No. 18 Football Takes On No. 10 UNC in Orlando
12/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
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| 18/19/17 BAYLOR (9-3, 6-3) vs. 10/11/10 North Carolina (11-2, 8-0) Dec. 29, 2015 | 4:30 p.m. CT Orlando, Fla. | Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium (60,219) TV: ESPN |
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| STORY LINES
- Baylor faces North Carolina in the Russell Athletic Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 29. The game will be broadcast on ESPN at 4:30 p.m. CT.
- Baylor is appearing in its 6th-straight bowl game for the first time in school history. BU is 10-11 in 21 previous bowl trips, including 2-3 under head coach Art Briles.
- BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € has #AmericasTopOffense, which leads the NCAA with 604.6 ypg and 48.0 points per contest.
- Baylor lost 3 of its final 4 games to fall to 9-3 and finish 4th in the Big 12 Conference with a 6-3 record.
- The Bears lead all Power Five conference schools by rushing for 300.2 yards per game.
- Baylor is 1 of only 2 FBS schools to be top-20 in passing (20th, 304.4) and rushing (4th, 300.2).
- BU is 7-5 at neutral sites under Briles, but has won 6 of its last 8 neutral site contests.
- Baylor is the most successful team in Texas since 2011 with a win percentage of .766 (49-15).
- Baylor is 38-11 when ranked under Briles, including a 17-9 mark in away games.
- Baylor is 6-2 in December games and has won 2 of 3 December bowl games under Briles .
- Baylor and North Carolina will meet for the first time. BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € is 18-18 all-time vs. current ACC members.
- BU has not lost 3 straight games since losing four straight in 2012.
- Baylor leads all FBS teamsà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € in TD drives of 2 min. or less (47). BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € had a nation's best 41 a year ago.
- Baylor ranks 8th in the country and leads the Big 12 with 7.9 tackles for loss per game.
- The #GangGreenBU defense has forced 24 turnovers and is 19thà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € in FBS with 2.00 forced per game.
- Baylor has compiled an FBS-best 22 wins in November and December since 2011 (6-1 in Dec.).
- Baylor has won 16 of its last 21 games played outside of Waco.
INJURY UPDATE: #AmericasTopOffense heads into the Russell Athletic Bowl without its top two quarterbacks (Heisman contender Seth Russell and No. 2 Jarrett Stidham), No. 1 running back (record-breaking Shock Linwood) and the nation's best receiver (Biletnikoff Award winner Corey Coleman).
TEAM QUICKà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € HITS
- Baylor had 9 players named to the All-Big 12 team - the second-most in school history (10, 2013).
- Baylor has scored touchdowns on its first drive in 11 of 12 games this year.
- Baylor is 16-6 over its last 22 games away from Waco when ranked.
- Baylor is 3-8 all-time in the state of Florida and 0-3 in bowl games in the Sunshine State.
- Baylor's other three bowl games in the state included: 1952 Orange Bowl (17-14 loss to Georgia Tech), 1954 Gator Bowl (33-13 loss to Auburn) and 1960 Gator Bowl (13-12 loss to Florida).
- Baylor last played in Florida in 1995 against Miami, losing 35-14.
- Baylor is 2-1 against current ACC members in bowl games with wins against Wake Forest, 20-7, (1948 Dixie), and Clemson, 24-18, (1979 Peach) and a loss to Georgia Tech, 17-14, (1951 Orange).
- Baylor last played a current ACC school on Sept. 5, 2009 -- a 24-21 win at Wake Forest.
- Baylor and Alabama are the only teams to beat at least one Top 10 team in each of the last 5 years.
- Baylor has outscored foes 576-330 through 11 games and is 2nd in FBS in victory margin (20.5).
- Baylor is 11-9à ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € vs. ranked teams since 2011 (1-2 this season), after starting the Briles era 0-13 against ranked teams.
- Baylor is 35-7 in its last 42 games; 5 of the 7 losses were away from home and 5 of 7 were against top-15 teams.
- Baylor is 45-3 over the last 6 seasons when leading at halftime and 54-6 when leading at halftime during the Briles era.
- Baylor has scored 20+ points in the first half in 21 of 25 games since start of the 2014 season.
