Baylor Confidence Meter: How I'm Feeling About the Trending Positions Against BYU

Baylor is 6-3 on the season and faces a tough three-game stretch to finish things off, starting with a matchup in Provo, Utah, against the 10th-ranked BYU Cougars.

With a win this weekend, the Bears would make a big statement across college football. Here's my confidence meter on some of Baylor's trending positions heading into this game.

Quarterback: 8/10

DJ Lagway is trending up and giving this Baylor offense a reason for hope. In the Bears' last two games, he has thrown six touchdowns and zero interceptions. On top of that, he has shown what he can do with his legs, rushing for a combined 142 yards over those two games.

BYU will be one of the tougher defenses Baylor has faced this season, and playing in that environment will make things even more difficult for the Bears' offense. Lagway will have to limit turnovers in this game, or things could get ugly for Baylor.

With how he has been playing recently, my confidence in Lagway's performance is relatively high. It'll be important for this offense to get something going early with some quick and easy completions and not let the atmosphere get the best of them.

Offensive Line: 6.5/10

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koltin sieracki — Sep 19, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears offensive lineman Koltin Sieracki (66) in action during the first half against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

BYU has been good at stopping the run, but its pass rush hasn't been nearly as effective. The offensive line will have to protect Lagway if the Bears want to put points on the board. Luckily for Baylor, the pass protection has held up at times this season, even when the rushing attack has struggled to get anything going.

This unit will have to avoid false starts and holding penalties. Playing on the road always makes that more difficult, and it's going to be important for the Bears not to beat themselves with costly penalties.

Defensive line: 8/10

garrick ponder — Nov 7, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Iowa State running back Aiden Flora (21) is tackled by Baylor linebacker Garrick Ponder (13) during the second half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Something to watch for in this matchup is BYU's pass protection vs. Baylor's pass rush. BYU's pass protection has been great and ranks toward the top in the country in that category, but so does Baylor's pass rush. Whoever wins the battle in the trenches will likely win this game.

Getting pressure on BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier will be key for this defense to get stops and create turnovers. Bachmeier struggled against Utah's defense last week, throwing four interceptions. I trust Joe Klanderman's ability to find ways to pressure Bachmeier and get this defense off the field against the Cougars, but it will be a big test.

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