Oct. 9, 2006
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GAME SEVEN
BAYLOR (3-3, 2-0) at #6 TEXAS (5-1, 2-0)
SATURDAY, OCT. 14, 2006 • 6:00 P.M. CDT
ROYAL-TEXAS MEMORIAL STADIUM (85,132)
AUSTIN, TEXAS
SERIES RECORD
Texas leads 69-22-4
LAST MEETING
Texas 62, Bayalor 0 [11.5.05]
COACHES
BAYLOR: Guy Morriss (TCU, 1973)
Record at Baylor: 14-26 (4th season)
Career Record: 23-40 (6th season)
Record vs. Texas: 0-3
TEXAS: Mack Brown (Florida State, 1974)
Record at Texas: 87-20 (9th season)
Career Record: 173-94-1 (23rd season)
Record vs. Baylor: 9-0
BAYLOR/ISP RADIO NETWORK
John Morris, play-by-play
J.J. Joe, color analyst
Ricky Thompson, sideline
Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 161
NOTE: The three remaining football games this month (Texas, Kansas, Texas A&M) will be carried on KCEV 1160 AM in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The three games in November (Texas, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma) will air on WBAP 820 AM.
TBS TELEVISION
Ron Thulin, play-by-play
Charles Davis, color analyst
Craig Sager, sideline
INTERNET FEEDS
www.BaylorBears.com
BEARS TRAVEL TO No. 6 TEXAS ON NATIONAL TELEVISION
Baylor returns to action Saturday, Oct. 14, traveling to Austin, Texas, for a Big 12 Conference South Division game against No. 6 Texas. Kickoff between the Bears and the Longhorns is scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT at Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
The Bears (3-3, 2-0) defeated Colorado 34-31 in three overtimes last Saturday at Boulder. Baylor is 1-1 on the road this season, 1-0 on an opponent's home field.
The Longhorns (5-1, 2-0) defeated 14th-ranked Oklahoma 28-10 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, last Saturday. Texas is 3-1 at home this season, 1-0 in Big 12 play.
Saturday's game will be broadcast live nationally on TBS.
BAYLOR-TEXAS SERIES
Baylor and Texas meet for the 96th time Saturday, the third-most played rivalry in Baylor football history behind TCU (104 meetings) and Texas A&M (102 meetings).
Texas leads the all-time series 69-22-4, and the Longhorns have won the last eight meetings since a 23-21 Baylor victory Nov. 1, 1997, in Waco. The Bears are 8-41-2 all-time at Austin and have not won in the state capital since a 21-11 decision in 1991. Of note, Texas made coaching changes at the conclusion of both the 1991 and 1997 seasons.
The Horns' current eight-game winning streak against Baylor is Texas' longest since a 13-game run from 1958 to 1973 that ended with Baylor's 34-24 victory at Floyd Casey Stadium in 1974, dubbed the "Miracle on the Brazos."
The series dates back to a 23-0 Texas victory Oct. 29, 1901, in Waco. The programs have played every year since 1923, making this Baylor's longest continually running rivalry.
SERIES NOTES: This marks the 28th time the Bears have faced the Longhorns as a top-10 opponent; Texas has won 23 of the previous 27 such meetings with three Baylor victories (1951, 1978, 1984) and one tie (1941). Baylor's last victory over a top-10 UT team was a 24-10 win at home against the sixth-ranked Longhorns in 1984. ... In 1941, Baylor tied top-ranked Texas 7-7 in a game later deemed to be the greatest upset in Southwest Conference history by Texas sportswriters. The Bears, at 3-3, dented the Longhorns' perfect 6-0 mark, snapping a 10-game UT winning streak that dated back to the previous season. ... In 1989, Baylor defeated Texas 50-7, the most lopsided Bears' victory in the series. That also marks the fifth-most points scored by a Baylor team in a conference game and the fifth-largest margin of victory in a conference game. ... Baylor's second-largest margin of defeat was against Texas when the Longhorns shutout the Bears 77-0 in 1913. That also was the second-most points ever scored against a Baylor team. ... Texas has posted a shutout in four of the last eight meetings. ... This is the first time since 1998 that Baylor has faced Texas one week after the Red River Rivalry (UT 30-20 at Austin). ... The last time Baylor faced Texas when the Longhorns were defending Big 12 Champions was in 1997, a 23-21 Baylor victory. ... This is the first time Baylor and Texas have faced each other when both teams were undefeated in conference play since 1963, a 7-0 Texas victory. ... The teams combined for 98 points in the 1994 meeting, the second highest-scoring game in Baylor football history behind only the 1917 game against Hardin Simmons (W 103-0). ... Texas was the first Big 12 South team Baylor defeated (1997). That Baylor's lone victory against a Big 12 South team until the Bears defeated Texas A&M in 2004. ... Baylor and Texas have played on the second Saturday of October only one other time -- 1914.