- Baylor has led at the half in 15 of its last 18 games.
- Baylor has topped 400 yards of offense 60 times in the 64 games since 2011 -- that is 2nd in the nation (Oregon, 61).
- Baylor has scored 30+ points in 50 of its last 57 contests.
- Baylor's been ranked in a school-record 48 straight AP Polls, FBS' 4th-best streak (Top 10 in 36 of last 41).
- Baylor is 22-5 in the last 3 years in Big 12 play & 39-30 under head coach Art Briles. BU was 11-85 in Big 12 games prior to Briles' arrival in 2008.
- Since 2010, Baylor is 41-2 when allowing less than 35 points and 15-19 when allowing 35+ points.
- Baylor is 12-7 in games decided by 7 points or less in the last 5 seasons.
OFFENSE
- Baylor ranks second in the country with 83.4 plays per game, while ranking 3rd in the FBS with 19 TD under 1 minute.
- The Bears have had 5 different players throw a pass in 2015 due to injuries, but still rank 2nd in the country in team pass efficiency at 174.41.
- BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € is second in the nation in yards per play, gaining 7.25 a snap.
- Baylor is averaging 28.75 first downs per game in 2015, which is 4th in the FBS.
- BU's 16.68 yards per completion ranks 5th in FBS and leads the conference.
- Baylor has punted only 42 times in 2015, which is the 6th lowest total in the country.
- Baylor's 1:58 average TDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € drive is sixth-fastest in the FBS.
- Baylor averages 5.72 yards per rush, which is 7th-best nationally.
- Baylor is 81 of 178 (47.5%) on 3rd downs this year, which is 21st-best in the country.
- Baylor ranks tied for 26th in the country in TFLs allowed (5.08) and 20th in sacks allowed per game (1.25).
- Baylor now has 3,602 rushing yards this season, the most in school history.
- Baylor has had a 1,000-yard rusher in 6 straight seasons (Jay Finley-2010; Terrance Ganaway-2011; Lache Seastrunk-2012, 2013; Shockà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Linwood-2014, 2015).
- Baylor has had a 1,000-yard receiver in 5 straight seasons (Kendallà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Wright-2011; Terrance Williams-2012; Antwanà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Goodley-2013; Corey Coleman and KDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Cannon-2014; Coleman-2015). The Bears have had 6 1,000-yard receivers in the last 5 seasons after having just 2 1,000-yard receivers in program history prior to 2011.
- Baylor became only the 2nd-team since 2004 with 700 yards of offense in each of its first 3 games - the other 2013 BU.
- Baylor's O-line has 6 players that have 18 or more career starts.
DEFENSE
- Baylor has forced at least one turnover in 26 of its last 28 games.
- Baylor has 95 tackles for loss on the year, 3rd-most in a season in school history and needs just 5 more to break the school record of 99 set in 2013.
- Baylor has 29 sacks on the season, tied for 9th-most in a season in program history.
- Against TCU, Baylor's defense forced 13 punts, tying the school record set against UNLV in 1988.
- Baylor has forced at least 2 turnovers in 8 of 12 games of 2015.
- Baylor ranks tied for 17th in FBS and 2nd in the Big 12 with 11 fumbles recovered.
- In total, Baylor is tied for 2th nationally and 5th in the league with 24 turnovers gained.
- Baylor's punt return defense is limiting foes to 3.50 yards per return, which is 3rd-best in the Big 12 and 14th nationally.
- Baylor's third down conversion defense of 34.6 percent is 3rd-best in the Big 12 and 31st nationally.
- Baylor is giving up 27.5 points per contest, which is the 4th-best scoring defense in the conference.
- The Bears are surrendering 5.1 yards per play in 2015, which is 2nd in the Big 12.
- Baylor ranks 2nd in the conference by surrendering only 156.3 yards per game on the ground.
- Baylor is allowing just 389.0 yards per game in 2015, which is 3rd-best in the league.
- Baylor is giving up just 232.7 yards per game through the air, which is 4th-best in the Big 12.
- Baylor ranks 5th in the Big 12 and 39th in the country with 13 interceptions.
- Four Baylor players, Shawn Oakman (3rd with 1.32), Andrew Billings (4th with 1.27), Jamal Palmer (6th with 1.21), and Taylor Young (7th with 1.14) are in the top-10 in TFLs per game in the Big 12.
