Sept. 19, 2006
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GAME FOUR
BAYLOR (1-2) vs. ARMY (1-2)
SATURDAY, SEPT. 23, 2006 • 6:00 P.M. CDT
FLOYD CASEY STADIUM (50,000)
WACO, TEXAS
SERIES RECORD
Baylor leads 3-0
LAST MEETING
Baylor 20, at Army 10 [9.17.05]
COACHES
BAYLOR: Guy Morriss (TCU, 1973)
Record at Baylor: 12-25 (4th season)
Career Record: 21-39 (6th season)
Record vs. Army: 1-0
ARMY: Bobby Ross (VMI, 1959)
Record at Army: 7-18 (3rd season)
Career Record: 101-94-2 (18th season)
Record vs. Baylor: 0-1
BAYLOR/ISP RADIO NETWORK
John Morris, play-by-play
J.J. Joe, color analyst
Ricky Thompson, sideline
Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 159
INTERNET FEEDS
www.BaylorBears.com
BEARS RETURNS HOME FOR FINAL NON-BIG 12 GAME
Baylor concludes the non-Big 12 Conference portion of its schedule Saturday, Sept. 23, hosting the United States Military Academy. Kickoff between the Bears and the Black Knights is scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT at Floyd Casey Stadium.
The Bears (1-2) dropped a heartbreaking 17-15 decision at Washington State last Saturday as the Cougars converted a 17-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining. Baylor is 1-1 at home this season.
The Black Knights (1-2) also dropped a close road game last Saturday, falling to Texas A&M 28-24 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Army is 0-2 on the road this season.
A win Saturday would give the Bears a .500 record in non-conference games this season. Baylor has not suffered a sub-.500 record outside the Big 12 since going 1-2 in 1999.
MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY AT FLOYD CASEY
Fans who present a military ID may purchase tickets to the Baylor-Army game at the group-rate discount price of $15. That is a savings of more than 50 percent; regular-price tickets are $32.
Tickets are available and may be purchased at the Baylor Ticket Office, 254.710.1000 or 1.800.BAYLOR.U ext. 7.
BAYLOR-ARMY SERIES
This is the fourth meeting between Baylor and Army. The Bears have won each of the first three meetings, all of which were played at West Point. The teams first met Sept. 19, 1970, a 10-7 Baylor victory. The Bears also defeated Army 55-0 Oct. 20, 1979. Last season, Baylor posted a 20-10 victory.
Baylor is 6-0 all-time against the United States Service Academies. The Bears are 3-0 against Air Force and have never faced Navy.
Army is a Division I-A Independent. The only other independent Baylor has faced is Notre Dame; the Bears are 0-2 all-time against the Fighting Irish.
SERIES NOTES
• The teams first met Sept. 19, 1970, a 10-7 Baylor victory at Michie Stadium. The win was the first of the Bill Beall era.
• Baylor's victory at Army last season was Baylor's first in the Eastern Time Zone since a 14-13 victory at Louisville in 1996.
• Baylor has intercepted 10 Army passes in three meetings.
• The 1979 shutout was Baylor's first since a 27-0 victory at Missouri in 1972.
SERIES RESULTS
1970 BAYLOR 10, at Army 7 Sept. 19
1979 BAYLOR 55, at Army 0 Oct. 20
2005 BAYLOR 20, at Army 10 Sept. 17
SERIES SUPERLATIVES
Most Points Scored, Baylor: 55 (1979)
Most Points Scored, Army: 10 (2005)
Most Points Scored, both teams: 55 (1979, BU 55-0)
Largest Margin of Victory, Baylor: 55-0 (1979)
Largest Margin of Victory, Army: none
LAST MEETING
Baylor overcame three turnovers and a handful of missed opportunities for a 20-10 victory at Army. The victory pushed Baylor to 3-0 for the first time since 1996 and only the 25th time in the program's history.
