No. 11/8 Football Hosts Kansas For Homecoming
10/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
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| 11/8 BAYLOR (5-0, 2-0) vs. NR/NR Kansas (1-4, 0-2) Oct. 15, 2016 | 2:30 p.m. CT Waco, Texas | McLane Stadium (45,140) TV: FS1 |
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- For its Homecoming contest, Baylor welcomes Kansas Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on FS1.
- The Bears have won 6-straight dating back to last year's bowl - tops in Big 12 & tied for 7th in FBS.
- BU has started 5-0 in each of the last 4 years - a program first and the only FBS program to do so.
- Baylor is looking to start 6-0 as well as 3-0 in Big 12 play for the 4th-straight year.
- Baylor and Kansas will meet for the 16th time Saturday. The Bears lead the series 11-4.
- BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € has won the last 6 games vs. KU by an average of 37.7 points and boasts a 7-0 record in Waco.
- Baylor is 45-43-4 all-time in Homecoming games and has won its last 6.
- For Homecoming, fans have been asked to #StripeMcLane - sections will alternate green and gold.
- The Bears have won 6-straight games following an off-week by an average of 32.7 points.
- BU has won 31 of its last 35 games played in Texas and is 42-7 in the state over the last 5+ seasons.
- Baylor is 13-2 in the $266 million McLane Stadium, with an average scoring margin of + 26.0 points.
- Baylor is averaging 49.8 ppg and 607.4 ypg in 2+ years at the riverfront stadium.
- Baylor has the nation's 3rd-best home record since 2011 at 32-3, which is also best in the Big 12.
- Baylor moved up 2 spots to No. 11 in APà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Top 25 and jumped 3 places to No. 8 in Amway Coaches Poll.
- BU's been ranked in a school-record 56 straight AP Polls, FBS' 4th-best streak.
- Averaging 568.4 yards of offense in 2016, BU is ranked 2nd in Big 12 and 4th nationally.
- Giving up just 341.0 ypg, the Bears are 2nd in Big 12 and rank 24th nationally in total defense.
- BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € has #AmericasTopOffense, which has led the NCAAà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € in total and scoring offense for past 3 years.
- BU is 6th in FBS in team pass efficiency defense (92.27), while ranking 10th in team TFLs (8.6).
- The Bears are 2nd in conference and 13th in FBS in scoring offense, averaging 42.6 ppg.
- Baylor is 2nd in the Big 12 and 23rd nationally in scoring defense, giving up just 19.2 ppg.
- Senior RBà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Shock Linwood (3,916 yds.) became BU's career rushing leader vs. Rice breaking Walter Abercrombie's record of 3,665. He also needs 1 rushing TD to set a new BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € career mark.
- Baylor is 1 of only 2 Big 12 programs undefeated (West Virginia) and 1 of 11 nationally.
- The Bears are 1 of only 2 teams in FBS to not allow a 4th quarter point in 2016 (Ohio State).
QUICK NOTES
- Baylor is playing its 114th season of football and 1st under acting head coach Jim Grobe.
- Baylor won at least 10 games for a 3rd-straight season, earned a program-high ranking of No. 2 and was 2015 Russell Athletic Bowl champions last season.
- Baylor returns 41 lettermen and 11 starters (4 o; 5 d; 2 st) from the 2015 squad.
- Baylor is outscoring foes 96-38 in the 2nd-halves of 2016's first 5 games and has allowed 0 points in the 4th quarter.
- 2016 marks a new era as acting head coach Jim Grobe takes the reins of the Baylor football program. Grobe's four decades on the sidelines include 20 seasons and 115 career wins as a head coach at Ohio, Wake Forest and Baylor.
- Grobe is the first BU coach to start his career 5-0, previous best was 4-0 by Sam Boyd (1956) and Bob Woodruff (1947).
- Including walk-ons, Baylor has played a total of 32 freshmen in 2016, 19 redshirt freshmen & 13 true freshmen.
OVERALL SUCCESS:
- Baylor opened the season 5-0 for the fourth-straight season, the only FBS team to do so.
- Baylor has won 55 games over the past 5-plus years (best in Big 12), as well as 2 Big 12 titles and 3 bowl games.