- Phil Bennett's D has forced multiple turnovers in 41 of its 64 games.
- Baylor's defense is 35-6 under Bennett when recording 2 or more takeaways.
- Baylor forced 4 turnovers against Texas Tech and Iowa State - both most in a game since 4 vs. WVUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € in 2013.
- Baylor's D has 3 or more turnovers in 15 games since 2013 & has won 27 of its last 28 with 3+ takeaways.
- Baylor is 23-1 when forcing 3 or more turnovers during the Briles era.
- 3 defensive starters (Beau Blackshear, Andrew Billings & Orion Stewart) are Waco natives.
INDIVIDUAL QUICKà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € HITS
OFFENSE
- QBà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Chris Johnson is slated to make his 3rd career start, after injuries to QBs Seth Russell and Jarrett Stidham.
- Johnson has completed 15-of-38 passes for 220 yards and 3 TDs in limited action. He was knocked out of the UTà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € game with an injury and did not return.
- OL Spencer Drango was 1 of 3 finalists for the 2015 Outland Trophy, a 2015 unanimous All-American and the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year.
- Drango claimed BU's fourth-straight offensive lineman of the year award from the Big 12 and became just the sixth two-time All-American in school history. He leads all BU blockers with a 90.3 percent coaches grade and 48 knockdowns as a starter in all 12 games.
- WR Corey Coleman, the Biletnikoff winner and a unanimous All-American, will miss the bowl game as well with an injury. He leads the country with 20 TD receptions and is 3rd in the FBS with 113.6 receiving yards per game.
- Coleman had re-written the BU record books, breaking Kendall Wright's school single season (14) and career (30) receiving TD records. Coleman now sits with 20 on the year and 33 for his career.
- RBà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Shock Linwood, the team's leading rushing (110.8 ypg) and the school's freshman, sophomore and junior rushing record-holder will not play in the bowl game due to injury.
- Linwood, a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, needed just 204 yds to break the BU career rushing record (3,665).
- WR Lynx Hawthorne, along with RBs Devin Chafin, Johnny Jefferson and Terence Williams all took snaps after Johnson's injury in the Texas game.
- WR KDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Cannon is 7th in the Big 12 with 69.0 receiving ypg and is 2nd on the team with 46 catches for 828 yards.
- WRà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Jay Lee has caught 8 TD passes, which are 2nd-most on the team and 5th-most in the Big 12.
DEFENSE
- NTà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Andrew Billings, the Big 12's co-Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Lineman of the Year, garnered All-America accolades from 10 outlets .
- Billings leads the Bears with 15.0 tackles for loss, including a team-best 5.5 sacks.
- With 1 sack against KU, DEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Shawn Oakman broke the BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € school record for career sacks (Daryl Gardener & Chris McAlister, 15.0). He has 4.5 for the season and 17.5 for his career.
- Oakman is 28th nationally and third in the Big 12 with 1.3 TFLs per game for #GangGreenBU.
- Oakman is 2nd on BU's career TFLs list with 46.5. He needs 3.0 to move into first (Charles Benson, 49.0).
- DE Jamal Palmer has 5.5 sacks in 2015 and 13.0 in his career. He's tied with Johnà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Garrett for 7th on BU's all-time list.
- Palmer ranks 8th nationally and 1st in the Big 12 with .33 fumbles forced per contest.
- NBà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Travon Blanchard ranks 24th nationally and 4th in the Big 12 with 2 fumbles recovered.
- Blanchard is 5th in the Big 12 and 39th nationally with 5.4 solo tackles per contest.
- LBà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Grant Campbell is 9th in the Big 12 with 7.5 tackles per game.
- CB Xavien Howard, an All-Big 12 first team selection, had his 5th interception of the season and 10th of his career vs. TCU, moving him into a tie for 10th on Baylor's career interceptions list.
- Howard is averaging 1.2 passes defended per game, which is 3rd in the Big 12.
- Howard is also 22nd in the country and 5th in the Big 12 with .40 interceptions per game.
