Baylor head coach Dave Aranda gives update on QB situation

After missing Saturday’s Big 12 championship game against Oklahoma State due to a right hamstring injury, Baylor starting quarterback Gerry Bohanon is expected to return for the Bears in their Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl matchup against Ole Miss in New Orleans, according to Baylor head coach Dave Aranda.

Bohanon, who suffered the injury late in the first half in a Nov. 20 win over Kansas State and missed the following two games against Texas Tech and Oklahoma State as a result, has thrown for 2,160 yards, 17 touchdowns and six interceptions this season, while rushing for 303 yards and nine more scores.

Baylor won 10 games in the regular season, captured the Big 12 championship with a win over Oklahoma State and is now 11-2 overall and ranked No. 7 heading into the Sugar Bowl against No. 8 Ole Miss.

Baylor’s Dave Aranda addresses fourth-down call, defensive execution in Big 12 championship

In the moments after a goal line stand and 21-16 upset win over No. 5 Oklahoma State in the Big 12 championship game, Baylor head coach Dave Aranda addressed the controversial fourth-down call inside his own half, along with the incredible play of his defense.

On its first possession of the second half, Baylor held a 21-6 lead after forcing one of Spencer Sanders’ four interceptions. After a loss of yards on first down and two completions brought up fourth-and-one, analytics came into play. Dave Aranda’s bold fourth-down call led to a throwaway and turnover on downs.

“I think we’ve always been that way,” Aranda said after the game. “And I think that’s somewhere where, myself, going for it I think was the right call. But I think coaching pointers to Blake (Shapen) is, ‘Hey, this is it. We can’t throw it away. We don’t have another down. You have to be able to make it.’ And I take the fault for that.”

The pivotal play gave Oklahoma State the ball back at the Baylor 36-yard line, flipping the field position battle. The Cowboys capitalized with their first touchdown of the game and kickstarted a comeback effort.

Oklahoma State’s comeback effort fell short on fourth-and-one at the Baylor one-yard line when backup running back Dezmon Jackson stretched unsuccessfully for the pylon. The close call will go down as nothing more than a footnote, but Aranda gives thanks to his veteran defense for their constant effort.

“Just knowing Jalen Pitre, knowing Terrel Bernard, just knowing all of those guys and just the pride they have in their craft,” Aranda said. “Knowing the growth they’ve made as a person – to see that effort and that fight – is just definitive of what’s been happening without all the eyes that are on us today. So I’m blessed to be a part of all of it.”

On3’s James Fletcher III contributed to this report.