Breaking down Baylor: Jackson Arnold's take on the Bears' 'simulated pressure'
Baylor's home opener against the formidable Auburn Tigers is fast approaching and is less than 48 hours away. With time running low, many eyes have looked at this game and have attempted to determine what the "keys" to success will be for both sides. Across many media outlets, there has been concern about the quarterback play of Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold, and whether he will be up to the challenge.
The Baylor defense is vastly improved, and Dave Aranda and company brought in some key transfer portal players to bolster their defensive line and secondary, such as Samu Taumanupepe. With that being said, Arnold and Auburn have been doing their homework, breaking down the Baylor defensive schemes on film in an attempt to get a leg up on the Bears. In a recent interview, Arnold said the following:
“Yeah, they're a big simulated zone pressure team, and being able to study that in the field and study what parts of the field that we can attack and take advantage of it's been big for us,” Arnold said. “In our film study. We come out here in the practice field, going out and executing our calls and making sure we’re running the right routes and the right depths and get in the windows.”
Although Arnold has been able to practice against the simulated pressures in practice, Dave Aranda and the Bears certainly will have a few wrenches to throw Auburn's way. Although Aranda may have utilized the simulated pressure look a lot last season, the defensive personnel of Baylor have changed drastically over the previous 12 months. It will allow the Bears to throw a variety of different defensive looks at the Tigers' way, while ensuring a stout defensive line.
Still, when asked about Auburn's plan of attack and practice experience, Arnold was quite candid. He noted, "It's nice being able to actually see the looks that you've seen on film and see them in practice... It's better than going to start defense and seeing all these different types of looks that Coach (DJ Durkin) throws at us".
As great a defensive mind as DJ Durkin might be, I have a feeling that Dave Aranda will have the Bears coming into this game incredibly prepared. As always, only time will tell, but we will see if the confidence being exuded by Jackson Arnold will hold up in the game.
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Josh started covering Baylor athletics in July 2025. Prior to Baylor Bears on SI, he worked as an intern for TheMichiganInsider at 247Sports. Josh graduated from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, with a bachelor’s degree in economics, where his passion for collegiate athletics continued to grow after attending his first game in The Big House. Combining his analytical background and his affinity for collegiate sports, Josh enjoys providing his unique perspective on the shifting dynamic equilibrium of the collegiate athletics landscape. When not watching sports, Josh enjoys cooking a nice meal, running, and traveling to new places with his friends and family.