SPECIALà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € TEAMS
- Sophomore PK Chris Callahan made 25 of his last 32 FGs, after starting his career 1-of-6. He has also made 109-straight extra points, after going 76-for-76 to start 2015. His 228 career pts scored now ranks 2nd in program history.
- Pà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Drew Galitz, a freshman, has only punted 40 times on the season, but is averaging 40.7 yards per boot - 7th in Big 12.
- With that effort BU is 3rd in the Big 12 and 25th in the country in net punting at 39.43 yards.
BRILES' UNIQUE SYSTEM IS AMERICA'S TOP OFFENSE
Art Briles' unique, record-breaking offense is leading the nation in total offense (604.6) and scoring (48.0) through 12 games, after also having led in both each of the past two seasons - total offense (581.5 ypg 2014, 618.8 ypg 2013) and scoring (48.2 ppg 2014, 52.4 ppg 2013). Baylor's offense is the only one in the country to rank among the top-four in total offense each of the last four years.
THE BRILES OFFENSE: à ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € A unique, up-tempo spread attack with origins in Bill Yeoman's `Houston Veer' (perhaps most identifiable by wide splits of receivers and a power running game), Art Briles has honed his offensive system over the past four decades as a high school and collegiate coach; it's a balanced offense, not to be confused with more common pass-heavy spread attacks. The Briles offense was also in use at Bowling Green (now Syracuse head coach Dino Babers) and Tulsa (head coach Philip Montgomery) under former Briles assistants in 2015. In the latest NCAAà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € statistics, those three programs, Baylor (604.6), Bowling Green (561.0) and Tulsa (502.8) are first, fourth and 14th respectively in total offense.
BIGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € 12'S TOPà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € TEAMà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € SINCEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € 2013
En route to back-to-back Big 12 titles, the Bears racked up matching 8-1 league records. That combined record of 16-2, plus this year's 6-3 mark is far and away tops in the Big 12 since the start of 2013.
THEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € NATION'S MOSTà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € BALANCEDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € OFFENSE
Currently, Baylor is one of only two teams in the nation to be ranked in the top 20 in both passing (20th, 304.4) and rushing offense (4th, 300.2). Baylor has ranked among the nation's top 15 in both rushing and passing yards in three of the past four years. Additionally, BU has rushed on more than 54 percent of plays over the last four seasons.
BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € ATà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € ITSà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € BESTà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € POST-HALLOWEEN
Baylor has compiled a 22-7 mark in games after October 31 since 2011 (16-4 in Nov., 6-1 in Dec., 0-2 in Jan.). Included in those games is a 9-6 record vs. APà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Top 25 teams (wins over No. 5 OU in 2011, No. 2 K-State, No. 23 Oklahoma State and No. 17 UCLA in 2012, No. 12 Oklahoma and No. 23 Texas in 2013, No. 16 Oklahoma and No. 9 Kansas State in 2014, No. 4 Oklahoma State in 2015). Baylor's 22 wins in the months of November and December since 2011 is a FBS-best.
INJURY BUG BITES QB POSITION HARD
After season-ending injuries to QBs Seth Russell and Jarrett Stidham, third-year sophomore Chris Johnson of Bryan, Texas, started the Texas game and was sidelined in the first quarter with an injury. Johnson did not return to action, but he is listed as BU's starter heading in to the bowl game. Johnson entered the Oklahoma State game at halftime for injured starter Jarrett Stidham, completing 5-of-10 passes for 138 yards and 2 TDs. He also ran the ball six times for 42 yards and one score to seal the BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € win in Stillwater. In his first career start at TCUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € in a rain storm, Johnson completed just 7-of-24 passes for 62 yards and 1 TD. After moving to WRà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € during 2015 fall camp, Johnson returned to the QBà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € position after Seth Russell went down with a neck injury in the Iowa State contest. Johnson was a 2013 early enrollee at BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € and redshirted the 2013 season. He played in four games in 2014, totaling 28 yards on 4-of-4 passing. He also ran the ball four times for 29 yards. In early season wide receiver play in 2015, Johnson caught three passes for 37 yards.
OWNINGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € THEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € LONEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € STARà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € STATE
Baylor has racked up a 19-5 record vs. in-state foes over the last four-plus years, including victories in 12 of its last 14 meetings with other Texas schools. The Bears have also been successful against any opponent when the game has been played in the Lone Star State, boasting a 27-4 record over its last 31 games and a 38-7 mark in contests over the last four-plus years in Texas.