Shaun Rochon's 10-yard touchdown run on a wide receiver reverse around left end with 3:46 remaining sealed the deal for the Bears, who never trailed after a Ryan Havens' 39-yard field goal on the game's opening drive.
Baylor out-gained Army 351-284, bolstered by a 146-56 advantage on the ground. It marked the second consecutive game in which the Bears held an opponent to fewer than 60 yards rushing after limiting Samford to 55 yards the week before.
Havens split the uprights from 28 yards out in the waning seconds of the first quarter, giving Baylor a 6-0 lead. Army cut that lead in half midway through the second quarter on Joe Riley's 49-yard field goal.
Baylor found the end zone 42 seconds before halftime as Shawn Bell capped the Bears' eight-play, 59-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Paul Mosley.
Neither team scored again until Rochon's fourth-quarter TD run put the Bears ahead 20-7. Army responded with a seven-play, 61-yard drive, which culminated with Zac Dahman's 13-yard TD pass to Corey Anderson.
Army attempted an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, but Dominique Zeigler recovered, allowing Baylor's offense to run out the clock.
Mosley finished with 77 yards on 16 carries, while Brandon Whitaker added 60 yards on 12 totes. Bell was 20-of-30 for 205 yards and a touchdown but also was intercepted twice. Trent Shelton led six Baylor receivers with five catches for 84 yards.
Baylor's defensive unit was led by Maurice Lane, who registered 14 tackles. The Bears tallied five sacks on the day; M.T. Robinson led the way with two sacks.
QUICK NOTES
• Baylor has not allowed a first-quarter point in four straight games.
• The Bears have out-scored their opponents 74-14 in the first half over the last four games.
• Baylor joins East Carolina (11), Michigan (10), Minnesota (10) and Rutgers (10) as the nation's only teams to have produced at least 10 turnovers through games of Sept. 16.
• Baylor joins LSU, Rutgers, Southern Mississippi, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Western Michigan as the national leaders in interceptions with six each.
• In 10 offensive scores this season, Baylor has one scoring drive of more than two minutes, 30 seconds (3:26 at Washington State).
• Of Baylor's 10 offensive scoring drives, five have been less than one minute in duration (three have been less than 40 seconds).
• Baylor has registered six plays longer than 40 yards this season in three games. The Bears totaled 11 plays longer than 40 yards in 11 games last season.
• QB Shawn Bell has passed for at least 200 yards in five consecutive games. This feat has been accomplished only once before in Baylor history. Don Trull had a string of seven consecutive games with at least 200 yards passing during the 1963 season.
• Bell has passed for at least 250 yards in a school-record four straight games.
• Bell has completed at least one TD pass in five straight games, the second-longest streak of his career.
• Bell needs 21 completions to break Baylor's career record (Jeff Watson, 425).
• P Daniel Sepulveda needs 96 yards punting to break Baylor's career record (Ron Stowe, 10,339).
• LB Joe Pawelek leads all Big 12 freshmen with 6.3 tackles per game.
BAYLOR-ARMY CONNECTIONS
Baylor RB Mario Price faces his former team Saturday. In his fourth year at Baylor, Price spent one season (2002) at Army. Then a cornerback, Price played all 12 games for the Black Knights and tallied five tackles with one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He also returned seven kickoffs for 108 yards. Price rushed twice for seven yards against his former team last season.
Price is a product of Keller [Texas] High School, which also produced Army CB Brandon White. Keller is one of three high schools to have produced players on both teams:
Cedar Park: Baylor -- OT Travis Farst; Army -- DT Wes Stewart
Southlake-Carroll: Baylor -- LB Ben Hixson; Army -- RB Ricky Lay
Keller: Baylor RB Mario Price, QB Ryan Roberts; Army -- CB Brandon White
Army's roster consists of seven student-athletes who prepped in the state of Texas. The Lone Star state produced the second-most players on the Black Knights' roster behind only Florida (11).
Furthermore, Army head coach Bobby Ross spent the 1978 through 1981 seasons as an assistant coach with the Kansas City Chiefs. During the same time, former Baylor All-America CB Gary Green was a member of the Chiefs.