SERIES RECORD
Overall: Texas leads 69-22-4
Waco: Texas leads 27-14-2
Austin: Texas leads 41-8-2
Neutral Site: Texas leads 1-0
Since Start of Big 12: Texas leads 9-1
SERIES SUPERLATIVES
Most Points Scored, Baylor: 50 (1989)
Most Points Scored, Texas: 77 (1913)
Most Points Scored, both teams: 98 (1994, UT 63-35)
Largest Margin of Victory, Baylor: 50-7 (1989)
Largest Margin of Victory, Texas: 77-0 (1913)
QUICK NOTES
• Baylor is 2-0 in conference play for the first time since 1995. The Bears have not started 3-0 in conference play since opening 5-0 in 1985.
• The Bears lead the nation with 19 turnovers forced. Baylor has forced 48 turnovers since the start of the 2005 season, the most of any team in Division I-A.
• Baylor (12/7) and Missouri (8/7) are the only teams in the Big 12 with more interceptions than touchdown passes allowed.
• The Bears, who defeated Oklahoma State in the 2005 series finale, have won three consecutive conference games for the first time since 1992 (SMU, at TCU, Houston).
• Baylor has lost the coin toss to begin every game this season and two of three coin tosses in overtime play.
• Baylor has out-scored its opponents 101-27 in the first half over the last seven games and held the lead at halftime in each of those games.
• Baylor leads the Big 12 and is tied with Ohio State for the national lead with 12 interceptions.
• Only four of Baylor's 19 offensive scoring drives have lasted more than three minutes.
• Of Baylor's 19 offensive scoring drives, five have been less than one minute in duration (three have been less than 40 seconds).
• Baylor has registered 12 plays longer than 40 yards this season in six games. The Bears totaled 11 plays longer than 40 yards in 11 games last season.
• Five of Baylor's 10 longest plays this season have come in the last two games.
• Baylor has incurred at least eight penalties in 12 of its last 14 games.
• One team has scored exactly 17 points in three of Baylor's six games this season. The Colorado game was tied 17-17 at the end of regulation.
• QB Shawn Bell has passed for at least 200 yards in a school-record eight straight games.
• Bell has completed at least one TD pass in eight straight games, also a school record.
• LB Joe Pawelek leads all NCAA Division I-A freshmen with 7.8 tackles per game, 1.8 more than any other freshman in the Big 12.
BAYLOR-TEXAS CONNECTIONS
• Baylor defensive coordinator Bill Bradley was a quarterback and defensive back at Texas from 1966 to 1968. He served as tri-captain for the Horns' 1968 Southwest Conference championship squad that finished the season ranked third nationally after beating Tennessee 36-13 in the Cotton Bowl. Bradley established a Texas and Southwest Conference record with four interceptions in the Horns' 1968 victory over Texas A&M.
• Texas running backs coach Ken Rucker was Baylor's running backs coach in 1993 under former Bears' head coach Chuck Reedy.
BAYLOR vs. RANKED OPPONENTS
Baylor is 38-148-5 all-time against ranked opponents, 22-128-1 when unranked and playing a ranked opponent. The Bears are 2-31 against ranked opponents since the inception of the Big 12 Conference (33-30 against 20th-ranked North Carolina State in 1998, and 35-34 in overtime against 16th-ranked Texas A&M in 2004).
The Bears have lost 24 consecutive games against teams ranked in the Associated Press top 10 since Nov. 8, 1986, a 29-14 vctory against Arkansas in Waco.
Since the AP began conducting weekly polls in 1936, Baylor has played at least one ranked opponent every season except 1987.
BAYLOR IN TELEVISED GAMES
Saturday's game is the 103rd televised game in Baylor football history; the Bears are 37-63-2 all-time in televised games. Baylor is 2-10 in televised games under head coach Guy Morriss after falling to TCU in the 2006 season opener on FSN.
This is Baylor's first game on TBS since Dec. 31, 1991, when the Bears dropped a 24-0 decision to Indiana in the Copper Bowl at Tucson, Ariz. Baylor is 0-3-1 all-time on TBS, twice losing at Georgia (1985, 1989) and tying Texas A&M 13-13 in 1983.
Saturday is Baylor's first full national broadcast since last season's 20-10 victory at Army (the TCU game was not picked up by all FSN regions).