BAYLOR'S POWERFUL OFFENSE ALSO CRAZY FAST
Baylor is continuing a three-year period of dominance in scoring quickly. In 2015, BU leads the nation in TDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € drives of two minutes or less (47), fewest seconds per play (17.5) in the first half and TDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € throws of 25 or more yards downfield (16), while being second with 83.4 plays per game. Baylorà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € is third in the FBSà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € with 19 TDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € drives in under one minute. In 2014, Baylor led the nation in plays/gameà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (87.5), TD drives of one min. or lessà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (24), TD drives of two min. or less (41) and fewest seconds-per-play in the first halfà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (18.0). The Bears also led the NCAA in TDs of 40 or more yards (19) and TDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € throws of 25 or more yardsà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (24). In 2013, Baylor led the nation in seconds-per-playà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (16.7), TD drives of one minute or less (29), TD drives of two minutes or lessà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (60) and most plays of 40 yards or more (37). [all stats via ESPN Stats & Info]
BAYLOR'S BOWLà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € GAMEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € HISTORY
- Baylor will play in its 21st bowl game and sixth straight when it faces North Carolinaà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € on Dec. 29.
- The Bears are 10-11 in their previous 21 bowl trips and are 2-3 under head coach Art Briles.
- Baylor has played in two other bowl games on Dec. 29 with a 1-1 record (L, 2010 Texas; &à ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € W, 2011 Alamo).
- The Bears have gone into a bowl as the lower-ranked team only eight times (5-3) and have won last three such games, including 2012 Holiday Bowl vs. No. 17 UCLA.
- Baylor is 0-3 in bowl games in the Sunshine State.
- Baylor's other three bowl games in the state included: 1952 Orange Bowl (17-14 loss to Georgia Tech), 1954 Gator Bowl (33-13 loss to Auburn) and 1960 Gator Bowl (13-12 loss to Florida).
- Baylor is 2-1 against current ACC members in bowl games with wins against Wake Forest, 20-7, (1948 Dixie), and Clemson, 24-18, (1979 Peach) and a loss to Georgia Tech, 17-14, (1951 Orange).
- Baylor last played a current ACC school on Sept. 5, 2009 -- a 24-21 win at Wake Forest.
BAYLOR'S RETURN TO PROMINENCE UNDER BRILES
It's no secret that Art Briles has rebuilt Baylor's football program back to national prominence, but most impressive is how quickly and pronounced the transformation happened (Briles is third on the BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € career wins list).
THREE BEARSà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € EARNà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € ALL-AMERICAà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € HONORS
Baylor had three players earn All-America honors, including two unanimous All-Americans in senior offensive tackle Spencer Drango and junior wide receiver Corey Coleman. It was the first time in school history that BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € a pair of players had earned unanimous status in the same season. Meanwhile, junior NTà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Andrew Billings was recognized on nine different teams. In eight seasons, head coach Art Briles has coached 26 All-America selections. [complete list of honors on pages 6-8]
RUNà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € GAMEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € ROLLINGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € FORà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € BEARSà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € INà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € 2015
By rushing for over 270 yards in 10 of 12 games this season, Baylor is fourth in the country averaging 300.4 yards per contest on the ground. BU's rushing attack was led by Shock Linwood 1,329 yds. on 196 carries with 10 TDs. However, the junior, who was torching defenses for 6.8 yards per carry and 110.8 yards per game will miss the bowl game due to injury. The Bears' punishing rushing game has now produced 1,000-yard rushers in six straight seasons: Jay Finley in 2010 (1,218), Terrance Ganaway in 2011 (school-record 1,547), Lache Seastrunk in 2012 (1,012) and 2013 (1,060)à ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € and Shock Linwood in 2014 (1,135) and 2015.