- In last 48 games BU has just 7 losses, 5 to top 15-ranked teams (and 5 away from home).
- Baylor has been bowl-eligible in 6-straight years for the 1st time in school history.
- Baylor has won 19-consecutive regular-season non-conference games, dating back to 2010.
#AMERICASTOPOFFENSE SUCCESS:
- While not putting up the record-breaking numbers of the past 3 years, Baylor's offense has still been potent.
- The Bears ground attack was unleashed vs. Iowa State as BU had 469 yards, 5th-most in a game in program history.
- Baylor's quick-strike, big play ability was on full display against Oklahoma State with 4 TDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € drives of under 2 minutes and 8 plays of 25 or more yards.
- BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € scored 38 points in the final 3 quarters vs. Rice as KDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Cannon (9 catches for 213 yds.) starred.
- The Bears didn't start fast against SMU (3 pts. on first 6 drives), but scored on 5 of their next 8 possessions.
- In less than a half of work against Northwestern State, Baylor's first team offense racked up 340 yards of offense and scored on all seven of its possessions (5 TDs, 2 FGs).
- Baylor is 2nd team in FBS history to lead nation in scoring (48.1 ppg in 2015) in 3 straight seasons (1979-81 BYU), according to ESPN Stats & Info.
- #AmericasTopOffense in 2015: No. 1 nationally in Scoring (48.1) and Total Offense (616.2), 2nd in Rushing (326.7), 3rd in Pass Efficiencyà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (170.8) and First Downsà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (29.5).
DEFENSIVE SUCCESS:
- For 2016, the Bears have switched to a 3-4 defense and it has had much success in the first five games.
- BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € has been especially good against the pass, ranking 6th in team pass efficiency defense (92.27), while giving up just 166.2 yards per game through the air, which ranks 1st in the league and 13th in the nation.
- On the season, the Bears have 9 takeaways, which ranks 4th in the Big 12 and 49th nationally.
- Baylor is allowing foes to score only 73.7 percent of the time in red zone, which is best in the Big 12 and 24th in FBS.
- BU once again rose to the occasion at Iowa State, holding the Cyclones scoreless and only 7 yards in the 4th quarter.
- Against OSU, the Bears held Mason Rudolph 60 yards below his passing ypg coming into the game (279/339.0).
- The Bears limited Rice to only 31 yards passing, the fewest by a Baylor FBS opponent since holding Arkansas to 28 yards on Nov. 10, 1990 (BU won 34-3).
- While the offense struggled early against SMU, the defense kept the game close, forcing 4 turnovers.
- Safety Orion Stewart was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week with 8 tackles and 2 INTs vs. SMU.
- Despite not forcing a turnover against Northwestern State, Baylor's defense allowed only 78 yards of offense to the Demons. For the game, Baylor forced 13 punts and 11 3-and-outs.
- Phil Bennett's defense has forced at least one turnover in 30 of its last 34 games and 61 of 70 games (84 INTs, 60 FR).
- Baylor's D has forced multiple turnovers in 44 of 70 games (with 38-6 record).
- Baylor forced at least 2 turnovers in 9 of 13 games of 2015 and has done so in 2 of 5 games in 2016.
RUSHING SUCCESS:
- For 5 games, the Bears are averaging 290.2 yards on the ground, which is tops in the Big 12 and 5th in the nation.
- BU's ground attack has been spread evenly between 3 RBs (Shock Linwood, Terence Williams and JaMycal Hasty).
- Each of those 3 RBs is averaging 54.0 ypg or more, while QB Seth Russell is also a threat to run with 46.8 ypg.
- Baylor has rushed for a TDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € in 34-straight games, longest streak among Power Five conference teams & 3rd-best in FBS.
- Baylor led all Power Five schools in rushing in 2015: 326.7 yards per game.
- Baylor's backfield has produced six 1,000-yard rushers in the last five seasons.
O-LINE EXCELLENCE:
- Baylor ranks 1st in Big 12 and 2nd in FBS giving up only .60 sacks per game.
- BU also ranks 9th nationally and 1st in the Big 12 by allowing only 4.0 TFLs per contest.
- Despite 4 first-time starters, the wall is protecting Seth Russell and helping BU lead the Big 12 in rushing.
