Baylor Football

Game Thread: Baylor Battles Louisiana Tech Before Big 12 Play Begins

Game thread ahead of Baylor versus Louisiana Tech.
By SicEm365 Staff
September 18, 2026
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459 Comments
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SICEM365 GAME THREAD

Baylor vs. Louisiana Tech

Non-Conference Finale • Family Weekend
Saturday, September 19, 2026 • 3:00 p.m. CT • ESPNU
McLane Stadium • Waco, TX • Home
Records Baylor 1-1 (0-0 Big 12) | Louisiana Tech 1-1 (0-0 Sun Belt)
Coaches Dave Aranda (Year 7) vs. Sonny Cumbie (Year 5)
Kickoff 3:00 p.m. CT / 4:00 p.m. ET
TV ESPNU
Radio John Morris, Geff Gandy, Bryson Jackson • KRZI 1660 AM / 92.3 FM
Stream ESPNU / ESPN app • BaylorBears.com radio
Series Baylor leads 5-1 • 3-1 in Waco
Last meeting Baylor 24, Louisiana Tech 16 (Shreveport, Sept. 7, 1996)
Last game Baylor 44, Prairie View A&M 3 (Sept. 12)
Line Baylor -19.5 • O/U 51.5 • as of Sept. 17

Why This Game Matters

  • Final non-conference game before Colorado opens Big 12 play next week
  • Family Weekend at McLane; Baylor Backyard Live with Members Only
  • Both starting QBs are out: DJ Lagway (ankle) and Blake Baker (hand)
  • Nate Bennett makes his second start after 314 yards and 4 TDs vs. PVAMU
  • Need to clean up 9 penalties and 3 turnovers from last Saturday

Series History

  • Baylor leads 5-1 all-time; last meeting was 1996 in Shreveport (24-16 BU)
  • Tech’s only win: 10-9 at Floyd Casey in 1992
  • Tech this year: W 80-6 vs. Northwestern State, L 45-14 at No. 8 LSU
  • Tech trailed LSU just 10-7 at half after four first-half takeaways

Keys for Baylor

  1. Protect the ball. Tech is +2 in turnover margin and picked Sam Leavitt three times.
  2. Cut the flags. Aranda: “Right now, it’s too easy to beat us, with the penalties and the turnovers.”
  3. Start fast. Tech hung around into the third quarter at LSU. Do not wait for a punch.
  4. Win the line without Tezino. Season-ending leg injury last week. Mitchell’s injunction keeps him available.
  5. Let Bennett play on schedule. Run Pendergrass, take the easy throws, avoid the two-pick repeat.

Players to Watch

Baylor: QB Nate Bennett • RB Dawson Pendergrass • WR Gavin Freeman, Louis Brown IV, Dre'lon Miller • DE Kyler Jordan • DL Hosea Wheeler, Traevon Mitchell • LB Travion Barnes

Louisiana Tech: QB Trey Kukuk (start with Baker out) • WR Jalen Mickens • DB Jordan McRae (100-yard INT return vs. LSU) • a DL/LB group Aranda called talented and takeaway-heavy

SicEm365 Louisiana Tech week reading

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Discussion from...

Game Thread: Baylor Battles Louisiana Tech Before Big 12 Play Begins

32,195 Views | 459 Replies | Last: 4 days ago by FLBear5630
GoldBoy232
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4:23p, 9/19/26
Is there a Webull prediction market on Dave's job?
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BUATX2000
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4:23p, 9/19/26
This broadcast crew and the production value is terrible
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BellCountyBear
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4:24p, 9/19/26
Punt the damned ball!
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Big12Fan2024
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4:24p, 9/19/26
Take away Bennett's lone tuck and run for the 25 yard TD, we have 22 carries for 36 yards.
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Youre a clown
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4:25p, 9/19/26
Not able to watch the game. Our run game appears to be butt cheeks. That is a big concern
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bear2be2
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In reply to JXL • 4:25p, 9/19/26
JXL said:
Are we going to go for it this deep in our own territory?

