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Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Dave Aranda shares how Baylor can play against SMU star Kevin Jennings

Originally posted on Baylor Bears on SI | By Trent Knoop | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 4:00 PM ET

One early-season loss doesn't mean you're in a 'must-win' situation, but it's very clear that Baylor doesn't want to get two losses to start the 2025 season. The Baylor Bears are coming off of a 38-24 loss to Auburn this past Friday, and things don't get any easier for Dave Aranda's squad.

The Bears will now head to Dallas to take on SMU -- a College Football Playoff team in 2024. Aranda was asked on Monday if he felt like beating the Mustangs on Saturday was a 'must-win' for his team. Aranda talked about the need to play better.

"We're looking to play better, and we're looking to start faster, and we're looking to, when we get into adversity, maneuver through that better," Aranda said of playing SMU. "I think, you know, I think offensively, there's a lot of positive from this last game, and there's still things that we could play cleaner. I think there's a lot of weapons on that side of the ball, and so the expectations there are really high.

"And I think special teams-wise, you know, we've had back-to-back games now with the return going the other way, and so there's a lot to clean up there. I think a lot of the guys that were on the field when that was happening were on the field with some of the rushing yards and everything else, and so we've got to be able to clean up their eyes and where they fit and everything.

"I have to coach that better. So we're just focusing on getting better, getting back out there. Today was a good example of that. There's some good energy today."

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Defending Kevin Jennings

What really hurt Baylor in Week 1 was QB Jackson Arnold. The Tigers' gunslinger ran for a career high 137 yards and two scores on the ground. But the challenge gets even harder on Saturday going up against SMU signal caller Kevin Jennings. Last season, Jennings threw for 3,245 yards and ran for 354 yards on the ground.

Jennings is a pass-first QB, but he can move around the pocket and extend plays by using his legs. Coach Aranda talked about defending Jennings on Saturday.

"I think one of the differences, now it may not be versus us, the quarterback we just played, he was scrambling to run it," Aranda compared Jackson Arnold to Jennings. "So if he saw certain coverage, he ran. Where Kevin, a lot of his runs are to throw it. So he'll keep the drive alive and then he'll make you pay with a ball down the field.

"There's a bunch of, we would play Purdy and he would be this way where he would be scrambling and he'd be running behind the line scrimmage, but behind time and there'd be a defender that was covering a back or a tight end. And the defender would see Purdy run this way and he would come up. And at the same time, the defender would come up and leave his coverage.T he receiver, the tight end would go vertical and it'd be kind of a pop shot there.

"There's a bunch of that on film with the guy that we're playing. And so there has to be plaster rolls in the back end. There has to be use of spies and three-man rushes. We gotta try to flush them certain ways. And so there'll be the whole gamut going in to try to be able to control them. I think he does a great job of identifying coverage and he's a very, very adept passer. He's done a great job maturing through all of it and they've done a great job coaching him because he's impressive to watch."

Baylor fans can tune in on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT to see Baylor take on SMU.

This article first appeared on Baylor Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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