Baylor opens 5th season under Dave Aranda with the coach on hot seat, calling defensive plays

Tarleton State (1-0) at Baylor (0-0), Saturday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Baylor by 26 1/2.

Series record: First meeting.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Baylor coach Dave Aranda is going into his fifth season with a 23-25 record and is taking over play-calling duties on defense. The Bears also have a new offensive coordinator in Jake Spavital. They finished last season with a five-game losing streak, long after losing their season opener at home to Texas State. Tarleton State is an FCS team in its first season as a full-fledged NCAA Division I program after transitioning from Division II since 2020. The Texans have a five-game winning streak, including 26-23 over McNeese in their early season opener.

KEY MATCHUP

The Aranda-called defense against Tarleton State running back Kayvon Britten. The Texans’ senior ran for 1,150 yards with 16 touchdowns last year and opened this season with 164 yards on 25 carries against McNeese. He also had a 1,000-yard season with 16 TDs for Arkansas-Pine Bluff in 2022. Baylor was 13th in what was then a 14-team Big 12 last year, allowing 185 yards rushing per game and a league-high 27 TDs on the ground.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tarleton State: Defensive back Kasyus Kurns had two fumble recoveries in the season opener and returned one of them for a touchdown. He also had six tackles, one of those for a loss.

Baylor: Toledo transfer Dequan Finn takes over as Baylor’s starting quarterback after leading the Rockets to an 11-2 record last year. He passed for 7,083 yards and 63 touchdowns, while running for 1,841 yards and 25 TDs in 45 games the past five seasons.

FACTS & FIGURES

Saturday marks the 10th anniversary of Baylor’s first game at McLane Stadium, the campus facility on the banks of the Brazos River. The Bears beat SMU 45-0 in their inaugural game in that stadium on Aug. 31, 2014. They were 1-7 there last season, and are 37-25 since it opened. ... Baylor added 22 players through the transfer portal among 39 newcomers this season. ... Tarleton State’s campus is in Stephenville, Texas, just under 100 miles from Waco.

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