- Baylor's 2015 o-line led the Big 12 and ranked 15th nationally by giving up just 15 sacks in 13 games (1.15 per game).
- Baylor has accounted for 4 straight Big 12 Offensive Linemen of the Year (Spencer Drango 2015 & 2014[co], Cyril Richardson 2013 & 2012).
- BU has had at least one All-American o-lineman in seven of the last eight years.
#WIDERECEIVERU SUCCESS:
- Baylor has had 14 different players catch a pass in 2016, but is led by KDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Cannonà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (30-straight games with a catch), who has 27 catches for 370 yards and 4 TDs.
- Since 2009 BU's receiving corps has totaled: 6 NFLà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Draftees, 1 Biletnikoff Award winner, 5 All-Americans, 17 All-Big 12 honors and 6 1,000-yard seasons.
SPECIAL TEAMSà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € IMPROVEMENT:
- Acting head coach Jim Grobe has stressed specials teams throughout his tenure and the work has paid off.
- The Bears are 4th in the Big 12, allowing only 19.05 yards per kickoff return, after ranking 7th a year ago (23.05).
- Baylor leads the Big 12 & is 10th in FBS, giving up just 1.25 yards on punt returns, after being 3rd & 12th last year (2.00).
- Meanwhile, BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € ranks 5th in Big 12 and 50th nationally with 9.08 yds per punt return, after 9th and 113th in 2015 (4.27).
RANKINGS SUCCESS:
- Baylor has been ranked in 56 straight AP Polls, the 4th-longest streak nationally (Top 15 in 46 of last 51 polls).
- Baylor has won 7 games over AP/Coaches/BCS/CFP top 10 teams since 2011.
- Baylor is 8-1 vs. AP Top 25 opponents at home over last 5 seasons.
- Baylor and Alabama are the only teams to beat at least 1 Top 10 team in each of last 5 years.
- BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € is 12-9 overall vs. APà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Top 25 teams since 2011.
HOME SUCCESS:
- Baylor has the nation's fourth-best home record since 2011 at 32-3, which is tops in the Big 12.
- In home games, Baylor is 36-5 over the last 6-plus seasons.
- Baylor is 13-2 in the $266 million McLane Stadium, with an average scoring margin of + 26.0 points.
- Baylor is averaging 49.8 points per game and 607.4 yards per game in 2+ years at the riverfront stadium.
ROAD SUCCESS: BU has won 19 of last 24 games played outside of Waco.
NEUTRAL SUCCESS: BU has won 7 of last 9 neutral-site games.
CONFERENCE SUCCESS:
- Baylor boasts the most wins (55) and conference titlesà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (2, tied) in the Big 12 Conference over the last five-plus years.
- BU's three-year overall record of 37-7 and league mark of 24-5 are the best among Big 12 schools.
IN-STATE SUCCESS:
- BU has won 31 of its last 35 games played in Texas and is 42-7 in the state over last 5-plus years.
- Baylor is 21-5 vs. in-state schools over last 5-plus seasons and has won 14 of last 16 vs. Texas foes.
LATE-SEASON SUCCESS: BU has compiled a FBS-best 23 winsà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (23-7) in Nov. & Dec. since 2011 (7-1 in Dec.).
MOREà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € ONà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € #AMERICASTOPOFFENSE
- Baylor led all FBS teamsà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € in TD drives of 2 min. or less in each of the last 2 seasons - 49 a year ago & 41 in 2014. The Bears have 17 such drives in the first 5 games of 2016.
- Baylor has scored 20+ points in the first half in 25 of 31 games since start of the 2014 season.
- Baylor has topped 400 yards of offense 66 times in the 70 games since 2011 -- that is 2nd in the nation (Oregon, 68).
- Baylor has scored 30+ points in 56 of its last 63 contests.
- 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; Johnny Jefferson-2015).
- Baylor is 48-3 over the last 6 seasons when leading at halftime and has led at the half in 19 of its last 24 games.
OFFENSIVEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € STANDOUTS
- In his first five games back from an injury in October 2015, QBà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Seth Russell, a senior, has thrown for 1,326 yards and 14 TDs on 92 of-155 passing. Russell improved to 13-0 in his career as a starter with the win over Iowa State. In his 13 career starts, Russell has thrown 48 TD passes (3.7 TD passes/game) and only 10 interceptions. The Garland, Texas, product is the Baylor career leader in pass efficiency (171.2) and total offense yards/play (8.893). He also ranks: second in yards/completion (16.35) and yards passing/attempt (9.650), third in TD/interception ratio (3.9) and passing TDs (54), fourth in interception percentage (.0290), sixth in completion percentage (.590) and ninth in passing yards (4,483) for his career.
- Senior RBà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Shock Linwood is a Maxwell, Doak Walker, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose, Senior Bowl and Rotary Lombardi watch list member. He is a veteran with 42 games played (third-most on squad) and 27 career starts (third-most on team). The Linden, Texas, native became BU's all-time leading rusher in win over Rice and now has 3,916 yards, which is fifth-most among active FBS players. He needs just 84 yards to become the 7th Big 12 rusher with 4,000 yards.
- Senior Cà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Kyle Fuller has garnered a place on the Rimington Trophy, Outland Trophy, Senior Bowl and Rotary Lombardi watch lists in 2016. He has played 44 career games (most on team) and started 31 (most on squad). The Wylie, Texas, product is a three-year starter and helps anchor a young o-line that has allowed only 3 sacks in the first five games.
- Junior WRà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € KDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Cannon is on watch lists for the Biletnikoff and Tyler Rose awards. He is the most experienced receiver on the squad and ranks third all-time on school's career yards-per-game (75.60) and sixth in yards-per-reception (16.80) lists, while being eighth in TDs (18) and yards (2,268). The Mount Pleasant, Texas, product has a 30-game reception streak (every game of career), but missed the ISU game with a groin injury.
DEFENSIVE STARS
- DEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € K.J. Smith is a fourth-year junior lineman. He is a technically sound veteran with 17 career starts and 31 games played on a young defensive line. He has played in every game over the past two seasons, including eight starts in 2014 as a redshirt freshman. He has 28 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 4.0 TFLs in the first five games.
- Senior NBà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Travon Blanchard suffered a knee injury during fall camp and missed the first two games of the year. He started all 13 games a year ago earning honorable mention All-Big 12 honors from the league's coaches. The Orange, Texas, native is a quick, rangy, playmaker at hybrid linebacker/safety spot. He has made his presence known since his return with 28 tackles (18 solo), 1 sack, 7.5 TFLs and 2 PBU.
- Junior LBà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Taylor Young has been recognized on watch lists for the Bednarik, Butkus and Rotary Lombardi awards this fall. He is a returning All-Big 12 linebacker and starting WLB in 12 of 13 games in 2015. The DeSoto, Texas, product is a powerful, compact, leader with 25 starts and 30 games played. He was the 2014 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year. Young has 40 tackles, 1 sack and 5.5 TFLs in the five opening games.
- DBà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Ryan Reid was recently selected to the Senior Bowl watch list. He is a fifth-year senior cornerback. The Dallas, Texas, native is a veteran with 27 career starts (third-most on team) and 36 career games played (sixth on squad). He was named preseason All-Big 12 by Lindy's. Reid suffered an injury early in the SMUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € game and missed the Rice game.
BIGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € 12'S BESTà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € PROGRAMà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € SINCEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € 2013
Baylor's three-plus year record of 37-7 and league mark of 24-5 are the best among Big 12 schools. The Bears have also won two conference championships since 2013.
SHOCK BREAKS 35-YEAR-OLDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € SCHOOLà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € RUSHINGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € RECORD
Baylor senior Shock Linwood is the nation's fifth-leading active rusher and became Baylor's all-time leader in rushing yards against Rice. He still needs 1 TD to hold the school's career rushing TD mark alone.
NEWà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € 3-4 ALIGNMENTà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € TURNINGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € DEFENSE INTOà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € `NO-FLYà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € ZONE'
BU's switch to 3-4 defense to start the 2016 has had many benefits, but perhaps the biggest area of improvement for the Bears is their ability to defend the pass. In the first four games of 2016, the Baylor Dà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € is far and away better against air attacks than it was a season ago.