VETERAN O-LINE PROTECTING NEW QB, POWERINGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € RUNà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € GAME
Baylor's offensive line has six linemen with 18 or more career starts (Spencer Drango 47, Kyle Fuller 25, Blake Muir 24, Jarell Broxton 20, Pat Colbert 19, Desmine Hilliard 18). The 2015 line leads the Big 12 and ranks 20th in the nation by giving up just 15 sacks in 12 games (1.25 per game). That veteran group has also helped BU become the nation's No. 4 rushing offense with 300.4 yards per game. The group was named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, which recognizes the country's top o-line unit, on Nov. 16.
SACKS-PER-GAME ALLOWED:
2015: 1.25 (15 for 86 yds in 12 games)
2014: 1.85 (24 for 152 yds in 13 games)
2013: 1.69 (22 for 113 yds in 13 games)
2012: 1.46 (19 for 92 yds in 13 games)
2011: 2.23 (29 for 175 yds in 13 games)
TURNOVERSà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € PROVINGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € COSTLY
After starting out the year by winning the turnover battle in seven of eight games, the Bears have now turned it over more times than their opponent in each of the last four games. The Bears have gained 24 turnovers in 2015, while gifting 25. However over the past four games, BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € is trailing 15-3 in the turnover category.
COLEMANà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € TOà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € MISSà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € BOWLà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € GAMEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € AFTER TALLYINGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € HISTORIC NUMBERS
Biletnikoff Award winner Corey Coleman was having one of the top seasons in college football, but will now miss the Russell Athletic Bowl due to injury. The junior from Richardson, Texas, caught 74 passes for 1,363 yards and 20 touchdowns in 12 games. He broke the BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € single-season record for receiving touchdowns (14, Kendall Wright in 2011) and challenged the Big 12 and NCAAà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € records in the category.
OPPORTUNISTICà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € DEFENSE
Baylor's defense under coordinator Phil Bennett has demonstrated a knack for making big plays at key moments to contribute to the Bears' winning ways over the past four-plus seasons. BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € had led the nation by forcing a turnover in 25-straight games before not getting one against Oklahoma State. In four-plus years under Bennett, Baylor's D has recorded at least one takeaway in 57 of 64 games - a total of 133 takeaways (79 interceptions, 54 fumbles recovered). Overall under Bennett, Baylor is 35-6 when recording two or more takeaways, including 7-1 in 2015.
BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € LEADINGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € NATION INà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € 50-POINTà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € GAMESà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € SINCEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € 2013
With its 56 points against SMU, 61 against Lamar, 70-point outburst against Rice, 63 vs. Texas Tech, 66 at Kansas and 62 against West Virginia, the Bears continued to lead the nation in 50-point outings since 2013.
MOSTà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € 50-Point Games Since 2013
Baylor 17
Oregon 15
Ohio State 11
BRILES' PIPELINE OF STELLAR QBs
Baylor head coach Art Briles has established himself as a serious recruiter and mentor of elite quarterbacks. His list of proteges over the last dozen years includes Bryce Petty (Baylor/Jets), Nick Florence (Baylor), Robert Griffin III (Baylor/Redskins), Case Keenum (Houston/Rams), Kevin Kolb (Houston/NFL) and Kliff Kingsburyà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (Texas Tech/NFL).
BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € PLACESà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € NINEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € ONà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € COACHESà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € ALL-BIGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € 12 TEAM
Led by Big 12 linemen of the year Andrew Billings (defensive) and Spencer Drango (offensive), Baylor had nine players honored on the All-Big 12 Teams. The Bears have now had four or more selections in eight straight years, including at least eight in three consecutive seasons. BU's nine selections are second-most in program history after having 10 in 2013. First-team selections included, Billings, Corey Coleman, Drango and Xavien Howard. [complete list of honors on pages 6-8 of PDF]
RUSSELLà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € SIDELINED FORà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € SEASONà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € WITHà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € INJURY
Through seven games, QB Seth Russell had shown he was more than capable of running America's top offense. However against Iowa State, the Garland, Texas, product suffered a neck injury that required season-ending surgery. The fourth-year junior had thrown for 2,104 yards and 29 touchdowns in his first season as a starter, and ran for 402 yards and six TDs. Individually, Russell led the FBS in passing efficiency (189.7).
