Three Takeaways: November 1
11/1/2021 7:15:00 PM | Football
Baylor’s Run Defense Starts with Winning the Line of Scrimmage
Baylor Bear Insider Jerry Hill gives his three takeaways from Monday's weekly press conference with head coach Dave Aranda talking about Saturday's 31-24 win over Texas and this week's matchup between the No. 13/14 Bears (7-1, 4-1) and TCU (3-5, 1-4), which kicks off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth and will be broadcast by FOX.:
- WINNING UP FRONT: Since giving up 200-plus yards rushing in back-to-back games against Iowa State and Oklahoma State, the Baylor defense has shut down some of the best running backs in the nation while holding its last three opponents to a miserly 86.3 yards rushing per game and 2.85 per carry. That includes limiting Texas sophomore Bijan Robinson to just 43 yards on 17 attempts for a career-low 2.5-yard average. "I give (defensive line coach) Dennis Johnson a lot of credit. I think it's been a journey for him," Aranda said. "And Ron Roberts, it's probably hard to be a defensive coordinator when the head coach is a defensive guy. Ron has handled all of it amazingly, and we're blessed to have both those guys. And then also, our players just taking on different (roles). Change is different, especially when you're pass rushing to play the run, and now you play the run to get the opportunity to rush the passer. That's a big change. The buy-in, the work, the grinding, has got it to where we're winning the line of scrimmage."
- 'MY HEART BREAKS FOR HIM': Understanding that it's part of the business, Aranda said his "heart breaks" still for longtime TCU head coach Gary Patterson, who had a "mutual parting of the ways" after the Horned Frogs' 31-12 loss to Kansas State. Former Minnesota and Northern Illinois head coach Jerry Kill is the interim head coach for Patterson, who was 181-79 in 22 seasons. "I can remember coming up as a young coach and finding bootleg videos of Coach Patterson putting in a defense," Aranda said. "There was like a five-tape series somehow that was filmed. I've got two tapes, and I'm trying to find where the other tapes are. . . . A lot of memories of learning ball and learning teaching methods, what to do and what not to do. It's a sad day as a coach. You never want to see it, but you know it's a part of it."
- JUST WIN THE DAY: Baylor is one of four teams still in the running for the Big 12 Championship game, tied for second place in the league standings with Oklahoma State at 4-1. But, keeping his blinders on, Aranda said he's just focused on winning the day. "I think anything outside of that, you risk thinking about things that you really can't control," he said. "I think the ability to play each day to its best and bring our best, bring our standard, it's crazy how a lot of stuff will come to you, if that's the case."
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