, the wins have been business-like and focused, and I felt that today," he said. "Sometimes, when you're coming off the bye [week] and you've been out for a couple of days, you don't have that feeling, but it was very much that feeling."

Not only is the extra bye week another chance to get healthy, but it's also an opportunity to keep the focus within and be introspective about what needs to be worked on.

"Everyone gets refreshed; in today's practice, you can feel the energy," Aranda said. "There's always a strain when you're under the gun, so having a chance to breathe is probably good. It gives you a chance to look at the stuff you're doing good and not doing good."

Baylor's main area for improvement in the final month of the season is the pass defense. The Bears have given up an average of 335 passing yards per game in the last three contests.

"That's been something that hasn't improved since the beginning of the year," Aranda said. "We have to play the pass better. When the ball's in the air, we have to play the ball better. When we're playing zone, we have to communicate and execute those zone responsibilities better."

Outside of the win over Texas Tech, Baylor has also struggled to tackle well in recent weeks. During the first bye week in mid-October, Aranda simplified the defense so the players wouldn't have to think as much on the field, but it's still a work in progress to get his team to play confidently and mistake-free.

"Defensively, our ability to play four quarters all the way is something that we're still aiming to do," he said. "We need to try and get cleats in the ground. We're still seeing a fair amount of shifts and motions that are getting guys' eyes all over the place. We've got to be able to settle that down to settle down the tackling."

Baylor Versus The State of West Virginia

The Bears will head east this weekend to take on the feisty West Virginia Mountaineers (5-4, 4-2). Baylor has notoriously struggled in Milan-Puskar Stadium and is winless (0-6) in Morgantown since the Mountaineers joined the Big 12 in 2012. 

This Saturday, Aranda's Bears are looking to change their fortunes.

"It's going to be us versus the state of West Virginia, so we're going to have to be locked into what our prescription is and stay through the momentum swings that are surely going to come," he said.

The Mountaineers are on the brink of bowl eligibility with three games remaining and are also fighting for their head coach, Neal Brown, who is on the hot seat for the second consecutive season.

"In a lot of ways, they are similar to us," Aranda said. "They are a gritty and physical team. They've got players that love ball. Their care factor is really strong. Their coaches put them in a position to be successful. When I watch them, I can see that they do a good amount of self-scouting and pay attention to all of the details."

Aranda believes West Virginia has the best rush defense the Bears have faced in quite some time. Even though Baylor has totaled over 250 yards on the ground in three consecutive games, the Bears are due for a big challenge this Saturday.

"We'll be tested with a really good West Virginia front," Aranda said. "That will be the tale of the game. They're pretty stout and have good interior people. Defensively, they're a talented team, but I think their front seven is really talented and is the best front seven we've played in the last couple of weeks." 

On the other side of the ball, Aranda's defense must prepare for two different quarterbacks. Garrett Greene (Sr.) is more of a scrambling quarterback but has missed the last two games with an injury. Meanwhile, Nicco Marchiol (Sr.) has started in his place recently and is more of a traditional pocket passer.

"You have to [prepare for both]," Aranda said. "When they're running the ball effectively, and they get everybody down, then they throw deep, which is really their ID and who they want to be [on offense]."

The Bears will look to extend their winning streak and pick up their first victory in Morgantown at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16 at Milan-Puskar Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN2.