Oct. 16, 2008
WACO, Texas -- Three Baylor football student-athletes earned midseason honors from various publications this week. Linebacker Joe Pawelek and offensive tackle Jason Smith both were named midseason honorable mention All-America by College Football News/Scout.com, while Smith earned first-team midseason All-America honors from Sports Illustrated (SI.com). Quarterback Robert Griffin was named midseason Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year by ESPN.com and midseason Freshman All-America by Rivals.com.
Pawelek leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth nationally with 11.3 tackles per game, recording 10 or more tackles in five of Baylor's six games. He also ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 0.33 interceptions per game. Pawelek leads Baylor with 68 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, and five quarterback hurries.
Smith anchors a Baylor offensive line that has produced 1,237 yards rushing, nearly matching the Bears' rushing total from the last two seasons combined. Baylor already has 15 rushing touchdowns this season, one more than the Bears had over the last two seasons.
Griffin's list of accomplishments is lengthy. He leads all Division I FBS freshman quarterbacks in passing efficiency (157.7), rushing yards per game (70.2), rushing touchdowns (8), and total touchdowns (17). He is second among freshman quarterbacks with nine touchdown passes and in that group with 1,109 passing yards. Griffin, who has produced 65.4 percent (17-of-26) of Baylor's touchdowns this season, leads all Division I FBS true-freshman quarterbacks in all of those categories.
Furthermore, Griffin's 9-to-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio leads all Division I FBS quarterbacks regardless of class. He also ranks seventh nationally in rushing by a quarterback and ninth nationally among all freshmen. At 18 years and eight months, Griffin is the nation's youngest starting quarterback.
Baylor returns to action Saturday, traveling to Stillwater, Okla., for a Big 12 Conference South Division showdown at No. 8/10 Oklahoma State. Kickoff between the Bears and Cowboys is scheduled for 2 p.m. CDT at Boone Pickens Stadium on the OSU campus.
