Baylor, DJ Lagway fall just short of comeback vs. Auburn as risky 2-point attempt fails in closing seconds

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Baylor lost to Auburn in a nail-biter on Saturday after the Bears were stopped just short of the goal line on a potential winning 2-point try in the final seconds.

The Tigers were up for most of the game, but the Bears hung around. New Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway threw a touchdown pass with 9 seconds left to cut Auburn's lead to 17-16. That wound up being the final score in Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Bears head coach Dave Aranda chose to roll the dice and keep the offense on the field, hoping the momentum from the scoring drive could help them get into the end zone.

Lagway took the snap and rolled right. He tried to hit tight end Matthew Klopfenstein.

The throw was a little behind Klopfenstein, but he turned back and caught it. He tried to get the ball into the end zone, but was stuffed at the line by Auburn safety Eric Winters.

The risk did not pay off for the Bears as they dropped to 0-1 in the year.

The dual-threat Lagway took a hit early in the game, and he was favoring his leg down the stretch. This forced him to remain in the pocket, taking away a typically big part of his game.

Lagway finished the game 27-of-54 passing for 333 yards with two touchdowns, an interception, and a lost fumble. The quarterback's fourth-quarter drive ended as he found Gavin Freeman for the 5-yard score.

Auburn gets its first win under new head coach Alex Golesh, who came over from South Florida after Auburn fired Hugh Freeze amid a 5-7 season.

Lagway is in his first season with Baylor. He began his career as a five-star recruit at Florida. Last season, he played in 12 games for the Gators, but struggled mightily. Lagway threw for 2,264 yards with 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

The Bears finished last year with a 5-7 record. Former quarterback Sawyer Robertson went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, but his absence led Aranda to bring in Lagway.

Baylor will look to build on the fact that they kept the game close and scored on the last-second drive. The Bears should have a lower-profile matchup next week to bounce back as Baylor welcomes Prairie View A&M to Waco.

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