I hope not. But if we do, it better be Dawson Pendergrass in the the backfield with Nate.
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BellCountyBear
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In reply to BUATX2000 • 4:25p, 9/19/26
BUATX2000 said:
This broadcast crew and the production value is terrible

They can't even get the down and distance right on the chiron.
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Youre a clown
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In reply to Big12Fan2024 • 4:26p, 9/19/26
Horrible. Between the bad run game and Lagway being one for three in starts this year, the offense is a big concern, JMHO
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Johnny Bear
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4:27p, 9/19/26
We're seriously going for this ??
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GoldBoy232
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In reply to BUATX2000 • 4:27p, 9/19/26
BUATX2000 said:
This broadcast crew and the production value is terrible


Third-tier programs get third-tier broadcasts.
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JXL
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4:27p, 9/19/26
Hey we went for it and it actually worked - direct snap to Knighten
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whitetrash
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4:28p, 9/19/26
Umpire dove over Freeman on the previous play and now is as gimpy as Lagway.
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Big12Fan2024
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4:28p, 9/19/26
We got away with it but there is no analytical chart known to man that says go for it on 4th and one from your 29 with 2 minutes to go in the half.
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bear2be2
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4:29p, 9/19/26
Just get this game to halftime.
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PLSQL_BEAR
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4:29p, 9/19/26
What did the tight end do to draw a personal foul?
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bear2be2
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4:30p, 9/19/26
Can't do that *****

We got really lackadaisical/complacent after going up 21-7 and it all started with the stupid decision to go for it from midfield.
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ImABearToo
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4:31p, 9/19/26
Keystone Cops
“Life is short, eat desert first!”
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JXL
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In reply to PLSQL_BEAR • 4:31p, 9/19/26
PLSQL_BEAR said:
What did the tight end do to draw a personal foul?


They called it a blind side block …?
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dycbaylor02
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4:31p, 9/19/26
Hand the fing keys to Klanderman…please someone
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whitetrash
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4:31p, 9/19/26
Not a facemask. Had him by the side of the helmet.
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Quinton
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4:31p, 9/19/26
Still just completely undisciplined, unaware textbook Dave football. It really is hard to be this bad situationally.

Worst situational team in the country over the last 5 years and there isn't a close second.
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Big12Fan2024
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4:31p, 9/19/26
Crap, Reed grabbed the facemask.
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bear2be2
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4:32p, 9/19/26
We're obviously the better team, but we've been sloppy as hell today.

We're going to find ourselves in a dogfight as a result.
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FLBear5630
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In reply to Quinton • 4:32p, 9/19/26
Quinton said:
Still just completely undisciplined, unaware textbook Dave football. It really is hard to be this bad situationally.

Worst situational team over the last 5 years and there isn't a close second.

What's the score?
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Big12Fan2024
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4:32p, 9/19/26
Thank goodness La Tech's QB had a brainfart.
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bear2be2
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4:32p, 9/19/26
Well ... I'll take that.

At least our defense is good.
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perrynative
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4:32p, 9/19/26
Complete cluster
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Dia del DougO
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In reply to Guitarbiscuit • 4:33p, 9/19/26
Guitarbiscuit said:
dycbaylor02 said:
Another classic Dave go for it on 4th play. Freakin idiot


Pure insanity.

Likely trying to keep an opponent on the ropes in the game longer, in order to get a better second half workout. Very sly.
"The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool."
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bear2be2
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In reply to FLBear5630 • 4:33p, 9/19/26
FLBear5630 said:
Quinton said:
Still just completely undisciplined, unaware textbook Dave football. It really is hard to be this bad situationally.

Worst situational team over the last 5 years and there isn't a close second.

What's the score?

We're up 20-7
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Bandito
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4:33p, 9/19/26
20-7
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PLSQL_BEAR
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4:33p, 9/19/26
Kneel, Dave, kneel.
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whitetrash
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4:33p, 9/19/26
Damn, this ref is worse than the TV announcers. They barely had a hand on Pendergrass, much less didn't have him wrapped up.
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Big12Fan2024
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4:33p, 9/19/26
I sure hope Wheeler can play all year. He has literally blown up the center and left guard on every snap he's been in the game, often knocking one or both back 2-3 yards immediately.
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bear2be2
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4:35p, 9/19/26
I'll take a two-score lead, but it's really frustrating the way we've allowed this team to hang around. We had an opportunity to bury them and just played with our food for a quarter.

Dave Aranda's teams do that way too frequently because he has no feel whatsoever for the psychological side of the game. He doesn't seem to understand that or how giant momentum-shifting plays change games.
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bear2be2
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In reply to Big12Fan2024 • 4:36p, 9/19/26
Big12Fan2024 said:
I sure hope Wheeler can play all year. He has literally blown up the center and left guard on every snap he's been in the game, often knocking one or both back 2-3 yards immediately.

He's a stud, for sure.
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