Bears Commit to "Step Up" In Wake of Dillon Doyle Suspension

Baylor senior linebacker forced to sit out the first half vs. Texas State

This Saturday, McLane stadium will be noticeably quieter than LaVell Edwards Stadium was during Baylor‘s last football game. It’s an 11 a.m. kick-off, it’s against a group of five opponent in Texas State, and there won’t be much charge in the atmosphere. Most notably though, senior linebacker Dillon Doyle will not be yelling instructions to his teammates from the field in the first half.

For the stingy Baylor defense, it will have felt like they lost their voice.

“He is a very vocal leader," safety Devin Neal said. "When it comes to the team, we all have to know our situation and do our part. We’ve all just got to step up and communicate and just reassure one another.” 

Doyle was ejected during the fourth quarter of last Saturday's double-overtime loss to BYU for a targeting call. 

When a screen pass floated too high for BYU running back Lopini Katoa, Doyle hit him squarely. Because Katoa was coming down from a jump, what should have been a clean hit became a helmet shot to a defenseless receiver.

DILLON DOYLE HOLY SMOKES 😳🥊

and it’s being reviewed for targeting pic.twitter.com/lcpOobZESs

— The Transfer Portal CFB (@TPortalCFB) September 11, 2022

“Dillon is heartbroken about it," coach Dave Aranda said. "I think it’s just hard when a guy is coming from up high and going down low...I think it’s for the best, because you want to keep people safe that are unprotected."

Whether there was any maliciousness from Doyle or not, he will be forced to sit out the first half of the matchup with Texas State this Saturday.

In Doyle's absence during the late stages of regulation and overtime against BYU, the Cougars were able to win the game on the ground.

"The run game was one thing when Dillon was in there, and when he wasn’t in there it was another thing," Aranda said. "I think we lost a notch or two."

Aside from his raw ability, Doyle serves almost as a quarterback for the defense, something fellow linebacker Matt Jones has seen time and time again.

"I know when Dillon is out there, even when I’m trying to be vocal, he’s right on it," Jones said. "Before the formation is even set, he knows what’s happening, he’s calling it right away, I just listen and he sent me up in the best position to just play ball."

In Doyle's place, the Bears will lean on redshirt freshman Tyrone Brown, who hasn't played since appearing in four games during the 2020 season.

Jones knows he will have to take a new role and is confident in Brown temporarily taking over Doyle's role.

"I know I’ll have to talk, I know I’ll have to do more, to step up and communicate and just be a better leader on the defense," Jones said. "I have a lot of confidence in Tyrone, he has really great instincts and he flies to the ball, and I have great confidence he’s going to do his job.”

While Aranda referred to the BYU loss as a learning experience in his postgame press conference, he also sees the benefits of being down one of his top defensive players and captains for half the game Saturday.

“The ability for our guys to take this week and become better as a team with the increased depth that we can create with all of this is a good thing," Aranda said.

Baylor will play host to Texas State Saturday at 11 a.m. CT.

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