318lb Baylor Athlete Leaves With Blood All Over His Face as Dave Aranda Suffers Big Blow

The speculation time is over. Under the Friday night lights, Auburn and Baylor were trading blows. The Tigers rolled in, boasting eight straight Week 1 wins, while Dave Aranda’s Bears had a 5-1 opener record under his watch. But this time, the tone was about grit, blood, and a scene that left even hardened football fans wincing. Because in the trenches, Baylor’s 318-pound offensive lineman Coleton Price became the story.

Mid-scrimmage, Coleton Price’s helmet went flying after a brutal collision, exposing him to a head gash that painted his face red. FOX College Football didn’t hesitate to blast the clip across X with the caption, “Coleton Price is TOUGH.” Tough is the word. Even after that, he was still jogging to the sidelines with blood dripping down his face. But the bigger question is what happens when Dave Aranda’s toughest man is suddenly out of the trenches. 

Baylor losing its anchor in Coleton Price is no small bruise. It’s a gut punch to Dave Aranda’s game plan. At 6’3” and 318 pounds, the junior lineman from Bowie, Texas, is the Bear’s offensive heartbeat. A Rimington Trophy watch list center, a 13-game starter last year, and the engine behind an O-line ranked sixth in efficiency nationwide. The man has logged 935 snaps, given up just 10 pressures, and graded in the 80s when it mattered most. Dave Aranda built his run game behind this bulldozer, and without him, the Bears’ blueprint looks like it just got ripped in half. And just like that, the momentum shifted. 

Auburn, who hasn’t lost a season opener in eight years, walked into McLane Stadium with swagger and found blood in the water. After Baylor’s opening drive sputtered into a field goal, QB Jackson Arnold flipped the script with a 96-yard march, capped by a 24-yard touchdown run that silenced the crowd. It was a statement. The Tigers came to town to swing, and without Coleton Price in the middle, they suddenly looked like the heavier puncher. But blood on the face doesn’t mean the fight is over. It just means the tone has changed.

A fight that’s just getting started

Baylor’s ground game still showed some grit. Bryson Washington and freshman sparkplug Caden Knighten popped a few solid runs, racking up 38 yards on five carries. But QB Sawyer Robertson’s three completions for 24 yards felt more like warning sirens. Dave Aranda’s squad could move the football, but can they finish drives without their anchor? That’s where Auburn’s defense drew the line. Twice in the red zone, twice the Bears came up empty-handed.

Hugh Freeze and Auburn didn’t even play clean football. Penalties stacked, drives stalled, yet the Tigers still led 7-3 after the first frame. If you’re Dave Aranda, that’s the nightmare. You’re bloody, you’re bruised, and the opponent hasn’t even hit top gear yet. The first quarter ended with Auburn on top, but this game already feels bigger than one night in Waco.

For Baylor, it’s about more than Coleton Price’s cut. It’s whether they can patch up an identity crisis before it spreads. For Auburn, it’s about keeping the hammer down and proving their opener dominance travels.