Baylor noseguard Siaki Ika and his teammates will try to stop an Oklahoma State offense led by quarterback Spencer Sanders on Saturday at McLane Stadium.
Charlie Neibergall, Associated Press
Baylor coach Dave Aranda expects Oklahoma State to bring the most speed of any opponent the Bears have faced this season.
It’s become one of the hottest rivalries in the Big 12.
The intensity ramped up several notches in last year’s Big 12 championship game when safety Jairon McVea made one of the most memorable plays in Baylor history when he tackled Oklahoma State running back Dezmon Jackson just short of the goal line to preserve the Bears’ 21-16 win at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
The Bears avenged a 24-14 loss earlier in the season in Stillwater.
Getting the No. 16 Bears fired up to play the No. 9 Cowboys in a Top 25 showdown at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at McLane Stadium won’t be an issue for Baylor coach Dave Aranda.
Keeping his players on an even keel and focused throughout the week will be the biggest challenge for Aranda and his coaching staff.
“I see part of our job as coaches is to maybe bring it down a little bit to things we can control and things that are actionable, and things that kind of are in the benefit of the task at hand, and all that’s way hard to do,” Aranda said. “I would like to be able to bring it really down to where we can start the week strong and kind of build the week with inside stuff and not outside stuff.”
The game features the two highest ranked teams in the Big 12, and could go a long way toward determining this year’s conference championship game matchup.
With Saturday’s 31-24 win over previously unbeaten Iowa State, the Bears (3-1) showed they could beat a good team on the road.
The Bears have already won lopsided games over UAlbany and Texas State at McLane Stadium, but the Cowboys (3-0) will clearly be the most difficult home game so far this season.
“I think up to this point we’ve been probably looked at as the fastest team of whoever we’ve played,” Aranda said. “That’s probably not the case in this one. Their ability to play fast and violent is really what makes this a real competitive game.”
The Bears had Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders’ number last year as they intercepted him seven times in two games.
But Sanders was still the first team all-Big 12 quarterback in 2021 as he threw for 2,839 yards and 20 scores while rushing for 668 yards and six touchdowns.
The redshirt senior is off to a great start this season. He’s the highest rated quarterback in the Big 12 as he’s completed 65.3 percent for 916 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s also rushed for 110 yards and three scores to rank second on the team behind running back Dominic Richardson with 215 yards and two scores.
“Offensively, the quarterback really stands out and is playing fast,” Aranda said. “Looks faster, playing confident. I think they have a running back by committee that’s been successful, and their O-line, there’s some cohesion with some guys returning.”
Last year, the Cowboys built the top-ranked defense in the Big 12 as they allowed 297.9 yards and 18.1 points per game.
But former Cowboys’ defensive coordinator Jim Knowles took the same position at Ohio State and was replaced by Derek Mason, who was Auburn’s defensive coordinator last season after serving as Vanderbilt’s head coach from 2014-20.
Oklahoma State’s defense hasn’t been nearly as stingy this season as it ranks eighth in the Big 12 by allowing 376.7 yards per game and seventh in scoring defense by allowing 22.7 per game.
But Aranda knows the speed and talent on Oklahoma State’s defense will still be a challenge.
“On defense, they have a new coordinator, but a lot of similarities in terms of what’s coming at you,” Aranda said. “A really strong four-man front, a lot of speed in the secondary, more single high (pass coverage), a lot of numbers in the box for us to deal with.”
The Cowboys have had two weeks to prepare for the Bears following a 63-7 mauling of Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sept. 17. The Bears have a much quicker turnaround following Saturday’s road win as they prepare for the fastest-paced offense they’ve faced this season.
“They’re playing with a lot more tempo,” Aranda said. “Right now, I think they’re the second fastest team in the country in terms of tempo. I think it’s always been a part of what they’ve done, but not to this degree. And so, a big part of our prep is going to be to get ready for all of that.”
BEAR FACTS – Baylor senior outside linebacker Bryson Jackson was named Big 12 co-defender of the week after collecting a pair of sacks against Iowa State. He shared the award with Texas Tech’s Reggie Pearson. … Aranda said he congratulated former Baylor All-America safety Jalen Pitre after he intercepted two passes and recorded a sack for the Houston Texans on Sunday against the Chicago Bears. “I hit him up with congratulations. And he said congratulations for me on the sideline with a bunch of laughing, smiling emojis.” A video of Aranda slapping safeties coach Ronnie Wheat on the butt on the sidelines at Iowa State went viral.
Baylor noseguard Siaki Ika and his teammates will try to stop an Oklahoma State offense led by quarterback Spencer Sanders on Saturday at McLane Stadium.