NIGHT TIME IS THE RIGHT TIME FOR THE BEARS
Baylor is 9-8 under the lights during head coach Guy Morriss' three-plus seasons. Conversely, the Bears are 5-18 in that time in day games (kickoff at least two hours prior to sunset).
BAYLOR TURNS OVER A NEW LEAF
Since ranking 113th nationally in turnover margin and forcing just nine opponent miscues over the 11-game 2004 campaign, the Baylor defense has forced 48 turnovers (28 interceptions, 20 fumble recoveries) since the start of the 2005 season. The Bears have come up with at least one turnover in 16 of 17 games since the start of the 2005 season, including eight straight dating to last year's game against Texas.
Over Morriss' first two seasons on the Baylor sideline, Baylor's defense forced 34 turnovers in 23 games, compared to the 48 it has totaled over the last 17 outings.
Here is a look at teams nationally with the most turnovers forced since the start of the 2005 season:
1. BAYLOR, 48
2. Southern California, 47
3. TCU, 46
4. Southern Mississippi, 45
5. Florida, 44
6. Miami (Ohio), 43
West Virginia, 43
8. Tulsa, 42
Iowa State, 42
Boise State, 42
Louisiana Tech, 42
THE BEAR HAWKS
Baylor's defense has taken on a persona as ball hawks, forcing 48 turnovers since the start of the 2005 season and 19 this season -- both best in the nation. The Bears are tied with Ohio State for the national lead with 12 interceptions.
Fourteen different Bears have have played a part in Baylor's 19 turnovers forced this season. Senior All-America and Thorpe Award candidate CB C.J. Wilson has picked off four passes, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
Here is a look at Baylor's 2006 totals for interceptions, fumbles forced and fumble recoveries:
Player INT FF FR Total
C.J. Wilson 4 0 0 4
Jordan Lake 1 2 1 4
Nick Moore 0 2 1 3
Anthony Arline 1 1 1 3
Dwain Crawford 2 0 0 2
Alton Widemon 0 0 2 2
James Todd 1 1 0 2
Joe Pawelek 1 0 0 1
Jake La Mar 1 0 0 1
Corey Ford 1 0 0 1
Vincent Rhodes 0 0 1 1
Julian Hill 0 1 0 1
Maurice Linguist 0 1 0 1
Jeremy Williams 0 0 1 1
Team Totals 12 8 7 27
BELL BAYLOR'S MOST PRODUCTIVE BIG 12 QUARTERBACK
QB Shawn Bell earned his fifth career victory as a starter in a Big 12 game last Saturday at Colorado, matching the total number of Big 12 victories by all other Baylor quarterbacks since the league's inception.
Bell is 5-8 as a starter in Big 12 games, posting a .385 winning percentage. He has wins against Texas A&M (2004), Iowa State (2005), Oklahoma State (2005), Kansas State (2006) and Colorado (2006). Bell also is the only Baylor quarterback to ever win a Big 12 road game.
Ten other quarterbacks have started a Big 12 game for Baylor. That decad combined for a 5-64 record, posting a .072 winning percentage.
Only four other Baylor signal callers have won a Big 12 game: Aaron Karas (Kansas, 2002; Colorado, 2003), Jermaine Alfred (Iowa State, 1996; Kansas, 1998) and Jeff Watson (Texas, 1997).
DEFENSE STINGY IN FIRST QUARTER
Colorado's touchdown on the game's opening possession last Saturday was the first score against Baylor in the first quarter since last season's game at Missouri, snapping a seven-game first-quarter shutout streak. That was the longest streak by a Baylor team since the Bears held seven consecutive opponents scoreless in the first quarter during the 1990 and 1991 seasons (last two games of 1990 and first five of 1991).
Baylor has not allowed more than one first-quarter score since Oct. 2, 2004, when Texas scored two touchdowns. In 24 games since, Baylor has surrendered only nine first-quarter touchdowns. The Bears have out-scored their opponents 99-43 in the first quarter since the start of the 2005 season, allowing only five touchdowns in those 17 games and out-scoring their opponents 54-7 over the last seven games.
JOE PAW PLAYS OLDER THAN AGE
Freshman All-America candidate LB Joe Pawelek has quickly made a name for himself on an all-ready strong Baylor defense.
Through the first six games of his redshirt-freshman season, Pawelek leads the Bears with 47 tackles, including 23 solo efforts. He also has seven quarterback hurries (second on the squad), 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, one interception and two passes broken up.