CANNONà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € BECOMINGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € MODELà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € OFà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € CONSISTENCYà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € ASà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € TOPà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € TARGET
After the loss of 2015 Biletnikoff Award winner Corey Coleman to the NFL, junior KDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Cannon was expected to become Seth Russell's No. 1 target, but an injury heading into fall camp delayed the speedster's progression. Four games into the season, Cannon was starting to return to form. However, he missed the latter stages of the OSUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € win and all of the Iowa State game with a groin injury.
- Only player in BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € history with 3 career 200-yard receiving games (213 vs. Rice)
- Has caught pass in all 30 career games played
- Has caught TDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € in 3 of 5 games in 2016
- Ranks No. 3 in Big 12 and 16th in FBSà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € with 6.8 catches per contest
- Ranks 5th in Big 12 and 27th in FBS with 92.5 yards receiving per game
GROBEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € MAKINGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € SPECIALà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € TEAMSà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € A PRIORITY
Acting head coach Jim Grobe has said from the beginning of his tenure that he would put his stamp on Baylor's special teams effort. Through four games of the season, Grobe's work has become evident as the Bears are outperforming their special teams output from a season ago.
BACKFIELD BECOMINGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € FOUR-HEADEDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € MONSTER
Through the first five games of 2016, Baylor has displayed a balanced rushing attack with JaMycal Hasty, Shock Linwood and Terence Williams all producing over 54.0 yards per game on the ground. Meanwhile, QBà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Seth Russell has showed his running ability when necessary.
BAYLOR HOMECOMING HISTORY
Baylor plays its 93rd Homecoming game Saturday, marking the 107th anniversary of its first Homecoming in 1909. Baylor's Homecoming Parade is the nation's largest, and Baylor is among the first five schools nationally ever to celebrate Homecoming. The event became annual in 1924 when the name was changed from "Good Will Week" to Homecoming. The Bears are 45-43-4 in Homecoming contests, including an 9-11 record in the Big 12 era. Baylor's first Homecoming game was a 6-3 win over TCUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € in 1909, however, it would not play another such game until 1915, when it beat TCU on Thanksgiving Day, 51-0. From 1916 thru 1923, there again was a gap in Homecoming festivities until 1924. Baylor has played a Homecoming game every season since 1924, with the exception of two years during World War II (1943-44) when the Bears didn't field a team. The Bears and Jayhawks have met three times before for Baylor's Homecoming with BU going 3-0 in those games (W, 36-35 in 2006; W, 41-14 in 2012; W, 60-14 in 2014).
KANSASà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € SERIES HISTORY
Saturday is the 16th meeting between Baylor and Kansas, the 13th as Big 12 Conference opponents. Baylor leads the all-time series, 11-4 and a perfect 7-0 record vs. the Jayhawks in games played in Waco. BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € has won six-consecutive meetings and is 9-3 in the Big 12 era versus KU. The first meeting between the schools was a 22-0 Kansas victory in Lawrence, Kan., in 1971. The Bears won the first meeting as Big 12 foes, a 31-24 decision Oct. 10, 1998, in Waco.à ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € In their last meeting in Waco, the Bears cruised to a 60-14 victory. Last season, Baylor claimed a 66-7 victory over the Jayhawks in Lawrence.
RUSHINGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € TOUCHDOWN STREAKà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € TOPSà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € AMONGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € POWERà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € FIVE
Baylor leads all Power-Five conference teams, after rushing for a touchdown in 34-straight games. The Bears have had at least one score on the ground in every game starting with a win over TCU on Nov. 30, 2013. BU's mark ranks third among all FBSà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € schools, trailing only Navy (53) and New Mexico (41). Since the streak began, the Bears hold a 28-6 record with 102à ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (3.0 per game) rushing TDs and 8,097 (238.1 per game) yards gained on the ground.
BAYLOR'S DISRPUTIVE DEFENSE
BU's defensive impact has improved under sixth-year D-coordinator Phil Bennett. Over the last three-plus seasons, in which Baylor has posted a Big 12-best 37-7 record and won two league titles, the Bears D has increased its sacks and tackles-for-loss totals. In 2016, the Bears have debuted a 3-4 look that has resulted in a stifling defensive effort through five games.
