Key Matchups For Week Three Baylor Football Against The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

With both star quarterbacks sidelined, Saturday’s matchup will be won in the trenches—and Baylor holds every advantage.

Sep 12, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears head coach Dave Aranda on the sidelines during the first half against the Prairie View A&M Panthers at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Baylor goes into week three against the 1-1 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Saturday at 3 PM CT on ESPNU. Both starting quarterbacks will be out for this week: DJ Lagway is still suffering from the ankle injury he had in week one, and Louisiana Tech's Blake Baker will be sidelined with a hand injury.

Sep 12, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears quarterback DJ Lagway (2) in street clothes during warmups before the game against the Prairie View A&M Panthers at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nothing is an automatic win in college football, but with Blake Baker unavailable, it will be a lot easier for the Bears. Louisiana Tech had a decent showing against LSU last week, until it got to the second half. Here are a few matchups you can look at as predominant factors in why Baylor should dominate come Saturday.

Baylor's Secondary vs. Louisiana Tech's Backup Quarterback

With Blake Baker sidelined, the Bulldogs will rely on Senior quarterback Trey Kukuk to lead them on offense. It's very important that Joe Klanderman comes out very aggressively on defense and sends multiple blitz packages.

Baylor’s defensive scheme relies on tight press coverage to suppress early-down passing efficiency, manufacture obvious passing situations, and force processing errors from the opposing quarterback.

Klanderman's secondary needs to mask intent with late safety rotations, forcing Kukuk to hesitate and attempt low-percentage passes into heavily contested zones in the defense. Look for players such as Daniel Cobbs, Kaleb Burns, and Reggie Bush to have a big impact in this game, and at least one of them should walk away with an interception.

Baylor Defensive Line vs. Louisiana Tech Offensive Line

Louisiana Tech had no shot against LSU when it came to holding blocks on the offensive side. This Baylor defensive front needs to be on all cylinders, attack every chance it gets, and force as many third-and-long situations as possible.

This defense has shown tremendous growth from last year's team, leading the Big 12 with nine sacks and 18 tackles for loss in just two weeks of football. A key part of the defense has been transfer edge rusher Garrick Ponder, who has two sacks and seven total tackles.

Sep 12, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears linebacker Garrick Ponder (13) reacts after a play against the Prairie View A&M Panthers during the first half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Baylor's Ground Attack vs. Louisiana Tech's Front Seven

With the second game in a row without Lagway, this should be another heavy run-focused attack, with Pendergrass and Turner expected to get 12-15 carries each. Last week, the duo combined for 135 yards on just 27 carries.

Sep 12, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears running back Dawson Pendergrass (35) runs the ball against the Prairie View A&M Panthers during the first half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Early rushing production reduces dropback volume for Baylor's secondary quarterback, degrades Louisiana Tech's defensive front stamina, and optimizes downfield play-action efficiency.

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