Pawelek leads all NCAA Division I-A freshmen with 7.8 tackles per game, 1.8 stops per contest more than any other freshman in the Big 12. He is ninth in the league and tied for 75th nationally in tackles per game regardless of class.
After not starting the TCU and Washington State games, Pawelek has started three straight contests. He has averaged 9.3 tackles per game in four starts, including career highs of 14 stops and 11 solo efforts last Saturday at Colorado. His one interception ended Baylor's 34-31 triple-overtime victory against the Buffaloes.
YOUNG LINEBACKER CORPS TACKLES PROBLEMS
Baylor's three main linebackers -- Joe Pawelek, Nick Moore and Antonio Jones -- rank first, second and sixth, respectively, on Baylor's tackles chart. The trio has combined for 113 tackles, including 48 solo stops, for an average of 18.8 tackles per game.
Jones and Pawelek both are redshirt freshmen. Moore, a junior, played all 11 games last season after transferring to Baylor from Georgia Tech; however, he never started a game until this season.
BELL ESTABLISHES THREE MORE SCHOOL RECORDS
QB Shawn Bell established three school records with his 272-yard, two-TD performance last Saturday at Colorado. It was the 13th 200-yard game of his career and his eighth in succession, both breaking Don Trull's previous school records. It also was his eighth consecutive game with a TD pass, breaking Brad Goebel's previous school mark.
Bell also owns Baylor's career records for completions (487). He ranks fifth on Baylor's career yards passing chart (4,709), second in attempts (792), tied for third in TD passes (30), first in completion percentage (.615), first in TD-INT ratio (2.143) and first in lowest INT percentage (.0177).
With his two TD passes at Colorado, Bell joined Cody Carlson (34), J.J. Joe (31) and Jeff Watson (30) as the only Baylor quarterbacks with at least 30 career TD passes. To put Bell's TD-INT ratio in perspective, each of the other three quarterbacks with at least 30 career TDs also had at least 27 career INTs (Bell has just 14 entering the Texas game).
Bell quickly is climbing Baylor's single-season lists. He needs 38 yards passing to crack the top 10 in that category. Entering the Texas game, Bell ranks sixth in pass attempts (261) and needs 77 attempts to break the school record. His 169 pass completions already ranks fourth; he needs 22 completions to break his own school record established last season. Bell currently is tied for ninth in TD passes (11) and needs six to break Baylor's record. He also is on pace to break his own school mark for completion percentage.
BAYLOR HAS 20/20 VISION
In three-plus seasons under head coach Guy Morriss, Baylor has established a bit of a vicenary rule on the scoreboard. The Bears are 12-7 when scoring at least 20 points and 2-19 when scoring less than 20 points since the start of the 2003 season. Likewise, the Bears are 9-3 when holding the opponent to fewer than 20 points and 5-23 when allowing 20 or more points in that time.
Baylor's lone victories when scoring less than 20 points since the start of the 2003 season came in Morriss' first victory with the Bears -- a 10-7 win over SMU at Floyd Casey Stadium -- and a 17-3 win over Kansas State two weeks ago that snapped a 17-game losing streak when scoring less than 17 points.
In fact, since 1995, Baylor has won a game when scoring less than 20 points only five times: 14-0 at North Carolina State in 1995, 14-13 at Louisville in 1996, 16-13 in overtime vs. New Mexico in 2001, the 2003 SMU game and this season against Kansas State.
Last Saturday's 34-31 victory at Colorado snapped a six-game losing streak for Baylor when its opponent scores at least 20 points. However, Colorado scored only 17 points in regulation. The last time the Bears allowed 20-plus points and won was a 28-23 victory at SMU to open the 2005 season.
Furthermore, Baylor is 10-11 under Morriss when holding the opponent to fewer than 20 first downs and 4-15 when the opponent records at least 20 first downs.
SHELTON, ZEIGLER CATCH RECEIVER DUO MARK
WRs Trent Shelton and Dominique Zeigler claimed the epithet of Baylor's all-time best receiving duo last Saturday at Colorado. With 11 combined catches against the Buffaloes, Shelton and Zeigler have combined for 276 receptions as teammates. That breaks the previous Baylor record of 265 receptions amassed by teammates Reggie Newhouse and Robert Quiroga during the 2000, 2001 and 2002 seasons.
Zeigler (140) enters the Texas game fourth in career receptions at Baylor, while Shelton (136) is fifth. Newhouse (1999-02) holds the all-time Baylor mark at 183. The only other Baylor receivers to amass at least 100 career receptions are Gerald McNeil (163), Lawrence Elkins (144) and Quiroga (131).