BEST IN TEXAS
Baylor has posted the best record among in-state programs over the last five-plus years, a 54-15 mark [see list below]. The Bears are also 21-5 head-to-head vs. Texas schools since 2011, and boast an overall 42-7 record in games played in the Lone Star State.
WIN-LOSS RECORDS (since 2011):
Baylor 55-15
Houston 52-20
TCU 49-21
Texas A&M 49-22
Texas 38-31
BIGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € 12'S BESTà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € HOMEFIELDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € ADVANTAGE
In the final years at Floyd Casey Stadium and since the opening of McLane Stadium, the Bears have been nearly unbeatable in Waco. At its new home on the Brazos River, the Bears are 13-2, which ranks as the top winning percentage (.867) for any stadium in the country. BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € also leads the Big 12 and ranks third nationally in most home wins since 2011.
THE BAYLOR SYSTEM IS AMERICA'S TOP OFFENSE
Baylor's unique, record-breaking system has set the standard for offense in contemporary college football. For three-straight seasons, Baylor has led the nation in both Total Offense (616.2 ypg in 2015, 581.5 ypg 2014, 618.8 ypg 2013) and Scoring (48.1 ppg in 2015, 48.2 ppg 2014, 52.4 ppg 2013), just the second program in NCAA history to do soà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (first since BYU 1979-81).
THE BAYLOR 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); it's a balanced offense, not to be confused with more common pass-heavy spread attacks. The Baylor offense is also in use under former Art Briles assistants at Syracuse (head coach Dino Babers), Texasà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert) and Tulsa (head coach Philip Montgomery).
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
Beat 10th/11th/10th North Carolina, 49-38
GANGGREEN DEFENSE AMONG LEAGUE'S BEST
It's hard to overstate the role Baylor's defense has had in the Bears' success the last three-plus seasonsà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (Big 12-best 37-7 record and two league titles). Phil Bennett's D ranks among the Big 12 and national leaders in several key per-snap categories and takeaways.
NATION'S MOST BALANCED OFFENSE
Baylor annually ranks among the nation's leaders in both passing and rushing. The Bears rush more often than pass, and have run the ball on 58.1 percent of plays over the last five seasons.
BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € LEADINGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € NATION INà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € 50-POINTà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € GAMESà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € SINCEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € 2013
After opening the year with 55 points against Northwestern State, the Bears continue to lead the nation in 50-point outings since 2013.
MOSTà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € 50-POINT GAMES SINCE 2013
Baylor 18
Oregon 16
Arizona State 13
Ohio State 13
Boise State 12
BAYLOR'S POWERFUL OFFENSE ALSO CRAZY FAST
After five games it appears, Baylor will continue a three-plus year period of dominance in scoring quickly. The Bears have had 17 TDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € drives under two minutes in the first five games of the year. In 2015, BU led the nation in plays per game (84.8), TDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € drives of two minutes or less (49), fewest seconds per play (17.7) in the first half and TDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € throws of 25 or more yards downfield (16). 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'Sà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € OFFENSIVEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € STREAKS
- Baylor has topped 500 yards of offense 54 times in the 70 games since 2011, which leads the nation.
- Baylor has gained 500+ yards in 33 of 44 games since 2013, including 22 games with 600+ yards in that span.
- Baylor has scored 30+ points in 56 of its last 63 contests and 40+ points in 47 of its last 63 games.
- Baylor has scored 50+ points 18 times since 2013, and 27 times since 2011, both most among all FBS teams.
- Baylor has scored in 118 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, in 8 of 13 games of 2015 and 2 of 5 in 2016. BU has 41 such games in its history (37 since 2008).
- Baylor topped 700 yards of total offense in five games in 2015 (SMU, 723; LU, 785, Rice 793;OSU, 700; UNC, 756). BU has accomplished the feat 14 times in program history.
UPà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € NEXT
Following the Homecoming game against Kansas, Baylor enjoys its second off week of 2016, before returning to action on Oct. 29 at Texas. Time and TVà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € arrangements have not been announced.
