Three Keys for Baylor Football to Take Down Auburn in Week 1

Football is here! For the second season in a row, the Bears will kick off against the Auburn Tigers in Atlanta on Saturday. The Bears fell short against the SEC competition last season, a shootout that was close all the way until the end.

Baylor lost by two touchdowns in 2025, but it might have been closer than fans remember. The Bears were a 4th & 1 stop away from getting the ball back down seven in the fourth.

So the Tigers are certainly beatable, but there are a few key things that need to go right for the Bears:

Lagway settles in quickly

Nov 29, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Bears can't afford for Lagway to be looking for his groove for three quarters of the game; the signal caller is going to have to make some big plays early in the game.

If DJ can lead a couple of scoring drives in the first quarter, it's a good sign that he is playing comfortablely, which has been highlighted as the X factor for him.

Contain Byrum Brown

If you had to point to one thing that lost Baylor the game to Auburn last season, it would be the quarterback run game. Jackson Arnold ran for 137 yards and two touchdowns while only throwing for 108 yards.

Auburn at Baylo — Aug 29, 2025; Waco, Texas, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) runs the ball for a touchdown against Baylor Bears cornerback | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Auburn's current quarterback Byrum Brown is even more of a dual threat; he went for 1,000 yards on the ground last season at USF.

The game plan for Auburn will certainly involve Brown using his legs to get big yardage in the clutch. The defensive line will have to apply pressure without letting him slither out of the pocket.

If the defensive line is really one of the most improved units for the Bears, there is no better time to prove it than this Saturday.

Pendergrass and Knighten set the pace for the offense

"[The running backs] get thrown in the pasture and don't get the respect and the love that they deserve," running back coach Khenon Hall said. The unit has a shining opportunity to earn some respect against Auburn.

The tandem of Junior Dawson Pendergrass and Sophomore Caden Knighten will need to be an anchor for Lagway and the offense, getting gritty first downs and consistently picking up yards to start drives.

If Lagway is looking shaky, Aranda will have to turn to his experienced running backs to pick up the slack and get the Bears in scoring position.

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