Shelton enters the Texas game fifth all-time at Baylor with 1,662 career receiving yards. He needs 323 yards to pass Melvin Bonner (1,984; 1989-92) for fourth place and 338 yards to join McNeil, Newhouse and Elkins as the only Baylor receivers to reach the 2,000-yard plateu.
Zeigler enters the Texas game eighth all-time at Baylor with 1,474 career receiving yards. He needs five yards to pass Quiroga (1,478; 2000-03) for seventh place and seven yards to pass Matt Clark (1,480; 1984-87) for sixth place.
WILSON AMONG NATIONAL INTERCEPTION LEADERS
CB C.J. Wilson leads the Big 12 Confence with four interceptions and is one of only 14 players nationally with at least four interceptions this season. Wilson is tied for eighth nationally with 0.7 interceptions per game.
WHITAKER CATCHES ON
RB Brandon Whitaker is fourth on the Baylor team with 24 receptions this season. With 4.0 receptions per game, Whitaker ranks 13th in the Big 12 and tied for 94th nationally. Whitaker is tied for ninth nationally in receptions per game among running backs. He has recorded at least one reception in 12 consecutive games and in 16 of 17 games since the start of the 2005 season.
Whitaker established career highs with nine receptions for 56 yards against Washington State. His nine receptions were the most by a Baylor running back since Charles Perry accomplished the feat at Houston in 1987. Only Derek Davis (10 vs. Texas A&M, 1970) caught more passes out of the backfield in a game.
SEVERAL BEARS AMONG ACTIVE NCAA CAREER LEADERS
• QB Shawn Bell ranks 19th in attempts (782), 19th in completions (487) and 11th in completion percentage (61.49).
• WR Dominique Zeigler is tied for 15th in receptions (140).
• WR Trent Shelton ranks 18th in receptions (136).
• CB C.J. Wilson is tied for 11th in interceptions (9), 17th in interception return yards (152) and tied for 20th in interception TD returns (1).
• P Daniel Sepulveda ranks first in punts (247), first in punting yardage (11,130), third in punts per game (6.2) and third in average (45.06).
SHELTON EXTENDS CONSECUTIVE RECEPTIONS RECORD
WR Trent Shelton has at least one reception in a Baylor record 39 consecutive games. Shelton's streak is the fifth-longest among active players in Division I-A. He also has recorded at least two receptions in 16 consecutive games and at least one TD reception in three straight games.
WR Dominique Zeigler has recorded at least one reception in 26 consecutive games, tied for the 14th-longest streak in Division I-A. In fact, Zeigler has recorded at least two receptions in each of those 26 games.
Baylor is the only team in the nation with two receivers with active streaks of 25-plus games.
CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH A RECEPTION, ACTIVE DIVISION I-A PLAYERS
43 - Steve Odom Sr. WR Toledo
42 - Vincent Marshall Sr. WR Houston
41 - Johnny Quinn Sr. WR North Texas
39 - Trent Shelton Sr. WR BAYLOR
39 - Brian Leonard Sr. FB Rutgers
35 - Clark Harris Sr. TE Rutgers
35 - Ryne Robinson Sr. WR Miami (Ohio)
30 - Dwayne Jarrett Jr. WR Southern California
30 - Calvin Johnson Jr. WR Georgia Tech
30 - Shaun Herbert Sr. WR Northwestern
29 - Craig Davis Jr. WR Louisiana State
27 - Marcus Monk Jr. WR Arkansas
27 - Eric Deslauriers Sr. WR Eastern Michigan
26 - Dominique Zeigler Sr. WR BAYLOR
26 - three others
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
Anthony Arline's 40-yard fumble recovery returned for a touchdown against Washington State was Baylor's second non-offensive score of the game, third of the season and 16th in 40 games under head coach Guy Morriss.
Through games of Oct. 7, Baylor ranks second in the Big 12 and tied for 19th nationally in turnover margin at plus-0.83 per game.
