Everything Dave Aranda said after Baylor football fell to TCU
Baylor fell to 4-3 on the season after losing in Fort Worth to TCU, 42-36. The Bears' defense struggled to contain the Horned Frogs, and Baylor's offense turned the ball over four times. Dave Aranda falls to 1-5 against TCU as the head coach in Waco, and Baylor has to figure out a way to win these close games.
Here is everything Dave Aranda said after the loss.
Dave Aranda's opening statement
It's good to see you guys. Disappointed with the outcome, disappointed with the execution coming off the bye week. I'm appreciative of our effort and our hard play, the care factor of guys, the togetherness of the team. There's still a lot to play for. The guys have a love for each other and they're not going to turn away from any type of adversity.
We find ourselves in some adversity and so we'll continue to fight. We have to block better. We have to block better and we've got to build and run the ball better. I think when we don't run the ball and we become one dimensional, that we try too hard in that being one dimensional and we create mistakes. Some are caused, some are created by us. But it's because we're one dimensional. That play where we came, we were on and off and we came back on the field. I think we had talked about that play for an hour and then for that to happen. It's unbelievably frustrating. Unbelievably aggravating. That's where we're at.
I think we had a guy in a gap that got totally removed from his gap. It's frustrating. A lot of it was that. It was at the point of attack. Not playing the style that we need to play. I give credit to them too. TCU for some of their players when they got in space. They've got really good playmakers. They made it hard on us. But it shouldn't have been as easy as some of those seemed. We had a safety that was coming down and we had a linebacker force the ball. And we had a safety coming down and there was really wide splits. So if the splits get wide like that, it's typically a run game to create the space to run it. And he was running in and if he just runs straight ahead, there's another safety that's spilling.
A puller to him and a linebacker's forcing it. But he was seeing the crack that was coming from so far away and was running to the crack and took himself out of the lane to make the play. And by the time he came back, it was an arm tackle and he was gone. And so those are self-inflicted wounds that we have to be way past. And unfortunately, they showed up today. I think we have to run the ball better. I think if we do that, then I think there's a compliment to him and he doesn't feel like he has to do it all by himself.
Was Bryson Washington banged up
No, he's banged up. He's day-to-day right now. He's had a tough season of day-to-day. And so when he plays for us, there's an emotional jolt that comes from his style of play. So physical and reckless at times. I think it gives the team a bunch of energy. But there's a negative side to that and we're battling through that right now. Really impressed with Mike Turner. I thought Mike really played well. It's one of the bright spots for our team. And a lot of good things coming up from him.
On two weather delays
When we go in there, it's kind of corrections. And we'll get everyone together and they'll watch the film with the coordinator. And then they'll break up and meet with their position coach. And then whatever time, let's say in ten minutes we're supposed to go out, they'll get the music going, get some energy going prior to taking the field. And then there's a warm-up time and a quick individual time. I think we did that three times today. And so I didn't feel it coming up. With all that, it was a really huge distraction. I think, if anything, you can overthink a situation too much because you've got nothing else to do but do that.
On Sawyer's run on fourth down
Yeah, we tried to be able to spread them out. And we're in a formation where typically that's been something that we've seen from them. And so that we get a number count and D-line pitched inside made it very difficult for him to run.
On getting the onside kick
The guys were confident. The team is. The team believes, despite whatever the circumstance is, how many points up against or how many points behind, that they're going to win. And I think that's, you know, we'll see. That's what gives this team a chance to be special, is that they have that belief and they play for each other that way. And so that was very much a confidence sideline during those moments.
How big the Cincinnati game is next week
It's a big one, yeah. They're a physical team. It's a really good team. I'm very impressed. Yeah, I'm very impressed. We played them a couple years ago. They're a way different looking team than they were then. So it's going to be a challenge for us.
Emotions of the team
They're hurt right now. You know, they wanted to win this game. I know they know that they're a good team. They know that we've got playmakers and we've got the ability to win games like this. So they're probably frustrated is probably the best way to say it.
On leaders helping the team
Yeah, I think I've already had conversations with Sawyer on that and Keaton Thomas on that and Devyn Bobby on that. And so they're approaching me about things that they think and things that they want to kind of dive into. And so the player leadership is very strong.
On Baylor being 1-5 against TCU in the last six meetings
I think we have to block better and we've got to hit blocks on defense better. Our line of scrimmage play has to be better.
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