Three Takeaways: September 25
9/25/2023 6:51:00 PM | Football
Including QB Shapen, Bears could get as many as seven players back this week
Baylor Bear Insider Jerry Hill gives his three takeaways from Monday's weekly press conference with head coach Dave Aranda talking about the Bears' 38-6 loss to #3 Texas and this week's matchup between the Bears (1-3, 0-1) and Big 12 newcomer UCF (3-1, 0-1), which kicks off at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, Fla., in an FS1 broadcast:
- BEING GROUNDED: Completely shut down by Texas (60 yards on 31 carries), Baylor's rushing attack has a chance to make a big step this week against a UCF defense that gave up 281 yards on the ground and 7.0 per attempt in a 44-31 loss to Kansas State. Through four games, the Bears are 10th in the Big 12 with 139.8 yards per game and 4.0 per carry. "It's going to be very important for us to get back to our style and for the line of scrimmage to go the way we want it to go," Aranda said. "To set up the throw game and to set up just everything we do on offense, we've got to be able to move the line of scrimmage the other way. (I have) great respect for UCF. They've got some defensive tackles that are big guys, that knock people back, and got pop in them. And they've got linebackers that can run. So, they're disruptive on that side of it. It'll be a challenge for us."
- GETTING CLOSER TO FULL STRENGTH: Baylor, obviously, has had to deal with injuries, some going back to fall camp and even the spring. But there's a chance to get as many as "seven guys back this game that have been out," Aranda said. That includes quarterback Blake Shapen, who has missed the last three games with a knee injury. "We're going to look at him today. He'll be with us in our team sessions today. Excited to be able to see him out there." Others potentially coming back include running back Dominic Richardson (re-injured his ankle injury in the first half), defensive linemen Jerrell Boykins and Tre Emory and cornerbacks Reggie Bush and Tevin Williams. "We had three corners for Saturday's game, so it'll be good to get guys coming back. We're hopeful that this week goes as good as it can go, where we're probably the most full strength we've been since game one."
- CONVERTING IN THE RED ZONE: After scoring on 11-of-12 red-zone chances in the first three games, with seven touchdowns and four field goals, the Bears had only two field goals to show for six trips inside the red zone against the Longhorns. Aranda said there were "specials that we called," including a double pass and "look-over gadget play that we didn't execute." Those were plays that were repped during the practice week and "were valued for a situation like that," he said. "To not execute them in the moment is disappointing. I think the execution (issue) is at it's greatest for us, unfortunately, in the low red zone when it's the tightest and the less space. So, that's a huge area for us to improve on. I think throw game-wise, the windows were so tight, that we've really got to pull the trigger on those balls and get them off. . . . I think for us to be down (there) that many times and not get points, you can't expect to win."
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