Here is a list of Baylor's 16 non-offensive scores under Morriss:
• 2003 vs. UAB -- James Todd blocked punt for safety
• 2003 vs. Colorado -- Jamaal Harper 7-yard fumble return (forced by Derrick Cash)
• 2003 at Kansas -- James Todd blocked punt recovery in end zone (blocked by Michael Boyd)
• 2003 at Kansas State -- Robert Quiroga 98-yard kickoff return
• 2003 vs. Texas Tech -- Robert Quiroga 100-yard kickoff return
• 2003 vs. Oklahoma State -- Willie Andrews 30-yard fumble return (forced by John Garrett)
• 2004 vs. Texas State -- Justin Crooks 9-yard fumble return (forced by Montez Murphy)
• 2004 vs. North Texas -- Braelon Davis blocked punt recovery in end zone (blocked by Davis)
• 2004 vs. Iowa State -- Braelon Davis defensive PAT (interception return)
• 2005 vs. Samford -- Jamaal Harper 29-yard fumble return (forced by Colin Allred)
• 2005 vs. Samford -- Shaun Rochon 85-yard punt return
• 2005 at Oklahoma -- Shaun Rochon 98-yard kickoff return
• 2005 vs. Oklahoma State -- Colin Allred 25-yard interception return
• 2006 vs. Northwestern State -- C.J. Wilson 52-yard interception return
• 2006 at Washington State -- punt snap through back of end zone
• 2006 at Washington State -- Anthony Arline 40-yard fumble return (forced by Jordan Lake)
BEARS CONVERT TURNOVERS TO POINTS
Baylor has scored on 11 of the 19 turnovers it has forced over the season's first six games, while its opponents have registered points on three of Baylor's 14 miscues on the season. The Bears have produced 67 points off opponent miscues in 2006 (not including the safety they recorded against Washington State on an errant punt snap), while their opponents have 17 points off Baylor turnovers after six games.
Eight of Baylor's last 15 interceptions have led to scores, including six touchdowns and two returned for touchdowns. Three of those 15 interceptions were in the 2005 season finale against Oklahoma State.
Baylor recorded its third three-interception game of the season and second in as many games last Saturday at Colorado. It was the Bears fourth such game in their last seven contests.
OPPONENT INT RETURN SPOT RESULT
Oklahoma State Jamaal Harper 15 yards OSU 1 TD: Mosley 1 run
Oklahoma State Colin Allred 25 yards OSU 0 TD: Allred 25 INT return
Oklahoma State Dwain Crawford 6 yards BU 32 6-play drive, punt
TCU C.J. Wilson 46 yards TCU 20 TD: Bell 21 pass to Baker
NW State C.J. Wilson 0 yards TCU 46 TD: Bell 46 pass to Shelton
NW State C.J. Wilson 52 yards BU 48 TD: Wilson 52 INT return
NW State Jake La Mar 5 yards NSU 48 3-play drive, punt
Washington St. C.J. Wilson 0 yards BU 15 3-play drive, punt
Washington St. James Todd 0 yards WSU 49 3-play drive, end of half
Kansas State Dwain Crawford 4 yards KS 21 5-play drive, FG
Kansas State Dwain Crawford 0 yards BU 41 1-play drive, INT
Kansas State Jordan Lake 0 yards BU 0 3-play drive, punt
Colorado Corey Ford 0 yards CU 33 3-play drive, FG
Colorado Anthony Arline 0 yards BU 19 TD: Bell 17 pass to Payne
Colorado Joe Pawelek 0 yards BU 0 end of game
SEPULVEDA EYES NCAA PUNTING RECORDS
P Daniel Sepulveda enters the Texas game with 247 career punts for 11,130 yards, an average of 45.06 yards per punt. He is on pace to break former Texas A&M punter Shane Lechler's NCAA Division I-A record for yards per punt with at least 250 career punts (46.69, 1996-99). His average also is better than Ray Guy's (44.7 on 200 kicks, Southern Mississippi, 1970-72).
Sepulveda reached the 11,000-yard plateau in last Saturday's game at Colorado, becoming only the 15th player in NCAA history to accomplish the feat.
With 82 career punts of at least 50 yards, Sepulveda is seven shy of breaking the NCAA record held by Brian Smith (Mississippi, 1983-86).
Sepulveda has averaged 40.0 yards per punt 33 times in games with at least four punts. He needs four more such games to match the NCAA record shared by Lechler and former Ryan Plackemeier (Wake Forest, 2002-05).
NOTES FROM THE COLORADO GAME
• Baylor's fourth-quarter touchdown was its first offensive touchdown in the fourth quarter against a Division I-A opponent since last year's Missouri game (five games without a fourth-quarter offensive touchdown).
• Colorado's 75 yards passing were the fewest allowed by a Baylor defense since Missouri had 72 yards passing last season.
• Baylor's 382 yards of total offense were the most by a Baylor offense since the Bears had 413 yards in the 2005 season opener at SMU. It was the highest total offense tally by the Bears in a Big 12 game since logging 398 yards at Oklahoma State in 2004.
• Baylor established a season high in rushing yards with 110, the best rushing total for the Bears since gaining 112 yards rushing against Texas in 2005.
