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No. 23/19 Football Hosts SMU at McLane Stadium

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Football 9/5/2016 12:00:00 AM
Sept. 5, 2016
vs.
23/19 BAYLOR (1-0) vs. SMU (1-0)
Sept. 10, 2016 | 2:30 p.m. CT
Waco, Texas | McLane Stadium (45,140)

TV: FS1
Listen | Gametracker | Game Notes Notes | Tickets

MEDIA INFORMATION
DateSaturday, Sept. 10 | 2:30 p.m. CT
LocationWaco, Texas | McLane Stadium (45,140)
TVFS1
TV TalentTim Brando (pxp), Spencer Tillman (analyst),
Bruce Feldman (sideline)
RadioESPN Central Texas | Sirius/XM 136/199
Online AudioListen Online
Live Stats
Ticket InfoPurchase Tickets
Game NotesBaylor Notes Get Acrobat Reader | SMU Notes Get Acrobat Reader
Twitter@BUFootball
BAYLOR-SMU SERIES
SeriesBaylor leads, 38-36-7
In WacoBaylor leads, 19-18-3
In DallasBaylor leads, 19-18-4
First MeetingOct. 7, 1916 - Baylor, 62-0
Last MeetingSept. 4, 2015 - Baylor, 56-21
23/19 BAYLOR BEARS
Record1-0, 0-0 Big 12
Ranking23 (AP), 19 (Coaches)
Last GameSept. 2, 2016 (defeated Northwestern St., 55-7)
Head CoachJim Grobe (Virginia, 1975)
Career: 111-115-1 (20th season)
BU Record: 1-0 (1st season)
NR/NR SMU MUSTANGS
Record0-0
RankingNR (AP), NR (Coaches)
Last GameSept. 3, 2016 (defeated North Texas, 34-21)
Head CoachChad Morris (Texas A&M, 1992)
Career: 3-10 (2nd season)
SMU Record: 3-10 (2nd season)
STORY LINES
- After a season-opening win, Baylor hosts SMU Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on FS1 in McLane Stadium.
- Baylor is playing its 114th season of football and 1st under acting head coach Jim Grobe.
- The Bears opened up the Grobe era with a 55-7 victory over Northwestern State Friday, Sept. 1.
- BU and SMU will meet for the 82nd time. Baylor leads the all-time series 38-36-7 & 19-18-3 in Waco.
- The Bears have won 12 straight games over SMUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € and with 2014's victory took hold of the overall series lead for the 1st time since 1924.
- Baylor leads the country in total defense, after limiting NSU to just 78 yards in the season opener.
- Baylor is 11-2 in the $266 million McLane Stadium, with an average scoring margin of + 27.1 points.
- Baylor is averaging 51.7 points per game and 619.4 yards per game in 2+ years at the riverfront stadium.
- 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.
- BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € has #AmericasTopOffense, which has led the NCAAà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € in total and scoring offense for past 3 years.
- With 498 yards of offense against NSU, BU is ranked 5th in the Big 12 and 39th nationally in 2016.
- Baylor has the nation's best home record since 2011 at 30-3.
- Baylor was ranked No. 23 in the preseason APà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Top 25 and No. 21 in the Amway Coaches Poll.
- BU's been ranked in a school-record 50 straight AP Polls, FBS' 4th-best streak.
- Baylor hasn't lost a game in September since 2012 (9/29 vs. WVU) and is 9-0 since.
- Baylor is 19-5 vs. in-state schools over the last 5 seasons and has won 12 of last 14 vs. Texas foes.
- BU has won 28 of its last 32 games played in Texas and is 39-7 in the state over the last 5-plus seasons.
- 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 had 5 such drives in the season-opening win over the Demons.
- Senior RBà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Shock Linwood (3,559 yds.) is 107 yards away from breaking Walter Abercrombie's school rushing record of 3,665. He also needs 2 rushing TDs to set a new BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € career mark.

QUICK NOTES
- 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 as a head coach and 111 career wins as head coach at Ohio, Wake Forest and now Baylor.
- Including walk-ons, Baylor played a total of 29 freshmen in 2016 opener, 17 redshirt freshmen & 12 true freshmen.

OVERALL SUCCESS:
- Baylor opend the season with a win for the eighth-straight season.
- Baylor is tied for the second-most wins (58) in FBS since 2010, only Alabama (62) and Florida State (58) can match.
- Baylor has won 51 games over the past 5-plus years (best in Big 12), as well as 2 Big 12 titles and 3 bowl games.
- In last 44 games BU has just 7 losses, 5 to top 15-ranked teams (and 5 away from home).
- Baylor has now been bowl-eligible in 6-straight years for the 1st time in school history.

