While the two programs, Auburn and Baylor, that will take the field on Friday night in Waco are not plenty familiar with one another – considering this is just the fifth matchup between the two – Auburn’s Hugh Freeze and Baylor’s Dave Aranda know each other well.
Aranda, of course, is known as a defensive savant in the college football world. The sixth-year Baylor head coach is calling plays on the defensive side of the ball for the second consecutive year.
But he’s certainly not a “noobie” to calling plays. Aranda was the defensive coordinator for the 2019 LSU National Championship squad, which allowed just 21.9 points per game. Additionally, in six seasons as a defensive coordinator at Power Four schools from 2014-2019, his defenses were ranked top 12 nationally in total yards on five