UCF is back on the road again after a week off as the program makes its first-ever trip to Baylor and McLane Stadium. The Knights are coming off an impressive 45-13 win over West Virginia and looking to snap a six-game losing streak on the road.

The Orlando Sentinel spoke with Zach Smith of the Waco Tribune-Herald to gain a deeper understanding of the Bears. Here is an edited version of that conversation:

What’s stood out about Baylor’s season so far?

Zach Smith: “Offensively, this team has been a joy to watch, even over the last two weeks, where they lost and the offense hasn’t necessarily played as well. Sawyer Robertson is kind of everything you want in a quarterback. He started hotter than anyone in the country and has a lot of guys to throw to. Josh Cameron has a really cool story — a former walk-on who is now their best receiver and a major leader on this team. Michael Trigg has taken another step as the tight end in Year 2 at Baylor. This offense, when it’s clicking, I would put it toe to toe with anybody in the country.

“On the flip side, though, the defense has not been very good. This is supposed to be Dave Aranda’s calling card. He is a defensive guru — or so we thought — and this is his second year calling plays. Baylor’s defense is probably one of the worst in the country, certainly in the Big 12. Their rushing defense ranks near the bottom in most categories. They’ve had some key injuries along the defensive line. They lost a couple of linebackers to injuries and a safety to a season-ending injury.

“It’s really been a roller coaster of a season and it’s kind of confounding, based on some of the expectations Baylor had coming into this season.”

Does Dave Aranda need a strong finish to keep his job?

Smith: “I’d be shocked if any coaching change happened in the middle of the season, barring a blowout loss to UCF this weekend. They have a bye week after UCF, but there is undoubtedly some apathy amongst the fans and some administrators. A lot of money was invested in this program and this team. From everything I’ve been told, they are one of the top three in terms of NIL spending in the Big 12 and and the results just aren’t keeping up with that.

“Dave Aranda has fired five assistants and five coordinators over his span here. And so you’re running out of people to fire. If Dave Aranda wants to keep his job — which I certainly think is a possibility — he needs a strong finish to the season.

“The last couple of home games against Kansas State and Arizona State it was an empty McLane Stadium. That tells you where the fan base is, and while administrators don’t necessarily look at social media or read columns that call for someone to be fired, they will pay attention to the money. So if the fans continue to stop showing up, that’s going to create a change.”

What makes quarterback Sawyer Robertson so special?

Smith: “He is everything you want in a quarterback. This doesn’t necessarily translate to stats, but when you talk about leadership and a guy that guys want to follow, he checks every single box. He has this innate ability to just lead when people need to be led and also performs when it matters the most. These last two games have not been his best. He threw for less than 200 yards last week at Cincinnati, which broke a streak of 11 games in a row where he had at least 200 yards passing. By all accounts, he’s healthy and nothing’s wrong. He’s just off kilter. If Baylor is going to climb out of the hole it’s in, he’s going to be the one to start climbing. Everybody’s gonna grab onto him, and he’s gonna carry everyone.”

UCF Q&A: Can the Knights get over their road woes at Baylor?

Who else should UCF pay special attention to?

Smith: “Bryson Washington is a really good running back. He has been dealing with some injuries. Baylor lost its No. 2 running back for the season to a foot injury, so Bryson has carried a lot of the load, and some of that is catching up to him.

“On defense, Keaton Thomas is the guy to watch. He’s the middle linebacker. He’s kind of the quarterback of the defense. He was an All-Big 12 player last year and has a motor that never stops. If you think he’s out of the play, suddenly you’ll see him getting some pressure on a quarterback or chasing down a wide receiver. He’s everywhere on the field and does everything. Devin Bobby is a safety and a senior. He’s been their man in the secondary last year and the secondary was not very good, and they’ve really turned things around this year.”

What do you see as a challenge for Baylor against UCF?

Smith: “UCF likes to run the ball. Baylor has struggled all year slowing down the run — just full stop — whether it’s a quarterback run, a designed run, scrambling, or just general. Getting a push up front has been Baylor’s bugaboo. UCF can come and just run up and down on top of Baylor, maybe slow the game down a bit and keep Baylor’s offense off the field.”

Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/10/29/ucf-knights-football-scouting-opponent-baylor-bears/