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 11-6 when scoring at least 20 points and 1-19 when scoring less than 20 points since the start of the 2003 season. Likewise, the Bears are 8-3 when holding the opponent to fewer than 20 points and 4-22 when allowing 20 or more points in that time.
Baylor's lone victory when scoring less than 20 points since the start of the 2003 season was in Morriss' first victory with the Bears -- a 10-7 win over SMU at Floyd Casey Stadium. The Bears have lost 17 consecutive games when not scoring at least 20 points.
In fact, since 1995, Baylor has won a game when scoring less than 20 points only four times: 14-0 at North Carolina State in 1995, 14-13 at Louisville in 1996, 16-13 in overtime vs. New Mexico in 2001 and the 2003 SMU game.
NIGHT TIME IS THE RIGHT TIME FOR THE BEARS
Baylor is 8-7 under the lights during head coach Guy Morriss' three-plus seasons. Conversely, the Bears are 4-18 in that time in day games (kickoff prior to 5 p.m.).
The Bears have won six consecutive non-conference home night games. The last such loss was a 24-19 setback against UAB in the 2003 season opener.
BELL NEARS SCHOOL COMPLETIONS RECORD
QB Shawn Bell enters Saturday's game against Army 20 completions shy of tying Jeff Watson's school record for career completions. Watson completed his 425th pass in his 798th career attempt (53.3 percent). Bell currently has 405 completions in 667 attempts (60.7 percent).
With 256 yards passing against Washington State, Bell moved into eighth place on Baylor's career passing yardage list. He enters the Army game with 3,914 yards; he needs 55 yards to pass Jermaine Alfred for seventh place, 187 yards to pass Terry Southall for sixth place and 428 yards to pass Neal Jeffrey for fifth place.
Bell has tallied at least 200 yards passing in five consecutive games, joining Don Trull (seven straight in 1963) as the only Baylor quarterbacks to ever reach the 200-yard plateau in at least four consecutive games. Additionally, Bell has accumulated at least 250 yards passing in four straight games.
The Washington State game was Bell's 10th career game with at least 200 yards passing. He joined Trull (12) and Cody Carlson (11) as the only Baylor quarterbacks with at least 10 games of 200-plus yards passing.
Bell has completed at least one touchdown pass in five consecutive games, dating back to the 2005 Missouri game. This is the second time in Bell's career that he has gone at least five games with at least one TD pass; he had a six-game streak last season that was snapped by Texas Tech. Bell's six-game run last season was the longest by a Baylor quarterback since redshirt-freshman Brad Goebel had TD passes in seven straight games during the 1987 season.
SHELTON, ZEIGLER CONTINUE TO CLIMB CHARTS
WRs Trent Shelton and Dominique Zeigler soon will be able to claim the epithet of Baylor's all-time best receiving duo. The two have combined for 242 receptions as teammates. That ranks second in school history behind only the 265 receptions amassed by teammates Reggie Newhouse and Robert Quiroga during the 2000, 2001 and 2002 seasons.
Shelton and Zeigler enter the Army game tied for fifth in Baylor history with 121 receptions each. Shelton and Zeigler are 10 shy of fourth-place Robert Quiroga (131; 2000-03). Reggie 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; 1980-83) and Lawrence Elkins (144; 1962-64).
Shelton enters the Army game seventh all-time at Baylor with 1,420 career receiving yards. He needs 59 yards to pass Quiroga (1,478) for sixth place and 61 yards to pass Matt Clark (1,480; 1984-87) for fourth place.
Zeigler enters the Army game 11th all-time at Baylor with 1,283 career receiving yards. He needs 18 yards to pass Kalief Muhammad (1,300; 1993-96) for 10th place, 108 yards to pass Charles Dancer (1,390; 1972-73) for ninth place and 111 yards to pass Bruce Davis (1,393; 1980-83) for eighth place.
