Everything Dave Aranda said after Baylor's loss to Houston, turning the page to 2026
Baylor's season came to a close on Saturday after falling to Houston. The Bears ended up at 5-7 following a highly anticipated season.
Coach Dave Aranda met with the media following the game. He broke down the loss and is pointing his attention to the 2026 season.
Opening statement
Yeah, frustrated, sad with the outcome this morning. I really wanted to win for our seniors. I wanted to win for kind of the extended Baylor family, you know, the football family to have a day in the sun and it's been too long since that was the case.
And then I wanted to win for our players, our team, you know, just to push through and persevere and fight through the obstacles and to kind of stay on the path and to not detour and to keep the faith and very much wanted that for for us. And so to not get it hurts and it stings, you know, at the same time just just so proud. I mean we had however many running backs down and we were kind of down to it, you know, Joseph Dodds was, you know, personal tragedy in the morning.
And so we were consoling him prior to it, didn't know if he was even going to play. And so he's playing through it, just inspired to try to represent and all of it. There's just so much, so much that guys are carrying and you know, they sacrificed and gave of themselves for this team.
So we're down a bunch there. We're down a bunch at safety and just you name it. And so to have guys continue to kind of step up and give to the team is way inspiring. You know, I just think too many mistakes, you know, there's a defensive example. There, you know, there's some we're making stops and there's a long run.
It was on their sideline and it was a man coverage and it was a quarter, you know, every week there's a new quarterback run that that Houston does and so this is their for us this week and we don't, we don't adjust with it, right?
Safety's got to come down, get cracked and corner would set the edge and then we get the backers over and that doesn't happen. And it's a touchdown which is is not good. We make the adjustment at on the sideline, make the adjustment again at halftime and we see the same play, same call, same thing on third down and it goes for another touchdown.
You know, it's really the difference in the game. And so I, you know, you just can't win when it's that way. So I take responsibility for that. I, that had to be so much better, you know. I think in the spite of those types of things happening, the guys are continuing to believe and continue to push and continue to try to fight. I think a lot of ways this game is reflective of the season that we just, we just finished and so tough to, tough to swallow, tough to look at.
Biggest priorities heading into next season
I think we have to really look at how we're going to build this team. There's a fair amount of movement with a big senior class leaving. I think we got to look at building this team from the inside out. I think in terms of like money spent and portal and everything was a fair amount on skill positions and kind of the rich got richer at certain spots.
And I think it has to be more on line of scrimmage play and big people and that's going to be our goal is to be really effective in recruiting that way and developing a team that way.
Why were there issues scoring in the redzone
Yes, I think a lot of credit goes to Houston. They've been that way throughout the season. They play their quarters coverage and their bracket coverage down there. And so they'll double guys based upon releases and their front does a nice job of not allowing rush lanes for quarterbacks and stuff to kind of get loose. We got to execute better.I think we had, you know, there was a Sawyer had, there was a pass action this way and a handoff here and we decided to throw it and if we ran it, I think he walks in.
You know, there's things that we've executed better in the past that we got to execute better then. And then I think, you know, I think some of it also was just in the moment, balls up in the air, come down with it, you know, I think the the personal foul or just the DPI penalties, you know, I think there was a point in the game where the explanation I got was that when our defense is defending versus their offense, we're not looking back for the ball. We're getting penalized and that when it's vice versa, when it's our offense and their defense, they're not, you know, that's not getting called because they're looking back for the ball.
And so that's something I have to look at on tape. It's just very frustrating and critical moments. I think it was all kind of hitting us at the same time.
What he said to the team when Knighten went down, and any update on him
Yeah, he he's got, he's getting movement up upper body and lower body. So the tests are not done yet. I think it's positive right now with him. It's way scary, you know, and the team, so many guys are so concerned. And so I pulled him up. I told them that what the injury was and then I said, hey, this is precautionary. They're gonna take him in to look at him because they don't know. But his family's with him and we're gonna say a prayer for him. And so we all were able to do that. But I know that that was heavy on the guy's hearts after that.
How frustrating was it not to get the ball into the endzone at the end of the game
All of it, yeah. I think everyone on our sideline felt we're gonna score and win. And yeah, very, very frustrated at the end. I think, like I say, I think this game was kind of illustrative of our season. And, you know, it's, you know, there's, I remember and I told the team at this at halftime, I remember when when Josh was a, Josh Cameron was a walk on and David Wetzel had found him. And he was walking Josh through the, through, this is when we're in Simpson, through the facility there.
