Pressure Mounting For Both UCF And Baylor Ahead Of Saturday Matchup

The UCF Knights and Baylor Bears are set to kick off at noon Eastern time on Saturday in Waco, Texas.

Both schools have a pair of future opponents ranked in the Top 25, and with four wins each, their opportunities to attain bowl eligibility are dwindling, making this weekend a prime opportunity to take one step closer to that goal.

Josh Crawford is a writer for Baylor Bears on SI and a former defensive lineman at Prairie View A&M, and he took the time to answer some questions about the Bears' season to this point:

Baylor QB Sawyer Robertson, the Big 12's current leading passer, was limited to under 20 completed passes and 200 yards for the first time this season against Cincinnati. What was the team's biggest takeaway from that?

For all the accolades and hype that Robertson has garnered this season, his accuracy has not been a strong suit, having completed over 65% of his passes just twice before the Cincinnati game. A decent amount of his statistical output relies on volume, and the conference slate has presented its fair share of ups and downs. My biggest takeaway from that is with how bad the Baylor defense has been, this Baylor offense, the passing attack in particular, isn't invincible either, which it has needed to be in order to keep Baylor in these games and give them a puncher's chance, and that's with the Bearcats only being able to register two sacks on Robertson.

After an early-season tear that made Bryson Washington one of the leading rushers of the Big 12, freshman running back Micheal Turner has emerged as the team's leading rusher of these past few games. What led up to this switch and what stood out about Turner to earn him these recent extra looks?

Injuries have been the biggest issue, with him not being 100% since the start of conference play, and being a game-time decision to go vs. Kansas State and TCU. He again got banged up in the first half against Cincinnati, and at this point, I don't know if he gets back to 100% this season. Already not a guy with blazing speed, his physical running style can add a decent toll on the body, and even at full strength, Baylor has wanted a complement with Washington's bell-cow style of back with a back that can catch passes and provide explosive plays out of the backfield. While Caden Knighten got the first opportunity this year with Turner dealing with an injury himself, he's been capable of stepping to provide a spark, stepping in for Washington when needed, and thinks his game against Cincinnati was a mix of coaches rewarding that with an increased workload, and Turner stepping up to the plate to continue to provide chunk runs.

Robertson has spread the ball around quite a bit, with five receivers catching more than 20 passes and getting over 250 reciving yards this season. Is there a specific one UCF fans should keep an eye out for this weekend?

Josh Cameron is the leader of the group, the senior wideout with an inspirational story as a former walk-on, and someone who can be dangerous in open space with the ball in his hands. However, he's struggled with fumbles this year. Although not a receiver, Michael Trigg has been the most dangerous pass catcher for Robertson, being the most heavily targeted, and being a consistent mismatch against safeties and linebackers with his height/weight/speed combination at 6'3, 240ish with receiver-like movement skills. Outside those two, Ashtyn Hawkins is a 6th-year senior, who, when it's not Cameron or Trigg, has been the main downfield/speed threat for Robertson. Kole Wilson is also a name to watch out for.

What has been Baylor's core struggle on defense this season?

Bryson, Baylor's core struggle has been everything. Despite some big gets in the transfer portal with Emar'rion Winston and Matthew Fobbs-White, Baylor has struggled to consistently pressure passers. Between running a 3-man front and not having enough 300-pound bodies to take multiple blockers, Baylor also struggles to stop the run game. And lastly, Ohio State transfer Calvin Simpson-Hunt has made minimal impact, starting safety Carl Williams has missed most of the year, so Baylor's corners have consistently struggled in man-to-man coverage. The only true strength of this Baylor defense is Keaton Thomas and some of their linebacker play.

With two games against current Top 25 opponents still to come, how much pressure is on the Bears to defend their home turf this week to get one win away from bowl eligibility?

Honestly, I think the pressure may be falling on the shoulders of Bears players to win at home because of subpar attendance at home so far this season. But also, Dave Aranda seems to be squarely in the hot seat after last weekend, with Greg McElroy at ESPN, Shehan Jeyarajah at CBS Sports, and Mike Craven with Dave Campbell's Texas Football all calling for Aranda's firing. If this senior class, one that came in with playoff hopes coming into the year, doesn't want to be known as the group that got Dave Aranda fired, two home wins and a strong end to this campaign would go a long way.

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