WILSON TIED FOR NATIONAL INTERCEPTION LEAD
CB C.J. Wilson leads the Big 12 Confence and is tied for the national lead with four interceptions this season. Wilson and Trae Williams of South Florida are the only players in the nation with four interceptions. The two are tied for second nationally with 1.33 picks per game, trailing only Quintin Demps of UTEP at 1.50 per game (three in two games).
WHITAKER CATCHES ON
RB Brandon Whitaker established career highs with nine receptions for 56 yards last Saturday 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) has caught more passes out of the backfield in a single game.
WILSON PLAYS SET-UP MAN
Three of CB C.J. Wilson's four interceptions this season have led to Baylor touchdowns. His interception against TCU was followed by a four-play, 35-yard touchdown drive. His first interception against Northwestern State was followed immediatedly by a 46-yard Shawn Bell-to-Trent Shelton touchdown pass. Wilson took care of the scoring himself with his second interception against Northwestern State, returning it 52 yards for a touchdown.
Wilson's two-pick night against Northwestern State was the first multiple-interception game of his career and the first by a Baylor player since Samir AL-AMIN against Southern Illinois in the 2001 season finale. Wilson's pick six was the first by a Baylor defensive back since Al-Amin returned both interceptions in that Southern Illinois contest.
Wilson has recorded at least one interception in all three games this season, in four of his last five games and six of his last eight games.
With five interceptions last season and four picks this season, Wilson is one shy of joining Jackie Allen (1966-68), Howard Fields (1976-79) and Vic Vines (1979-82) in a tie for 10th on Baylor's all-time career list.
TURNOVERS COSTLY FOR BEARS
While Baylor is tied for second nationally in turnovers forced with 10, the Bears' seven turnovers committed have been quite costly. Six of the seven turnovers have come in the opponent's territory, including four inside the opponent's 30 yard line.
Interestingly, no opponent drive following a Baylor turnover has lasted longer than three plays. Two of those drives, though, ended in opponent touchdowns. Two other opponent ensuing drives resulted in turnovers, one of which Baylor returned for a touchdown.
2006 BAYLOR TURNOVERS
OPP. TURNOVER SPOT ENSUING OPPONENT DRIVE
TCU Mosley fumble TCU 16 3-play drive, punt
TCU Bell INT TCU 21 3-play drive, TD
NSU Bell INT NSU 40 3-play drive, INT
WSU Bell INT WSU 17 3-play drive, punt
WSU Teasley fumble BU 34 3-play drive, TD
WSU Bell INT WSU 29 2-play drive, fumble returned for TD
WSU Teasley fumble WSU 49 end of game
SHELTON EXTENDS CONSECUTIVE RECEPTIONS RECORD
WR Trent Shelton has recorded at least one reception in a Baylor record 36 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 13 consecutive games.
WR Dominique Zeigler has recorded at least one reception in 23 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 23 games. Zeigler did not play in Baylor's game against Northwestern State, nor did he play against Oklahoma in the 2004 season finale.
CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH A RECEPTION, ACTIVE DIVISION I-A PLAYERS
40 - Steve Odom Sr. WR Toledo
39 - Vincent Marshall Sr. WR Houston
37 - Brian Leonard Sr. FB Rutgers
37 - Johnny Quinn Sr. WR North Texas
36 - Trent Shelton Sr. WR BAYLOR
33 - Clark Harris Sr. TE Rutgers
28 - Dwayne Jarrett Jr. WR Southern California
28 - Ryne Robinson Sr. WR Miami (Ohio)
27 - Shaun Herbert Sr. WR Northwestern
26 - Caleb Spencer Sr. WR Nevada
25 - Craig Davis Jr. WR Louisiana State
24 - Calvin Johnson Jr. WR Georgia Tech
24 - D'Juan Woods Jr. WR Oklahoma State
23 - Eric Deslauriers Sr. WR Eastern Michigan
23 - Dominique Zeigler Sr. WR BAYLOR
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
Anthony Arline's 40-yard fumble recovery returned for a touchdown last Saturday against Washington State was Baylor's second non-offensive score of the game, third of the season and 16th in 37 games under head coach Guy Morriss.
