Biggest Decision Coach Aranda Got Wrong Against Auburn (And What it Means Moving Forward) for Baylor
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Coaching a game comes with decisions aplenty, and sometimes the choices made in the moment don't always come to fruition in the ways that they're desired to be. From the personnel and the packages used in the game, to the things worked on in practice the previous week, to what plays to call and when; all of these and many more are often meticulously planned out.
Dave Aranda is no exception to this rule, and in the game of football where every inch matters, the slightest misjudgment can be the difference between winning and losing the game. Saturday's game against Auburn had one of these very such instances.
Just Kick the PAT, Dave
With just nine seconds remaining in the game and having just scored a touchdown, Coach Aranda had a decision to make: kick the PAT to potentially send the game into overtime, or go for a two-point conversion and try to win the game right here and now.
If you haven't watched the game or don't know the style of coach that Aranda is, spoiler warning, he went for two by way of a pass to tight end Matt Klopfenstein. The pass was complete, but Klopfenstein was stopped just short of the goal line. The game had effectively ended right there.
Yes, there was still time on the clock to attempt an onside kick and a last second heave to the end-zone (or two, if you're Michigan apparently), but the onside kick was unsuccessful, bouncing out of bounds. One kneel down by Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown officially sealed the deal and the game clock read all zeroes, with Auburn winning the game 17-16.
"No Hesitation at All"
Those were the words that Aranda used in the post-game media scrum. And, to Coach Aranda's credit, they had a play that they felt would work and it nearly worked to perfection. However, football isn't horseshoes and "close enough" isn't going to cut it.
It wouldn't be the only instance of a decision made by Coach Aranda that ending up causing a drive to end on an unfortunate note though. As is his modus operandi, Aranda isn't shy about his willingness to go for it on fourth down or even to attempt a two-point conversion if he believes that doing so will provide his team the best chance to win.
There's part of me that finds that trait to be rather commendable. But then there's the other part of me that was staring in disbelief at the television screen when I realized that the special teams unit wasn't running onto the field after the Gavin Freeman touchdown.
What it Means for the Rest of the Season
This has happened once already this season, and if this game is anything to judge how the rest of the season will go (and not just Aranda's previous six years at Baylor), there is always the likelihood that this exact same course of events could happen again.
Baylor has fixed so many of the problems that were plaguing them all of last season; they've rebuilt the defense into what looks to be a force to be reckoned with, they've reloaded their receiving weapons and have multiple threat-level options, DJ Lagway (when healthy) showed real growth and can be the quarterback this year's team needs. The only real remaining "problem" from last year's team is head coach Dave Aranda.
I'm not calling for Aranda's job, but with him as the head coach these kinds of events seem to just keep happening. And if the Bears want to have a chance at winning ten games in a season again, the failed fourth down conversions and the failed two point conversions are going to have to come to a screeching halt. Coach Dave Aranda is going to play for the win, but it's going to cause the Bears to lose games.
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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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