#AMERICASTOPOFFENSE SUCCESS:
- 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:
- Despite not forcing a turnover against Northwestern State, Baylor's defense allowed only 78 yards of offense to the Demons, which currenlty is the leading mark in the country. For the game, Baylor forced 13 punts and 11 3-and-outs.
- The Bears also tallied 15.0 tackles for loss in the season-opening win and that mark leads the country.
- BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € allowed the Demons to convert only 1-of-15 third downs , which leads the Big 12 and is 4th nationally.
- Phil Bennett's defense has forced at least one turnover in 27 of its last 30 games and 58 of 66 games (80 INTs, 55 FR).
- Baylor's GangGreen D has forced multiple turnovers in 42 of 66 games (with 36-6 record).
- Baylor forced at least 2 turnovers in 9 of 13 games of 2015.

RUSHING SUCCESS:
- The Bears racked up a Big 12-best 275 yards rushing against NSU and had 3 RBs with 68 or more yards on the ground.
- 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:
- Despite having 4-first time starters, the wall allowed no sacks and opened up rushing lanes for 275 yards on the ground.
- 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:
- In the season-opening win, Baylor had 9 different players catch a pass, but were led by KDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Cannonà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (27-straight games with a catch), who had five catches for 46 yards and 1 TD.
- 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 was evident in the opener.
- The Bears are 3rd in the Big 12, allowing only 15.8 yards per kickoff return and 0 yards per punt return.
- Meanwhile, BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € ranks 3rd in Big 12 and 19th nationally with 15.83 yards per punt return.

RANKINGS SUCCESS:
- Baylor has been ranked in 50 straight AP Polls, the 4th-longest streak nationally (Top 15 in 43 of last 45 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 best home record since 2011 at 30-3.
- In home games, Baylor is 34-5 over the last 6-plus seasons and 40-11 in Waco since 2008.

ROAD SUCCESS: BU has won 17 of last 22 games played outside of Waco.

NEUTRAL SUCCESS: BU has won 7 of last 9 neutral-site games.

CONFERENCE SUCCESS:
- Baylor boasts the most wins (51) 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 33-7 and league mark of 22-5 are the best among Big 12 schools.

IN-STATE SUCCESS:
- BU has won 27 of its last 31 games played in Texas and is 38-7 in the state over last 5 years.
- Baylor is 19-5 vs. in-state schools over last 5 seasons and has won 12 of last 14 vs. Texas foes.

LATE-SEASON SUCCESS: Baylor has compiled an FBS-best 23 winsà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (23-7) in November and December since 2011 (7-1 in Dec.).

POISED FOR 2016 SUCCESS:
- Baylor boasts the nation's only returning 1,000-yard running back duo in 2016: Shock Linwood (1,329 in 2015) and Johnny Jeffersonà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (1,000 in 2015).
- Five of Baylor's top seven receivers from 2015 return for 2016.
- Three returnees threw passes for Baylor in 2015, QB Seth Russell in addition to WR Lynx Hawthorne and RB Johnny Jefferson.

NFL DRAFT SUCCESS:
- Baylor had 6 players selected in the 2016 NFLà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Draft, the seventh-most among NCAA schools and most of any Big 12 or Texas program.
- Baylor's 22 NFLà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Draft picks over the last 6 years tops all Texas schools.
- BU's 5 first-round NFLà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Draft picks over last 6 years is the Big 12's most.

MOREà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € ONà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € #AMERICASTOPOFFENSE
- Baylor has scored 20+ points in the first half in 23 of 27 games since start of the 2014 season.
- Baylor has topped 400 yards of offense 62 times in the 66 games since 2011 -- that is 2nd in the nation (Oregon, 63).
- Baylor has scored 30+ points in 52 of its last 59 contests.
- Baylor scored touchdowns on its first drive in 11 of 13 games last year and started with one against NSU.
- 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 46-3 over the last 6 seasons when leading at halftime.
- Baylor has led at the half in 17 of its last 20 games.

OFFENSIVEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € STANDOUTS
- In his first action since an injury in October 2015, QBà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Seth Russell, a senior, threw for 163 yards and 4 TDs on 14-of-20 passing in less than a half of action. Russell improved to 9-0 in his career as a starter. In his 9 career starts, Russell has thrown 38 TD passes (4.2 TD passes/game) and only 6 interceptions. He was named to nine preseason watch lists this fall. The Garland, Texas, product is the Baylor career leader in pass efficiency (179.9), total offense yards/play (9.32), passing yards/attempt (10.05). He also ranks: second in yards/completion (16.90), third in TD/interception ratio (4.4) and passing TDs (44), fourth in interception percentage (.0287), fifth in completion percentage (.595) and 16th in passing yards (3,498) for his career. This season, Russell is tops in the Big 12 and 14th nationally with a passing efficiency of 204.5. He also leads the conference with four TDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € passes, which are seventh-most nationally.
- 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 38 games played (third-most on squad) and 27 career starts (tied for team lead). The Linden, Texas, native is just 107 yards away from becoming BU's all-time leading rusher, after racking up 97 yards on 9 carries in the season opener.
- 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 40 career games (most on team) and started 27 (tied for most on squad). The Wylie, Texas, product became a three-year starter in the season-opener and helped anchor a young o-line that allowed no sacks and allowed the offense to rush for 275 yards.
- 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 (72.0) and sixth in yards-per-reception (17.20) lists. The Mount Pleasant, Texas, product has a 27-game reception streak (every game of career). He led the team with five catches for 46 yards and 1 TDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € in the season opener.