The 2005 Bears produced four such scores, including both punt and kickoff returns for touchdowns by return specialist Shaun Rochon, a 29-yard fumble return touchdown by Jamaal Harper and a 25-yard interception return touchdown by LB Colin Allred.
The 2004 Bears forced just nine turnovers and Baylor ranked No. 113 nationally in turnover margin at minus 1.36 per game. But, in 2005, Baylor forced 29 opponent miscues (13 fumbles and 16 interceptions) to rank No. 30 nationally in turnover margin at plus 0.45 per game.
Through games of Sept. 16, Baylor ranks second in the Big 12 and tied for 17th nationally in turnover margin at plus-1.00 per game.
• 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
BAYLOR IN BIG 12 STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Through games of Sept. 16, Baylor ranks 10th in the Big 12 and 85th nationally in total offense (309.7 ypg). The Bears are 10th in the Big 12 and 64th nationally in total defense (332.0 ypg). Here is a look at how Baylor ranks in the conference/nation:
Scoring Offense: 11th/71st (23.0 ppg)
Total Offense: 10th/85th (309.7 ypg)
First Downs: 8th (56)
Rushing Offense: 12th/119th (19.0 ypg)
Passing Offense: 2nd/12th (290.7 ypg)
Pass Efficiency Offense: 9th/65th (124.92)
Third-Down Efficiency: 7th (44.2 pct.; 19-of-43)
Fourth-Down Efficiency: t-9th (25.0 pct.; 1-of-4)
Red Zone Efficiency: 10th (71.4 pct.; 5-of-7, 4 TDs)
Sacks Allowed: 11th/88th (2.7 spg)
Scoring Defense: 6th/31st (14.7 ppg)
Total Defense: 10th/64th (332.0 ypg)
First Downs Allowed: 9th (50)
Rushing Defense: 8th/43rd (98.7 ypg)
Passing Defense: 9th/91st (233.3 ypg)
Pass Efficiency Defense: 8th/73rd (129.36)
Third-Down Efficiency: 10th (40.9 pct.; 18-of-44)
Fourth-Down Efficiency: t-1st (0.0 pct.; 0-of-2)
Red Zone Efficiency: t-11th (100.0 pct.; 6-of-6, 4 TDs)
Tackles for Loss: 7th/t-56th (6.0 tpg)
Sacks: 9th/65th (1.7 spg)
Penalties: 12th (86.7 ypg)
Opponent Penalties: 2nd (77.7 ypg)
Time of Possession: 12th (26:28 avg.)
Kickoff Returns: 4th/15th (27.3 ypr)
Punt Returns: 10th/83rd (5.5 ypr)
Net Punting: 7th/66th (35.3 ypp)
Field Goals: 5th (.667; 2-of-3)
PAT Percentage: 12th (.875; 7-of-8)
Turnover Margin: t-2nd/t-17th (+1.00)
OTHER BEARS IN BIG 12 AND NATIONAL RANKINGS
• QB Shawn Bell ranks third in the Big 12 and 16th nationally with 265.0 yards of total offense per game. Bell also ranks ninth in the Big 12 and 60th nationally with a 123.91 passing efficiency rating.
• WR Trent Shelton is third in the Big 12 and 17th nationally with 6.3 receptions per game. Shelton also ranks third in the league and tied for 28th nationally with 81.3 receiving yards per game. Shelton ranks 17th in the Big 12 with 81.3 all-purpose yards per game.
• RB Brandon Whitaker ranks seventh in the Big 12 with 4.67 receptions per game, while IR Terrance Parks ranks 10th with 4.0 receptions per game.
• ROV Jake La Mar and CB James Todd are tied for eighth in the Big 12 with 0.3 interceptions per game each.