BAYLORà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € EARNSà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € HIGHEST-EVERà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € RANKINGS
After starting the season 9-3, Baylor sits at No. 18 in the AP Top 25 and No. 19 in the Amway Coaches Poll. The Bears also fell to No. 17 in the final College Football Playoff committee's Top 25 rankings, which were released Dec. 6. Earlier this year, Baylor reached a program-high No. 2 ranking in both the AP poll. The Bears had previously been No. 3 in both 1953 and 2013. Baylor has now been ranked in a school-record 48 straight AP Polls, which is the FBS' fourth-best streak. The Bears have also been top 10 in 36 of the last 41 AP polls.
BAYLOR'Sà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € OFFENSIVEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € STREAKS
- Baylor has topped 500 yards of offense 49 times in the 64 games since 2011, which leads the nation.
- Baylor has gained 500+ yards in 28 of 38 games since 2013, including 19 games with 600+ yards in that span.
- Baylor has scored 30+ points in 50 of its last 57 contests and 40+ points in 43 of its last 57 games.
- Baylor has scored 50+ points 17 times since 2013, and 26 times since 2011, both most among all FBS teams.
- Baylor has scored in 112 straight games -- previous school record was 89 games fromà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Dec. 31, 1979 - Oct. 23, 1987.
- Baylor reached 600 yards of offense in 5 games in 2014 and has done so in 7 of 12 games of 2015. BU has 38 such games in its history (34 in Briles era).
- Baylor topped 700 yards of total offense in each of its first 3 games and then again vs. OSU (SMU, 723; LU, 785, Rice 793; & OSU, 700). BU has accomplished the feat 13 times in program history.
BEARS MAKEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € HABIT OFà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € BEATINGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € TOP 10 TEAMS
Baylor is the one of only two schools (Alabama) to have wins over Top 10 teams in each of the past five seasons.
(rankings AP/Coaches/BCS or CFP)
2011: Beat 5th/5th/5th Oklahoma, 45-38
2012: Beat 2nd/2nd/1st K-State, 52-24
2013: Beat 12th/8th/10th Oklahoma, 41-12
2014: Beat 9th/12th/- TCU, 61-58
Beat 9th/9th/9th Kansas State, 37-28
2015: Beat 4th/4th/6th Oklahoma State, 45-35
BAYLOR'S TWO-YEARà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € RUNà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € OFà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € DOMINATION
The Bears won 11 games in both 2013 and 2014. Here are notes from back-to-back Big 12 title runs.
- #AmericasTopOffense ranks in 2014: No. 1 nationally in scoring (48.2), total offense (581.5) and first downs (30.1).
- Baylor set an NCAA record in 2013 with 681 pts. in 13 games. BU's 52.4 points/game were tied for 4th-most all-time.
- Baylor was only the 2nd school to repeat as Big 12 champions - OU in `06-08.
- Baylor secured its first-ever back-to-back conference championships and the eighth conference title in school history (Southwest Conference: 1915, 1922, 1924, 1974, 1980, 1994; Big 12 Conference: 2013, 2014).
- BU tied a school-record with 8 conference victories in 2014. BU had 8 league wins in two other seasons: 1980 & 2013.
- Baylor won a school-record 11 games, claimed its second-straight Big 12 title and earned a second-consecutive trip to a BCS/New Year's Six bowl game in 2014.
- Baylor also led the FBSà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € in total offense & scoring offense each of last 2 years, averaging 581.5 yds & 48.2 pts in 2014.
BRILES CLIMBINGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € BAYLORà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € CAREERà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € WINSà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € CHART
In seven-plus seasons at Baylor, Art Briles sits third on the school's all-time wins list. His record with the Bears is 64-37, with a winning percentage of .634, which ranks fifth-best all-time at BU.
BEARSà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € ADD FOURà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € MID-YEARà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € SIGNEES
Baylor football has added four student-athletes to its program that will enroll for the spring 2016 semester. Two junior college transfers, offensive lineman Branton "B.J." Autry of Coffeyville Community College and defensive lineman Jeremy Faulk of Garden City Community College have signed National Letters of Intent, and two early high school graduates, receiver Tren'Davian Dickson of Navasota (Texas) High School and quarterback Zach Smith of Grandview (Texas) High School, have signed financial aid contracts to join the Bears program.