And there's just something about Josh. I know that he'd always be up wanting to meet and talk, kind of, you know, individual improvements and you'd want to watch film. He was bugging coaches a lot. And I think at first, some of it was like, yeah, and this is this is Josh. He has a Josh, right? And then, you know, when he got his chance on the field, Josh was like blocking and just putting people in the ground.
And then all of a sudden it became, man, we need to play this guy. And it's just, and in all of it, like his ego never got big and he never, it's just when a dude goes, when you see a guy start and just humble and work hard, man, you just want everything for him. I remember Sawyer in a quarterback battle when he lost and came second. And I was on the back end of the facility, we're in Simpson again, and I was going this way. We used to have like a, like a, like a glass kind of open space, like a player's lounge in there. I was going this way and I saw Sawyer going that way.
And this was the afternoon of the announcement that we're going with someone else. And there's guys walking through and Sawyer put his eyes down and he was embarrassed, you know, that he lost. And so I remember catching him after that and going, bro, there's nothing, man, this is just the beginning for you, bro.
And so just like all of those things are just so, that's the stuff you remember, you know? And it's like, man, these guys that have trusted you and want to, you know, had opportunities to leave and would decide to stay. It's like, you know, you want the best for them.Yeah.That's all the stuff I think of when it's stuff like this.
On Michael Trigg and what he meant to the team
Yeah. So yeah, Michael had like a head injury from this last game. And so Mike, like his playmaking ability, I think is unique and I think it's a mismatch. He's a really good blocker for as athletic as he is. You know, he's a willing blocker. Um, he loves football, he loves competing.
And I think, um, there's so many things with Mike where it's just, um, you know, I think from school to school, when you move like that, it can kind of become like me versus them type of thing. Me versus basically anybody that's an authority or that's a, that is a, uh, that's maybe not your immediate family maybe. And, um, so there's a lot of work that has to go in to, uh, earning trust and, uh, being real, you know, there's a balance that has to go with, man, these are our standards and I recognize you though too.
And so that's kind of a, that whole thing is the thing. And I really, I'm thankful for Mike because he's, he's, um, he's tested and helped me and us in that way. And I just think there's, um, yeah, he's going to have some opportunities here, uh, in, uh, you know, the post season and all of that, um, for his career. And so way excited for him and a fan of his.
Motivation level going into next season
Very much want to improve this team. I, you know, uh, I have to, you know, this is just a horrible feeling. I just, I, I'm just tired of this feeling. I'm just tired of it. And so there's a lot of work that needs to get done. And, uh, I think it starts with building team inside out and, um, we're going to get right to it.
Importance of Signing Day and retaining roster, including the transfer portal
Yes. Um, I think all of it's important. I think the, you know, the guys that we've got right now, uh, that are committed to us, I feel good about the transfer pro is really important though. You know, I think that, um, you know, there's only, if you've got five bucks is what you got, you know, there's, you know, the 10 bucks ain't going to pop out the air, you know? And so it's five that you have. And so you have to use that for, um, uh, you have to use that in the right way.
And so I think the line of scrimmage, I think the, uh, um, O line and the D line, uh, on our teams. And I think, uh, building it in a way that, uh, you know, there's a physical, more physical component to this team. I think it's critical, critical. I think, you know, uh, this past year we had probably the most expensive and arguably the most talented receiver core in our league. And, um, you know, we need to be, we need to be better upfront on both sides of it. And so I think the portal is very critical.
What point does his attention fully flip to next season
Yeah, I think, um, yeah, I think today's going to be, um, it's going to be, my girls are here, so there's still Thanksgiving break. And so probably, probably today's I'm going to hang out with them, um, and, um, uh, try to enjoy them a little bit. And, but then after that, I think it goes right to this and, um, you know, whether it's, um, uh, you know, our class retention, uh, or it's, uh, uh, you know, portal hunting.
And then, you know, there's discussions that we have to have on our team on, uh, Hey, if someone was paid this and this was their season, right. Is this what they're worth? Right. And all those things are, uh, those have been kind of ongoing kind of building or prepping towards, and now we're at the time to have those things. And so I think that starts tomorrow.
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