A Gain of Three Is Fantastic: Klanderman's Back-to-Basics Plan for Baylor in the UCF Bounce House

By Mac Rivera, RF Sports Radio Baylor voice

Sic 'em, Bears fans. This is a strange week in Waco. The head coach is gone, the season is half over, and a short week ends in one of the loudest stadiums in the Big 12. But listen to Joe Klanderman for five minutes and you hear a plan.

The facts

Baylor (4-3, 2-2 Big 12) plays at UCF (4-3, 2-2) on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Central on ESPN at the Acrisure Bounce House in Orlando, per KXXV and the Baylor Lariat. Baylor parted ways with Dave Aranda on Sunday, one day after a 25-24 loss at Kansas. UCF is coming off a 39-31 overtime upset of then-No. 2 BYU.

Klanderman, the defensive coordinator now serving as interim head coach, told reporters he wants to simplify. "On a short week, especially given the circumstances here, it's going to be a rules-and-principles kind of game," he said, per KXXV. He wants quarterback DJ Lagway and the offense to stop worrying about the next mistake: "I want to take the pressure off of you. I want to let you guys play free."

He also wants patience in the run game. "A gain of three is not a loss. A gain of three is fantastic," Klanderman said, arguing it becomes a gain of six in the third quarter and eight in the fourth "if we continue to wear on these people."

The Lariat noted the offense has found the end zone twice in the last two games. Tight end Matthew Klopfenstein said practice has had "a different type of intensity," and he recalled Baylor's comeback from a 35-7 deficit at UCF in 2023. Linebacker Michael Allen said Klanderman told the players, "This is y'all's team."

RF Sports Radio's take (opinion)

My take: I love the gain-of-three line. It is the most honest thing a Baylor coach has said in weeks. This team has been pressing, trying to hit home runs on every snap, and the result was two offensive touchdowns in two games. Grind it, wear UCF down, and let Lagway take shots when they are there.

The danger is the Bounce House. A crowd that just stormed the field against BYU will be loud from the opening kick. If Baylor falls behind 14-0, all that talk about patience goes out the window.

I also think Klanderman's "rules and principles" defense is the right call. Do not get cute in a short week. Line up, tackle, and make UCF drive the field.

What to watch next

First-quarter run calls, Lagway's decision-making, and whether the defense gets early stops. For Klanderman's first days on the job, read our Oct. 28 Baylor-UCF preview, and follow the Bears on our Baylor Football page.

Radio question: is a short week the best or worst possible time for an interim coach's first game?

Sources: KXXV - Baylor begins the Klanderman era with a road test at UCF; The Baylor Lariat - Baylor poises for upset-minded UCF in short week.