• IR Queito Teasley ranks eighth in the Big 12 with 7.4 yards per punt return. Teasley also ranks third in the conference and 11th nationally with 31.0 yards per kickoff return.
• WR Mikail Baker is sixth in the Big 12 and 28th nationally with 24.4 yards per kickoff return.
• PK Ryan Havens ranks eighth in the Big 12 with 0.7 field goals per game.
• P Daniel Sepulveda ranks fifth in the Big 12 and 19th nationally with a 43.4 yards per punt average.
• CB C.J. Wilson leads the Big 12 and is tied for second nationally with 1.3 interceptions per game. Wilson also leads the conference with 1.7 passes defended per game.
• LB Joe Pawelek is 17th in the conference with 6.3 tackles per game, best among freshmen in the league.
• FS Jordan Lake is tied for the Big 12 lead with 0.7 fumbles forced per game.
INTERCEPTIONS LEAD TO TOUCHDOWNS OF LATE
Five of Baylor's last nine interceptions have led to touchdowns, including two returned for touchdowns. Three of those nine interceptions were in the 2005 season finale against Oklahoma State.
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 LaMar 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
NOTES FROM THE WASHINGTON STATE GAME
• Baylor's first-quarter safety on Washington State's errant punt snap was the Bears' first safety since the 2003 season opener against UAB when James Todd blocked a punt through the back of the end zone.
• That safety gave Baylor a 2-0 lead for the first time since Sept. 27, 1980, at Texas Tech.
• Washington State's second-quarter touchdown was the first score Baylor has allowed in the first half this season.
• Baylor's rushing total (minus-10 yards) was its lowest since a school-record low minus-37 yards rushing against Kansas State in 2002.
• OG Dan Gay made his first career start.
• IR Justin Fenty's first-quarter TD reception was the first reception and the first touchdown of his career. It came on his third career play from scrimmage. Fenty established career highs in receptions and receiving yardage.
• CB Anthony Arline's fourth-quarter fumble recovery returned for a touchdown was the first score of his career.
• QB Shawn Bell tied his own school record for completions in a non-overtime game; he also had 31 completions in the season opener against TCU.
• Bell recorded his 10th career 200-yard passing game, joining Trull (12) and Cody Carlson (11) as the only Baylor quarterbacks with at least 10 career 200-yard passing games.
• P Daniel Sepulveda moved into second place on Baylor's career punts list; he now has 229 career punts, trailing only Ron Stowe (252 punts).
BEARS SCHEDULE AMONG NATION'S TOUGHEST
Baylor's 2006 composite schedule (includes past and future opponents) is tied for the nation's 24th-toughest through games of Sept. 16. The Bears' schedule is tied with Texas' for the third-toughest in the Big 12 Conference behind only Oklahoma and Colorado.
The Bears' 11 Division I-A opponents are 16-9 this season for a .640 winning percentage. Baylor opponents played each other twice this season; TCU defeated Texas Tech and Texas A&M defeated Army. That gives Baylor's opponents a 16-7 adjusted record for a .696 adjusted winning percentage.
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.
BAYLOR NAMES TRIO CAPTAINS FOR 2006
By vote of their teammates, QB Shawn Bell, CB C.J. Wilson and WR Dominique Zeigler serve as Baylor captains for the 2006 season. Bell also served as a captain in 2005.
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 31 seniors, 25 of whom are fifth-year players. Of those 31 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. Also on the list are Purdue's Dave Brytus, Georgia's Gordon Ely-Kelson, Virginia Tech's Nic Schmitt, Kansas' Kyle Tucker and Florida's Eric Wilbur.
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
BAND OF BROTHERS
Baylor is one of six Division I-A schools with at least three sets of brothers on its football roster. The Bears' brothers are the Thad and Yancy Boatner, Jake and Luke La Mar, and Desmond and Quincy Jenkins.
BYU sports six sets of brothers, most of any program in the nation. Army, UCLA and Virginia Tech have four sets each; UCLA's total includes one set of three brothers. Baylor and North Carolina State both have three sets.
