Aranda's Call Sheet: 'Our Guys Are Out Hunting For Respect'
On Tuesday, head coach Dave Aranda held his weekly press conference to preview Baylor’s Texas Bowl matchup against LSU. Aranda discussed his former school, why bowl practices can help prepare the team for next season and how important it was for the program to close the year on a six-game winning streak.
It was announced over the weekend that the red-hot Baylor Bears will take on the LSU Tigers in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 31 at 2:30 p.m. at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Baylor, which opened the season losing four of its first six games, rattled off six straight victories to close out the year. Dave Aranda, who spent four seasons as LSU’s defensive coordinator before becoming BU’s head coach, noted that his squad is looking forward to facing an SEC foe during bowl season.
“There’s a lot of pride and a lot of history that goes with that school,” he told the media on Tuesday. “To be able to compete against all of that is something that everybody over here is looking forward to.”
Aranda added, “They're excited about the opportunity to play against a team that they respect and that scouts will want to look at in terms of evaluation. It's an opportunity to put good play on tape versus a good opponent. Our guys are out hunting for respect. They see our opponent as a way to compete, fight and earn some respect — I think that's a strong motivation.”
The fifth-year head coach also mentioned the added advantage of playing only three hours away from the comforts of McLane Stadium but discussed the importance of having Baylor fans attend the contest to combat what will surely be a heavy-leaning LSU crowd.
“I think the biggest thing for us is the fans,” Aranda said. “Hopefully, we’re able to energize enough people so we can get a good crowd there. I know LSU considers Houston to be a major hub for their fans, so to be able to get some people there to support the Bears would be really cool.”
Aranda will have his hands full putting together a game plan to stop LSU’s high-powered offense, which is led by dynamic wide receivers Kyren Lacy (Sr.) and Aaron Anderson (So.) and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (Jr.).
“They have the ability to put a bunch of points on you in a hurry,” Aranda said. “Nussmeier does a great job identifying coverages and checking into the right plays. They have guys who can win one-on-one matchups inside and outside. It’s a really dangerous team.”
As with all post-season matchups in today’s college football, NFL Draft opt-outs or transfer portal exits are things to monitor and could lead a number of players to miss the bowl game.
So far, LSU has 15 players who have entered the portal and two key players who have announced they are foregoing their remaining eligibility to enter the 2025 NFL Draft — offensive lineman Will Campbell (Jr.) and tight end Mason Taylor (Jr.).
As for Baylor, five players have entered their names into the transfer portal — wide receiver Jonah Burton (RSo.), offensive lineman Alvin Eboesle (RSo.), linebacker Carmello Jones (RSo.), defensive lineman Kaian Roberts-Day and cornerback Tay’Shawn Wilson (RSo.).
Aranda noted players leaving will likely look for more playing time elsewhere and that attrition is necessary to make additions this offseason.
“Numbers-wise, to get guys on your team, guys have to leave your team,” he said. “There are guys that want to play more. There’s always the opportunity here. We’d love for it to be here, whether it be with Tay’Shawn, Kaian or whoever, but the guys have to be able to see that.”
One benefit of playing in a bowl game is that Baylor can have extra practices to not only prepare for LSU but also to help set the stage for spring practice and the following season. Aranda called the additional practices “very important.”
“There are elements of the practices that we’ll have that will be foundational elements [for next year]; there are guys that are going to be getting reps that they probably weren’t getting,” he said.
“We have a really good class of young guys coming in in January. This allows some of the guys here now to get extra reps and get them in a position to battle and compete for playing time with the class coming in.”
When asked how important it was for Baylor to turn things around this fall after going 3-9 last season, Aranda, who entered the year on the hot seat, said it all goes back to putting the focus on “winning games” from the beginning.
He said that, in the past, he spent too much time focusing on what was happening off the field in terms of academics and charity work, amongst other things. Aranda said he struggled and hesitated to shift the focus solely on football because he felt like, “You’re selling out to a degree.”
It's hard to argue with the results after the team closed the season with six straight wins and welcomed a top-35 recruiting class in the nation that boasts five four-star prospects.
“I changed as a result because of that,” Aranda said. “I know our recruiting efforts reflected that. You see the results. I think it’s hard because you want to be able to measure the tenure here of the ups and downs, but it’s like a brand new tenure this past year with the focus and efforts on winning. To win, it all has to be about winning, and I think that’s the big difference.”
Baylor (8-4) will take on the LSU Tigers (8-4) in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 31 at 2:30 p.m. at NRG Stadium in Houston. The game will be televised on ESPN.