• P Daniel Sepulveda extended his school record for career punts of 60-plus yards with his 18th. He also has 82 career punt of at least 50 yards.
• DE Corey Ford's second-quarter interception was the first by a Baylor lineman since M.T. Robinson recorded a pick at Texas A&M in 2005.
• F-back Brandon Whitaker's 42-yard third-quarter run was the longest Baylor rush of the season and the longest by a Baylor player since Whitaker's 44-yard jaunt at Missouri in 2005.
• F-back Paul Mosley's tallied the most yards rushing (85) by a Baylor running back since he had 133 yards at Texas A&M in 2005.
• IR Justin Fenty recorded a career high with seven receptions.
• Four Baylor defenders posted career highs in tackles: Joe Pawelek (14), Nick Moore (12), Dwain Crawford (11) and C.J. Wilson (7).
WILSON, SEPULVEDA AMONG KIPER'S TOP SENIORS
CB C.J. Wilson and P Daniel Sepulveda were ranked among the nation's top five seniors at their respective positions by ESPN.com's Mel Kiper. Wilson was listed No. 4 at cornerback, while Sepulveda was listed No. 2 at punter.
BEARS HONOR FORMER ASSISTANT COACH ADAMS
Baylor's jerseys feature black TA patches in 2006. These patches are in memorial of former defensive line coach Tom Adams, who passed away Aug. 2 after a battle with cancer.
Adams served as Baylor's defensive line coach during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. While with the Bears, Adams coached 2004 NFL draftee Khari Long and 2004 Associated Press All-Big 12 defensive end Montez Murphy.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
Two years after fielding the nation's second-youngest football team, Baylor's 2006 hopes may well rest on the shoulders of its 33 seniors, 25 of whom are fifth-year players. Of those 33 seniors, 16 were listed No. 1 at their respective position on the Bears' preseason depth chart -- eight on offense, six on defense as well as its No. 1 place-kicker and punter.
The Baylor roster featured an average of just 17.3 seniors over its first 10 seasons in the Big 12 and only once prior to 2006 had the Bears carried more than 20 seniors (the 2002 roster listed 22 seniors) on the squad.
WILSON NAMED TO THORPE AWARD WATCH LIST
Senior All-America candidate CB C.J. Wilson, who earned first-team 2005 All-Big 12 honors from six media outlets at cornerback, is one of 33 players named to the 2006 Jim Thorpe Award Watch List. Wilson is one of four Big 12 players selected to the list, joining Texas' Michael Griffin, Missouri's David Overstreet and Oklahoma's Reggie Smith. The list was derived through a point system based on 10 preseason All-American teams.
SEPULVEDA NAMED TO GUY AWARD WATCH LIST
P Daniel Sepulveda is one of six members on the Greater Augusta Sports Council's 2006 Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List, comprised of the top non-graduating finalists from the previous year and Sepulveda, the award's 2004 winner.
Sepulveda, who was selected as the nation's No. 1 punter by The Sporting News in its 2006 preview magazine, ranked second in the Big 12 and third nationally with a 46.18-yard punting average in 2005 en route to All-America and All-Big 12 honors. That averaged ranked as the second-best single-season average in Baylor history, just ahead of his 2004 mark of 46.0 ypp.
The Ray Guy Award is presented to the nation's best collegiate punter as determined by a national selection committee made up of sports writers, college football coaches and sports information directors, former punters and members designated by the Greater Augusta Sports Council. Wake Forest's Ryan Plackemeier won the 2005 Ray Guy Award.
BELL NAMED TO MANNING AWARD WATCH LIST
QB Shawn Bell was among 22 student-athletes named to the 2006 Manning Award Watch List, announced Aug. 23 by the Sugar Bowl Committee. Bell joins Iowa State's Bret Meyer and Nebraska's Zac Taylor as the only Big 12 Conference quarterbacks on the list. Also on the list is Washington State's Alex Brink, who the Bears faced Sept. 16 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Wash.
The Manning Award was created in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning and will be presented to the recipient following the holiday bowl season. It is the only quarterback award which takes into consideration the candidates' bowl performances.
The winner will be determined by a select panel of national media covering college football, as well as each of the Mannings.
DUAL-SPORT ATHLETES
Baylor's 2006 roster features four dual-sport athletes: WR David Gettis, LB Joe Pawelek, WR Carl Sims and WR Queito Teasley.
Gettis is one of the nation's top-rated 400-meter runners in track. Pawelek is a catcher on Baylor's baseball team; he sat out the 2006 season as a redshirt. Sims appeared in 10 games at guard for Baylor's basketball team during the 2005-2006 campaign. Teasley earned All-Big 12 honors in the long jump and was a member of Baylor's 2006 Big 12 champion 4x100-meter relay team.
