'That's the best thing they do': Baylor's Dave Aranda shares the best part of the Auburn offense
Baylor has a tough opening test on Friday. The Auburn Tigers, a team that won five games last season, will march into McLane Stadium for a primetime kickoff at 7 p.m. CT. Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze is on the hot seat, and he will need to show he is capable of contending in the SEC if he hopes to stick around for the long haul -- a win over Big 12 contender Baylor would be the ideal start.
Freeze has one of the better wide receiver duos in the country with Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton, but it's not the passing game that Baylor head coach Dave Aranda believes the Tigers might be the most lethal. It's actually their run game.
"Yeah, that's the best thing they do," Aranda said of the Auburn run game. "They're physical. You know, they move people. They're bump combos, and so, you know, if this is a three technique, there'll be a guard that'll post up a three technique, and there'll be a tackle that'll just come, and there's countless examples of where that three technique's ejected. I mean, just it's like watching a car crash. There it goes.
"And so we can't allow that to be us. There's a bunch of people that have, you know, put that on film. Our challenge is to not do that. You know, I think their run game is a downhill run game. They run power without pullers. They'll run counter, and then, you know, they have their beaters. If they see, like, an odd front, there's things they like. If there's a four-down front, there's things they like. So they are a physical run game, and they've got talent running back."
Auburn lost its electric running back from last season, Jarquez Hunter, who is now in the NFL. The Tigers are likely going to feature their RB2 from last season, Damari Alston. In 2024, Alston carried the ball 52 times for 276 yards and three touchdowns.
Alston was used as a change-of-pace running back last season, but now he has emerged as the favorite in 2025. Baylor loaded up along the defensive front via the transfer portal this past offseason, and the Bears are going to need to play physical up front if they hope to stop the Auburn offense on Friday night.
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