Aranda Points at the Line of Scrimmage: Baylor Ran for 54 Yards on 34 Carries, and Kansas Brings a Quarterback Who Runs

By Mac Rivera, RF Sports Radio Baylor voice

Bears fans, Dave Aranda did not hide from it on Monday. The TCU loss started up front, and he said so. Now the question is whether a two-game road trip, starting in Lawrence, gives Baylor time to fix it.

The facts

At his weekly press conference Monday, Aranda said DJ Lagway could have gotten to a second or third read early in the 17-6 loss to TCU, but the protection broke down after that, per Sports Illustrated's Baylor Bears On SI. "Once you got past the second quarter on, there really wasn't much of a pocket to speak of," Aranda said. "It's hard to criticize when there's someone in his face the entire time. And so a cleaner line of scrimmage is gonna be cleaner decisions."

The numbers back him up. Baylor ran for 54 yards on 34 attempts, 1.6 per carry, a week after rushing for 244 against Arizona State, and converted 6 of 21 third downs, per SI. Lagway was 22-of-53 for 256 yards with an interception, and TCU had four sacks. Baylor ran 87 plays and had 23 first downs but scored six points. "You'd like to have a lot more points after all those plays, but the guys are battling and really working," Aranda said.

Baylor (4-2, 2-1 Big 12) visits Kansas on Saturday, Oct. 24, at noon on TNT, truTV and HBO Max, per BaylorBears.com. Kansas has lost two straight, including a 35-24 loss at Kansas State in which quarterback Isaiah Marshall ran for 117 yards on 14 carries and running back Dylan Edwards added 57 yards and a touchdown. "Kansas, run game-wise, gives you a whole bunch of different looks. The quarterback is a runner," Aranda said. Baylor's run defense has allowed 86.7 yards per game and about 2.6 yards per carry, per SI, and the Bears have won 14 straight against the Jayhawks.

RF Sports Radio's take (opinion)

My take: give Aranda credit for putting it on the offensive line instead of throwing his quarterback under the bus. Fifty-three pass attempts with no pocket is not a quarterback problem. It is a math problem. When you cannot run it, you cannot stay ahead of the chains, and 6-of-21 on third down is exactly what that looks like.

The fix is not complicated. Run on early downs until it works, use quick throws to Gavin Freeman and Louis Brown IV, and move the launch point so Lagway is not a sitting target. A road game against a team that has lost two straight is the right week to rebuild some confidence up front.

Defensively, Marshall is a different test. A running quarterback stresses Baylor's discipline. That 86.7 rushing yards per game number gets tested.

My call: I said Baylor 27, Kansas 17 on Monday, and I am sticking with it. That is a prediction, not a report. If the Bears run for under 100 again, it gets much closer.

What to watch next

Kickoff is Saturday at noon on TNT. Watch Baylor's rushing total, sacks allowed, and how the defense handles Marshall on the edge. For the TCU loss, read our Oct. 20 column on the TCU loss, and follow the Baylor Football page.

Radio question: is Baylor's problem the offensive line, the play-calling, or DJ Lagway — and what gets fixed first in Lawrence?

Sources: Baylor Bears On SI — Dave Aranda talks mindset after TCU loss, previews Kansas; BaylorBears.com — FB ventures to Lawrence to face Kansas; BaylorBears.com — Three takeaways: Oct. 19.