Sept. 18, 2005
The Baylor football team ran its record to 3-0 on the season with Saturday's 20-10 victory at Army. Off to the program's best start since 1996, here is the text of Bears' coach Guy Morriss' Sunday conversation with the media and updated team notes, heading into a bye weekend:
What have you seen on tape from yesterday's Army game?
"I liked some of it. Obviously, the effort was there. I think from an effort standpoint, on all three phases, our best game. We had some guys really flying around and that sort of thing, but the detail stuff is what we've got to get it fixed. To me, it's obviously our job as coaches to get it out of them and we're going to challenge them a little bit today about some of that. Our timing on our passing game is just a little off and that's something they can stay out afterward and as a receiver group and a quarterback group work out on their own. The linemen's footwork has got to improve. We can make them stay and do some of that on their own and polish up our game. You know, defensive lineman want to work a move, so they've got to grab an offensive lineman and spend 10 minutes working one-on-one with your buddy. It's those kinds of things that I think we need to start doing more of."
On Baylor's offensive timing:
"What we've got to do is learn to practice better during the week on that kind of thing because we don't loaf in practice but we aren't moving at the same speed we do on Saturday's and then the quarterback gets a different picture on game days and I think that has a lot to do with our timing. We are going to try and encourage our receivers to understand they've got to practice a little harder. It's just totally different when you are under the gun. The ball's got to come out on rhythm and everything's got to be where it is supposed to be and you've got to go through your reads and deliver the ball on time."
On Shawn Bell's four interceptions over season's first three games:
"It's something I think we can get corrected. The first two, I believe, were bad reads and the last two yesterday were just poor throws. He's got some things to clean up. He's a little antsy in the pocket sometimes when he doesn't have to be. He's got to make some better throws. The one to (Shaun) Rochon made a heck of a catch on, the ball was behind him. I first thought the ball to Whitaker (Brandon) was a little too low, but really he just catches it with his hands, he doesn't have to go down to the ground. I thought from the sideline that ball was a little too low, that he had to dart it and go down, but if he'd just catch it with his hands he would have scored."
On his team's effort against Army:
"We were pleased with everybody's effort. Our lineman were hustling down the field, the receivers were running their routes hard. We've just got to get them in the right place all the time. They (the receivers) like when they've got the ball in their hands for someone to be blocking for them so, they have to reciprocate when the ball is in somebody else's hand. I saw more of that from our receivers yesterday, blocking for the other guy and that's good to see that kind of thing. I think it is coming together. We are far from perfect, but we got better yesterday."
On Shaun Rochon's performance:
"Shaun (Rochon) and Paul Mosely have been our best performers on offense. Shaun's a guy that will go in there and block, a tenacious guy; he will really go and get you. He throws his body around obviously."
On Baylor's consistency on offense:
"The bad snap was my fault, really. I can't blame Will (Blaylock) for that. We as coaches, we've had some of that during the week and should have grabbed the kid right then and spent a little time after practice. Especially me, I made a living for how many years as a center and we didn't correct then and it's something that bit us. Little things like that and stepping the wrong way always seem to come at the wrong time, you know, go inside the corner instead of outside or outside the corner instead of inside, you know, just little things. I think it is (stuff that can get worked out.) I don't know if you take promise or heart in the fact that we have offensively been ugly and still managed to win the ball game but I think the good thing about it in my mind is that we can get it fixed and when we do get it fixed we are going to be, I think, a pretty decent offensive, kind of an explosive offense. We've shown signs of that so if we get that stuff fixed and the attitude and the effort stay the same, we'll be in good shape."
"They have done a really good job, and I attribute it to the summer program and everybody making the commitment to be here and we went through camp healthy, we are still healthy and that has been a key I think. Everybody that has rotated into the ball game has played pretty well. They're in good condition and you can kind of just see them coming together as a group."
On the play of Baylor's reserves vs. Army:
"Rhodes (Vincent) played well and he's going to be a good player for us. If he can continue to grow he's going to see more playing time. Geoff Nelson kind of took a step yesterday and played pretty well. Jake LaMar got in there and played well, he's playing one of the safeties. Our backup corner's, Widemon (Alton) and Todd (James) played quite a bit yesterday and played well. Some of those guys are guys that can put together plays if someone gets hurt down the road and I think they did OK."
On the play of Baylor's defensive line at Army:
"Army's offensive line is probably not as good as we are going to play down the road, but they are about as good as we have been playing. I think our kids just turned it up and there were some timely sacks, too. The one to Montez (Murphy) was huge. The corner kind of slipped on the wheel route, that's what they were trying to hit and I don't know if they would have scored because the guy covering would have recovered, but he was open and the guy was stepping up to deliver the ball and Montez did and nice job, a little spin move, and sacked him. It was good to see."
On using double safeties on punt returns vs. Army:
"The guy had kind of sprayed it around (against Boston College) and we wanted to field the ball as much as we could and not let it bounce around."
