Dave Aranda will call the defensive plays in the frigid Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl against option-oriented Air Force for the first time since the Baylor coach was running the defense for LSU’s national championship team three years ago.
The Bears-Falcons matchup in Fort Worth’s annual bowl game at Amon G. Carter Stadium is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. with a game-time temperature in the teens and a sub-zero wind chill. Baylor can’t be happy about the weather but the Falcons are probably glad to be in Texas – the midday temperature at their home base in Colorado Springs had already plunged to -1.
In deference to the Fort Worth deep freeze, officials canceled pregame activities that would have included a giant American flag presented during the national anthem – a ritual that has become a staple of the Armed Forces Bowl.
Weather aside, Aranda’s role rollback makes stepping into his office right now like stepping back in time.
“It’s been a while,” he said. “You go into my office now, my desk, I’ve got fits and drawings all over. I remember those days. It used to be a clean desk. It’s not like that anymore.”
Aranda fired defensive coordinator Ron Roberts at the end of a 6-6 regular season that followed a run to the 2021 Big 12 championship and Sugar Bowl victory over Mississippi. Roberts joined new Auburn coach Hugh Freeze’s staff as defensive coordinator.
Special teams coordinator and safeties coach Ronnie Wheat also was let go after the Bears finished in the middle of the pack in the Big 12 in defensive efficiency.
“I think what we’re trying to do here is probably different than most, and I just think it’s way important that everything’s together in terms of how we treat people and what we’re doing and all of it and the fit,” Aranda said. “I think we’re going to have a great fit moving forward.”
The Falcons (9-3) are making their sixth Armed Forces Bowl appearance, more than any team. Baylor’s pedigree is probably the strongest of any of their opponents. It’s the first meeting between the schools since 1977.
“I think it’s astounding when you look at their program and what they’ve done here over the last 12 years,” Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said. “So for us to encounter somebody like this in one game, our guys realize we’re really fortunate to be in this situation.”
The Falcons feature the vaunted triple-option offense and running back Brad Roberts, who has a school-record 1,612 yards rushing (134.3 per game).
Air Force leads the nation at 330.9 yards rushing per game, while Baylor allows 138.
“I think whenever you face an option team, there’s not a lot of gray. It’s black and white,” Aranda said. “It’s a math game. It’s 11-on-11, but we have to make sure we’ve got the bounce numbers and the correct leverages.”
RUN, RUN REESE
Running back Richard Reese set a Baylor freshman record with 962 yards rushing to go with 14 touchdowns. He has three 100-yard games, but only 171 yards combined in the past four games.
SOMETHING’S GOT TO GIVE
The Baylor defense was on the field for an average of about 27 1/2 minutes per game during the regular season. Air Force has the nation’s best ball-control offense at more than 36 minutes per game.
ON A ROLL
Air Force has a four-game game winning streak and a shot at its fifth 10-win season since 2014. The Falcons went 15 years without one before that.
ONE LESS WORRY
The interior of Baylor’s defensive line has Calhoun’s attention, but All-Big 12 selection Siaki Ika opted out of the game. Presumably, the 6-foot-4, 358-pound nose tackle, an LSU transfer, will focus on getting ready for the NFL draft.
THIS LOOKS FAMILIAR
While Baylor is making the short trip from its Waco campus about 100 miles south of Fort Worth to play in a familiar venue – Amon G. Carter Stadium is the home field of Baylor’s Big 12 rival TCU – Air Force has been a regular in the Dallas area recently.
The Falcons beat Louisville 31-28 in the First Responder Bowl at SMU in Dallas last December then beat Army 13-7 in a neutral-site game last month at Globe Life Field in Arlington, where the Texas Rangers play baseball.