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.
2006 SCHEDULE FEATURES SIX 2005 BOWL TEAMS
After playing six of 11 games a year ago against teams that went on to earn bowl invitations, Baylor will face six 2005 bowl teams in 2006, including five of its eight Big 12 opponents. But, that's nothing new for coach Guy Morriss' program, as 21 times in his first 34 games (including 19 of 24 Big 12 contests) along the Baylor sideline he's faced an opponent who ended the season in a bowl game.
The Bears' 12 2006 opponents combined for an 82-57 (.590) record a year ago and six earned bowl bids--TCU (EV1.net Houston champion), Colorado (Champs Sports), Texas (Rose champion), Kansas (Fort Worth champion), Texas Tech (Cotton) and Oklahoma (Holiday champion). Baylor's eight 2006 Big 12 foes went 58-37 (.611) in 2005 and accounted for three of the league's five bowl victories.
Over his first three years in Waco, Morriss' Bears have tackled the nation's 55th- (2003), sixth- (2004) and 28th- (2005) most difficult schedules according to the NCAA.
Five of Baylor's six 2005 losses came at the hands of eventual bowl-bound teams while it knocked off 2005 EV1.net Houston Bowl participant Iowa State, 23-13, to record its first-ever Big 12 Conference road victory. All-told, the Bears ranked 28th among all I-A programs (No. 7 in the Big 12) in 2005 strength of schedule based on their opponents' cumulative winning percentage. Baylor's 2005 foes posted a 57-43 (.570) record.
OVER THE AIR
Bear football games can be heard live on the Baylor/ISP Sports Radio Network. The network includes 11 affiliates across Texas, including flagship stations ESPN KRZI-AM (1660) in Waco. All Baylor games are broadcast by the "Voice of the Bears" John Morris, a veteran broadcaster in his 12th season as the signature voice of Baylor Athletics. Former Baylor football standouts J.J. Joe (color analyst) and Ricky Thompson (sideline reporter) complete the broadcast team.
BAYLOR/ISP SPORTS FOOTBALL RADIO NETWORK
Abilene KYYW-AM 1470
Amarillo KIXZ-AM 940
Big Spring KBST-AM 1490
Dallas/Fort Worth WBAP-AM 820
Dallas/Fort Worth KKDL-AM 1160
Houston KKHT-FM 100.7
Jacksonville KXAL-FL 100.3
Lubbock KJAK-FM 92.7
Lufkin KYBI-FM 101.9
San Antonio KRPT-FM 92.5
Waco (Flagship) KRZI-AM 1660 ESPN
BAYLORBEARS.COM
Baylor's official athletic web site can be found at www.BaylorBears.com. The comprehensive site, which includes releases, photos, biographical sketches and audio broadcasts, is part of the College Sports TV network. CSTV currently hosts sites for more than 100 universities, including four Big 12 schools and the conference office.
BAYLOR GAMES ON THE INTERNET
The radio call from all of Baylor's games can be heard free of charge live on the Internet at www.BaylorBears.com.
INSIDE BAYLOR SPORTS TV SHOW
Inside Baylor Sports, a half-hour look at the world of Baylor athletics, will air weekly throughout Central Texas and other outlets. The program, co-hosted by John Morris and Lori Scott Fogleman, airs on KCEN-TV Channel 6 (Sunday, 11 p.m. CT), Fox Sports Southwest (Wednesday, 1 p.m. CT), College Sports Television (Friday, 1 p.m. CT) and the College Channel (Waco cable 18).
UP NEXT ...
Baylor begins Big 12 Conference play at home Sept. 30 against Kansas State. Kickoff time between the Bears and the Wildcats is scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT.
This is the first meeting between Baylor and Kansas State since Nov. 1, 2003, when the Wildcats outscored the Bears 24-0 in the second half en route to a 38-10 victory at Manhattan.
Kansas State was a 44-10 victor in its last trip to Floyd Casey Stadium during the 2002 season.