CB Braelon Davis and WR Dominique Zeigler both ran track previously in their time at Baylor. Davis was a sprinter; Zeigler competed in the high jump. Both Davis and Zeigler earned All-Big 12 honors in track.
THE GRADUATES
Baylor is one of 10 schools in Division I-A with at least six graduates on its 2006 football roster, according to research conducted by Tony Neely at the University of Kentucky. Auburn leads the way with 11, followed by Notre Dame and Texas Tech (nine each); Miami, Fla. (eight); Boston College, Louisiana Tech and Penn State (seven each); and Baylor, Kentucky and West Virginia (six each).
2006 BAYLOR BEARS WHO HAVE COMPLETED UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES
QB Shawn Bell May 2006 B.S.Ed., physical education
OT Travis Farst May 2006 B.S., communication studies
IR Andrew Heard * May 2004 B.S., communication studies
OS Maurice Linguist August 2006 B.S., communication studies
RB Mario Price August 2006 B.S.Ed., health science studies
CB James Todd May 2006 B.S., communication studies
* - Texas Tech graduate
BEARS TAP TEXAS TALENT POOL
Baylor leads the Big 12 Conference with 111 former Texas high school athletes on its 2006 football roster, according to research by the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. The Bears also rank first in the conference with 40 student-athletes from Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex high schools. The other 14 Bears hail from Louisiana (three), California (two), Oklahoma (two), Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia (one each).
SCHOOL DFW TEXAS
BAYLOR 40 111
Texas 27 105
Texas Tech 24 99
Texas A&M 14 91
Oklahoma 30 53
Oklahoma State 17 53
Missouri 10 25
Kansas 11 23
Kansas State 9 18
Iowa State 5 15
Colorado 7 14
Nebraska 2 7
AFCA HONORS BAYLOR FOR GRADUATION RATE
Baylor was one of 29 NCAA Division I-A schools nationally to have its football program honored with the 2006 Academic Achivement Award by the American Football Coaches Association. The AFCA has honored Baylor for its football graduation rates seven times since 1996.
Six institutions registered graduation rates of 90 percent or more for their freshman football classes of 2000-2001, including SMU, which earned top honors from the Touchdown Club of Memphis with its 100 percent mark. Baylor joined Big 12 schools Iowa State, Nebraska and Texas Tech among the 23 institutions who received honorable mention recognition with a graduation rate of 70 percent or higher.
The overall graduation rate of the survey-record 104 schools that responded was 58 percent. Since the NCAA began tracking graduation rates in 1991, the Baylor football program has averaged a 65.3 percent rate and seven times in the last nine years it has recorded a 60.0 percent or higher mark.
FORMER WALK-ONS EARN SCHOLARSHIPS
Five senior members of the Baylor football team who began their careers as walk-ons have been awarded scholarships for the 2006-07 academic year, head coach Guy Morriss announced at the end of the Bear's Aug. 18 practice.
OS Bryan Bays, FB Damon Dotson, FS Bennett Hoefer, WR Craig Munn and RB Mario Price were rewarded by the Bears' staff. Hoefer, who will graduate in May 2007, is the only one of the five who is not a fifth-year senior. Price earned his undergraduate degree from Baylor in August.
Since Morriss' arrival in Waco, 22 walk-ons have earned scholarships, 11 of which are on the Bears' 2006 roster. The most notable walk-on turned scholarship recipient is P Daniel Sepulveda, who won the 2004 Ray Guy Award as the nation's top collegiate punter. Sepulveda, who had not punted since early in his high school career, walked-on as a linebacker and became Baylor's top punter as a redshirt freshman in 2003. He was placed on scholarship by Morriss after earning second-team All-Big 12 honors in January 2004.
UP NEXT ...
Baylor returns home Saturday, Oct. 21, for a Big 12 Conference inter-division game against Kansas. Kickoff between the Bears and the Jayhawks is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. CDT at Floyd Casey Stadium. The game will not be televised.
It will be Homecoming weekend on the Baylor campus. It also will be Baylor's final game this season against a Big 12 North opponent.
Baylor leads the all-time series 4-3; it is tied 2-2 since the inception of the Big 12 Conference. The Bears have won two of the last three meetings, including a 35-32 victory in the Jayhawks' last visit to Floyd Casey Stadium in 2002. The home team has won every Big 12 meeting. Baylor is 3-0 all-time against Kansas in Waco.
