4 Biggest Decisions Baylor HC Dave Aranda Got Wrong Against TCU
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The loss against TCU hurts. Losing at home without scoring a touchdown after coming into the game averaging 38 points a game hurts even more. Some questionable decisions were made that factored into this gut shot of a loss in the Bears' season.
The Restriction on DJ Lagway's Mobility
If DJ Lagway is still unable to move around without fear of further injury, why is he in the game? Is an immobile Lagway truly the better option over Nate Bennett? TCU's defense was tough but why was every route seemingly long, developing routes?
At several points during this game, Lagway had what appeared to be golden opportunities to use his legs to gain some yardage. Instead however, multiple plays of this variety throughout the game saw Lagway ultimately either throw the ball away entirely or make a completion for little to no yards gained. It could be inferred that if Lagway weren't restricted on his ability to run that he could have gained several yards safely at a minimum on each occurrence.
The Offensive Playcalling
Coach Aranda may not directly influence each offensive play called on the field, but as the head coach he certainly has the ability to declare "this isn't working, let's try something different." The running game was struggling to gain momentum, and instead of attempting different looks or packages, Baylor all but abandoned the run game in the second half.
The passing plays being called were also an issue in this game. With Lagway uncomfortable in long developing passing routes where the defense has time to pressure him, why aren't more quick pass options being utilized (or even attempted)? But when every attempt seems be targeted for 20+ yards down the field, those routes take time to happen. Swing passes, screens, slants, just something that can be snapped thrown and caught quickly enough to make a move.
"Just be Mean to Us, Please" - Dave Aranda (Post-Game ASU)
In all fairness, Coach Aranda asked for this. Hyping up the fans through social media, calling out local media; Coach Aranda would have gotten away with it if it weren't for those meddling Horned Frogs. The reality that if Baylor had come out and dominated TCU, Coach Aranda would be sitting fairly comfortably. Literally asking for increased scrutiny may backfire greatly after such a devastating loss at home.
Letting Down the Fans in McLane Stadium
Over 40,000 people (11,000+ students) packed into McLane Stadium for Blackout on the Brazos ready to cheer their home team. What happened however was that Baylor's offense had their worst performance of the entire year, failing to score a single touchdown for the first time all season.
McLane's highest attendance of the year saw fans prepared to watch their Bears (who were favored coming into this game) beat the Horned Frogs. The Bears' defense played admirably and kept the game as close as it was, but losing 17-6 when the offense fails to produce is disappointing.
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Brad is a writer and contributes to the Baylor Bears on SI, with aspirations to share his own unique thoughts and perspectives with fans. Whether through the facts and figures of the past or the untold potential and triumphs of the future, sports have always been a large influence on Brad's storytelling and life overall. His inspiration to write began while watching sports when he first noticed the highs and lows of each game, each quarter, each play; there's a story in each of them worth telling, and he wanted to tell them.
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