Breaking Down Arizona’s Next Opponent: Baylor Bears
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The Arizona Wildcats have extended their winning streak to three games and beat their first-ranked team of the season, upsetting the Cincinnati Bearcats at Nippert Stadium, who were ranked No. 25 before the new AP poll was released this Sunday.
The Wildcats had to fight for every yard they could get in the first half and by the end of the second quarter, they had 194 total. It was a completely different story in the second half as Arizona got into a rhythm and finished with 281 yards and 20 points scored, putting the total at 475.
The Cincinnati offense has been more than an efficient one, with Brendan Sorsby throwing just two interceptions and the offensive line allowing only two sacks. Danny Gonzales' crew of destructive players on defense was more than up to the challenge of solving the puzzle that is the Bearcats' offense, picking him off twice and sacking him once.
Arizona will now be looking to extend its winning streak to four by beating the Baylor Bears next Saturday at Arizona Stadium. Baylor is currently 5-5 and is looking for just one more win to become bowl eligible, so it will be playing at its best in hopes of spoiling Arizona's final home game of the season.
With that game fast approaching, here is a look at the Bears, what they will be bringing to the table and who Arizona should be watching for.
A brief history
It will be the first time Arizona and Baylor have met on the football field since the Sun Bowl in 1992. Baylor won that game 20-15. The Wildcats, with their No. 1-ranked defense at the time, held the Bears to just 13 points at intermission and allowed one touchdown in the second half, but the offense couldn't put enough points on the board to take the lead by the end of the game.
Baylor will be entering Arizona Stadium for the first time in hopes of spoiling the Wildcats' Senior Day and snapping their winning streak.
The Bears are coming in with a 5-5 record and a 55-28 loss to No. 13 Utah. Beating Arizona will put them back in the win column and make them bowl eligible.
On offense
The Wildcats' relentless defense will have its work cut out for it, as Baylor will be relying on its No. 1 total offense in the Big 12. The Bear rushing attack ranks fifth in the conference, while the passing attack sits at No. 1.
Bryson Washington leads the charge for the running back room with 721 yards on 143 carries with six touchdowns.
Statistically, quarterback Sawyer Robertson is the best passer in the Big 12, leading in yards with 3210 and touchdowns with 29. He has gotten into a bit of turnover trouble, as he is tied for second with nine interceptions.
Wide receiver Josh Cameron has become Robertson's favorite target through 10 games and is the Big 12's second leading pass catcher with 746 yards and seven touchdowns.
On defense
The Baylor defense has struggled lately and is sitting at No. 13 in the Big 12. In the last three out of four games, the Bears have given up an average of 46 points, all of those being losses. The only game in the last four weeks in which it didn't yield that many points was a 30-3 win over UCF.
Junior Linebacker Keaton Thomas leads the team in tackles and is second in the Big 12 with 87. Emar'rion Winston leads the team in sacks with four.
Safety Jacob Redding leads the Bears in interceptions with three and has taken one of them back for a touchdown. Cornerback LeVar Thornton Jr. has the most pass breakups with six.
Aranda's team
Head coach Dave Aranda is in his sixth season leading the team, having joined Baylor in 2020. He is known as a defensive-minded coach and has led the Bears to three bowl bids out of five years.
Aranda's most recent bowl bid was in 2024, when Baylor faced the LSU Tigers, his former team, in the Kinder's Texas Bowl, where the Bears lost 44-31. In 2022, Aranda led his team to the first New Year's Six bowl game win in the modern era, defeating Ole Miss 21-7 in the Sugar Bowl. That same season, he won the George Munder Coach of the Year Award.
Aranda is now looking to become bowl eligible for the fourth time in six seasons by defeating Arizona in what will be a challenging away showdown.
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Nathaniel Martinez and a set of shoulder pads at 7 years old. He later graduated from Pima Community College in 2023, where he began writing for the Pima Post. He is working to achieve a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Media Studies.