"Investigate Dave Aranda for Sports Gambling": Calls mount for Baylor HC to be fired after questionable play calling in 38-24 loss to Auburn

Dave Aranda had the worst possible start to his year six with the Baylor Bears. They took on the Auburn Tigers in the season opener at home in McLane Stadium on Friday. Unfortunately, the Bears suffered a 38-24 loss to Hugh Freeze's team.

Following a poor display and questionable play-calling, fans on social media criticized coach Aranda for the season opener loss. A few of them also called for the Bears to fire him.

Aranda's team secured an early lead in the first quarter thanks to a 36-yard field goal by Connor Hawkins. Auburn responded quickly after quarterback Jackson Arnold scored a 24-yard rushing touchdown to give his team the advantage.

In the second quarter, Damari Alston scored a nine-yard rushing TD, followed by a 21-yard field goal by Alex McPherson to give Auburn a 17-3 lead. However, Dave Aranda's team managed to minimize the deficit to 10-17 heading into halftime after Sawyer Roberston's 33-yard passing touchdown to Kobe Prentice.

Auburn continued to put offensive pressure in the second half. Jeremiah Cobb scored a touchdown, followed by Rayshawn Pleasant's 98-yard kick return to put Hugh Freeze's team in a comfortable position.

Sawyer Roberston scored two more passing touchdowns in the second half, but it was not enough to help the Baylor Bears secure the victory at home. The quarterback ended the night completing 27 of the 48 passes he attempted for 419 yards and three touchdowns.

Last season, Dave Aranda helped the Bears to an 8-5 campaign and a Texas Bowl loss to the LSU Tigers. So far, he has a 31-31 record with just one bowl victory, leading to questions about his fit as the coach. If he fails to end this season on a high note, the Bears may well decide to part ways with him.

Dave Aranda opens up about season opener loss to Auburn

In the post-game press conference, the Baylor coach expressed his disappointment about losing to Hugh Freeze's team at home.

He also stated how the players were 'frustrated' with the outcome of the game.

"Really disappointed with tonight," Aranda said. (Timestamp-0:02). "It's a tough locker room to leave. Guys were upset, frustrated and you know, I think its tough to go through a game like that.

"You know, I felt that there was a bunch of effort in that game. I thought there was a bunch of try hard and want to. The execution, there's so much to be desired."

Dave Aranda and his team hit the road next to take on the SMU Mustangs at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on Sept. 6.

About the author

Priyam is a College Sports content executive at Sportskeeda with a master's in Advertising and Marketing Management and over two years of experience as a writer. When it comes to reporting, Priyam believes doing a technical deep dive is one of his biggest strengths and he loves to dissect plays on the field and factor out the strengths/weaknesses of players.

A fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Priyam sees Nick Saban as the greatest coach of all time. He is also rooting for Alabama quarterback Jalen Milore after following his progress over the years. The Michigan Wolverines football team is another of his favorite programs and it will be interesting to see how both these teams perform in new coaching eras.

When he’s not reporting, Priyam is usually at the gym or indulging in music. He has been a guitarist and a drummer for the past 17 years and finds his time of peace when playing music.

Know More

Auburn Tigers Fans? Check out the latest Tigers depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.

Edited by Dipayan Moitra