Three Takeaways: August 31
8/31/2026 9:50:00 PM | Football
Bears will need to focus in their version of a ‘call room’
Director of Sports Journalism Jerry Hill gives his three takeaways from Monday's weekly press conference with head coach Dave Aranda talking about the Bears' 2026 season opener versus Auburn, which kicks off at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., and will be nationally televised by ABC:
- WINNING IN THE 'CALL ROOM': Talking with the Baylor football team recently, Olympic gold medalist sprinter and former BU track All-American Michael Johnson spoke about how races are typically won or lost while waiting in the call room prior to the event. "How can you keep your focus and what do you do with your routine and your mindset?" Aranda said, relating it to a football pregame. "Some guys would cause a scene and try to get you off your game. Other guys would try to look at other guys in their eyes and get all caught up in that. For (Johnson) . . . he was visualizing, he was going through the whole thing. When we're in our call room, so to speak, we have to be able to prepare ourselves. Football is a game of random events and setbacks. Whatever comes, we have to be able to rest and meet it the way we need to."
- OFFENSIVE LINE IS 'MOST IMPROVED': In the spring, the Bears' offensive line had a "fair amount to prove," Aranda said. Koltin Sieracki settling in at center solidified a group that has UAB transfer Logan Moore and fifth-year senior Kaden Sieracki at the tackles and transfers Nate Kibble (Texas) and Asher Hale (South Alabama) at the guards. "I thought from the start of fall camp to the end is the most improved (position group). There are scrimmages where guys are moving people off the line of scrimmage and the run game was showing up. That is a must-have in this game, to win the line of scrimmage both on offense and defense. At the very beginning, back in December and January when we were trying to put the pieces together, it was to win the line of scrimmage. And now that we're here, nothing has changed."
- DJ HAS BEEN IN THE BRIGHT LIGHTS: Florida transfer DJ Lagway "has been in some bright lights," Aranda said, making 19 starts in two seasons with the Gators and picking up wins against ranked LSU and Ole Miss teams as a freshman and then-No. 9 Texas last year. "I think it's an advantage that he's played a lot of football, he's been in some big arenas. I don't think anything is going to faze him that way. I think he's got really good confidence. I know that he likes the plan that (offensive coordinator Jake Spavital) has for him. To get a real energized and confident DJ is a plus for us."
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