On the start of Big 12 play:
"Well, we've got two weeks to get ready. We'll find out how ready we are. We're jumping in pretty deep. I think it is (a good time for the bye week). Most people would prefer one later in the year from an injury standpoint but we're 100 percent healthy. We came out yesterday in good shape, but I think where it will help our kids now is from a mental standpoint. We put a lot of pressure on them about these last three (games) that we had to win those three. I think a break will do them good. I heard a lot of comments about us only practicing twice this week and some people don't think that's maybe enough, but I told the kids that if I get the kind of work out of them that I need, those two will be plenty. I'll give them the next weekend off and then we'll get started Monday night (on Texas A&M). I'm giving them Monday and Tuesday off and then we'll practice Wednesday and Thursday this week. We are going to lift and do all that stuff all week, so they've got to be here."
On pressure to win the season's first three games:
"Yes, there was for me. I know I caught myself last night going back to the plane and kind of visiting with some of the people that rode with us and telling them that I was glad this one was over, that we got out of this one alive. This was the one I thought might be the biggest hurt. We were concerned about some of the pageantry. That was my first trip (to West Point) and I didn't know anymore than the kids. I think the best thing we did was show them a video about Army and let our two guys that were servicemen put in their two-cents about it. We went up there, practiced about 30 minutes (Friday) and looked at the stadium and took a tour of the campus."
On staying focused:
"I think they (the players) are starting to understand, we call it fluff. It's stuff that really doesn't matter to the outcome of the game. It all happens between the lines and that's what you have to worry about. You can't let the distractions of the marching, the bands, the crowds and the travel, you can't let that creep in and they are doing a really good job of not doing that. They are starting to understand. We go to Army and its field is only 100 yards long and the stadium is metal and concrete. The length of your towel or your pants has nothing to do with it, the color of your shoes or your helmet...that doesn't amount to a hill of beans and they are starting to understand that. That may seem like something that's elementary at this level, but you can't take anything for granted. They were completely focused and did a good job. We want them loose and relaxed and that kind of stuff but we want them to stay focused. All three games they've played they have done a good job at the hotel and that kind of stuff and that's good to see."
How do you feel?
"We've got three in the win column and a chance to keep improving. There's a lot of improvement still to make. I think our best football is still out in front of us. Our kids are playing harder than I've ever seen them play before. If you stand around the pile that's when you get hurt and there's not a lot of standing around going on, which is good because that's the way to get hurt."
On practice plans for this week:
"I'm going to line them up and do some individual drills, technique stuff and then come together for a 30-minute team period and just go good on good. Run our offense, run our defense and just work on speed of the game and technique with each other."
Baylor Sunday Notes: Baylor is 3-0 for the first time since 1996 and only the 25th time in its 105-year history after Saturday's 20-10 win at Army ... But, only six of those 3-0 starts have come since 1961 (1980, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1996 and 2004) ... The win at Army snapped Baylor's 27-game losing streak in games played outside the Lone Star state since a 37-35 victory at Fresno State on Sept. 6, 1997 ... That losing string covered 13 states and three head coaches ... Baylor has allowed 60 or fewer rushing yards in consecutive games (55 by Samford and 56 by Army) for the first time since the 1989 season when it held Houston to 24 yards and SMU to 2 yards in back-to-back weeks ... The Baylor defense ranks sixth in the Big 12 and 29th nationally against the run (93.7 ypg) ... Baylor forced nine turnovers (5 fumbles and 4 interceptions) in 11 games a year ago, but has forced seven (3 fumbles and 4 interceptions) over the first three games of the 2005 campaign ... Senior FS Maurice Lane (Killeen, Texas) tallied a team- and game-high 14 tackles (5 solos) at Army, which marked the 15th double-digit tackle performance of his career ... The 2005 Thorpe Award candidate now has 216 career solo tackles, good for No. 3 on Baylor's all-time list and just 16 shy of overtaking No. 2 Ray Berry (1983-86) ... Lane has 302 career tackles (216 solos and 86 assists) and needs three to crack the Bears' career top 10 list ... Redshirt freshman TE Jason Smith (Dallas, Texas) made his first career start in the Army game but did not record any statistics against the Black Knights ... Junior WR Trent Shelton (Fort Worth, Texas) extended his streak of consecutive games with at least one reception to 25 straight contests as he finished with a team-high 5 receptions for 84 yards against the Black Knights ... Shelton has 74 career receptions and needs 4 to land on Baylor's career list ... Junior WR Dominique Zeigler (Killeen, Texas) needs 5 receptions to crack the Bears' career chart ... Zeigler has caught at least 2 passes in each of his last 13 appearances ... Junior QB Shawn Bell (China Spring, Texas) improved to 4-4 all-time as Baylor's starting signal caller with the Army win with three of his four losses coming to nationally-ranked opponents ... Junior P Daniel Sepulveda (Dallas, Texas) boomed a season-long 63-yard punt at Army marking the 11th 60-yard punt of his career, a school record ... The Bears, who haven't started 4-0 since 1991's 5-0 beginning, are idle this weekend before opening Big 12 play Oct. 1 at Texas A&M (1-1 heading into a Sept. 24 game vs. Texas State) ... Junior RB Paul Mosley (Austin, Texas) and sophomore RB Brandon Whitaker (Edmond, Okla.) have a combined 105 touches (rushes and receptions) between them over the season's first three games and haven't fumbled.