DEFENSIVE STARS
- DEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € K.J. Smith is a fourth-year junior lineman. He is a technically sound veteran with 12 career starts and 27 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 had 3 tackles, 1 sack and 2 TFLs in the opener.
- Senior NBà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Travon Blanchard suffered a knee injury during fall camp and will miss at least 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 position.
- 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 21 starts and 26 games played entering 2016. He was the 2014 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year. Young led the Bears with 6 tackles, 1 sack and 3.5 TFLs in the win over Northwestern State.
- 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 25 career starts (third-most on team) and 33 career games played (seventh on squad). He is tied for ninth on BU's all-time career PBU listing with 26 entering 2016. He was named preseason All-Big 12 by Lindy's.

SPECIALà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € TEAMS CONTRIBUTORS
- Junior PK Chris Callahan made 27 of his last 35 FGs, after starting his career 1-of-6. He has also made 123-straight extra points, after going 83-for-83 in 2015 and 7-for-7 to start 2016. His 248 career points scored now rank 2nd in program history.
- Pà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Drew Galitz, a sophomore, punted 4 times against Northwestern St. with an average distance of 37.2 yards per boot.
- Punt returner Tony Nicholson, a redshirt freshman, made his debut against Northwestern State, returning four punts for 83 yards. The Grand Prairie, Texas, native is ranked second in the Big 12 and fifth in the country with a 20.8 punt return average.

BIGà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € 12'S BESTà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € PROGRAMà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € SINCEà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € 2013
Baylor's three-plus year record of 33-7 and league mark of 22-5 are the best among Big 12 schools. The Bears have also won two conference championships since 2013.

SHOCK ON VERGE OF RUSHING RECORDS
Baylor senior Shock Linwood is the nation's second-leading active rusher and on the cusp of becoming Baylor's all-time leader in rushing yards and rushing TDs.

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).

WIDE RECEIVER U
The Baylor offense has attracted and developed standout receivers that are producing eye-popping results. Over the last seven seasons (2009-2015), Baylor's receiving corps boasts...
- 6* NFL Draft picks (*includes one Supplemental Draft selection)
- 1 Biletnikoff Award winner (Corey Coleman 2015), 2 Biletnikoff finalists
- 5 All-Americans
- 17 All-Big 12 honors
- 6 1,000-yard seasons (Kendallà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Wright-2011; Terrance Williams-2012; Antwanà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Goodley-2013; Corey Coleman and KDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Cannon-2014; Coleman-2015)

BAYLOR'S DISRPUTIVE GANGGREEN DEFENSE
BU's defensive impact has improved under sixth-year D-coordinator Phil Bennett. Over the last three seasons, in which Baylor has posted a Big 12-best 32-7 record and won two league titles, the Bears D has increased its sacks and tackles-for-loss totals. In the 2016 opener, the Bears debuted a 3-4 look that resulted in a stifling defensive effort with just 78 yards surrendered and 15.0 tackles for loss.

SMU SERIES HISTORY
- Baylor and SMU meet for the 82nd-time Saturday. The Bears lead the all-time series, 38-36-7 and 19-18-3 in Waco.
- Last year, Baylor produced a 56-21 victory over the Mustangs in Dallas in the season-opener. BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € held SMU scoreless in the second half.
- The last time in Waco, the two teams met to open the 2014 season as well with BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € shutting out SMU, 45-0, in the inaugural game at McLane Stadium.
- The Bears have won each of the last 12 meetings dating back to 1986.
- The previous four series meetings have all been the season opener for both teams (BUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € also won, 28-23, in 2005 & 59-24 in 2012).
- The Bears and Mustangs first met on Oct. 7, 1916, with Baylor dominating in a 62-0 rout in Dallas.
- Starting with the first meeting in 1916, the teams met each season (with the exception of World War II) through 1986, a span of 70 years. NCAAà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € sanctions forced the cancellation ofà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € SMU's 1987 season and University officials cancelled the Mustangs' 1988 campaign. The teams then picked up their Southwest Conference rivalry in 1989, playing yearly until Baylor joined the Big 12 to start the 1996 season.
- Since moving into the Big 12 Conference in 1996, Baylor is 9-0 in non-conference games against former Southwestern Conference (non-Big 12) rivals -- 5-0 vs. SMU and 4-0 vs. Rice.
- Defensive coordinator Phil Bennett will be facing his former team during Saturday's game. Bennett was the head coach at SMUà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € from 2002-07.

BEST IN TEXAS
Baylor has posted the best record among in-state programs over the last five-plus years, a 51-15 mark [see list below]. The Bears are also 19-5 head-to-head vs. Texas schools since 2011, and boast an overall 39-7 record in games played in the Lone Star State.

WIN-LOSS RECORDS (since 2011):
Baylor 51-15
Houston 48-19
TCU 46-19
Texas A&M 44-22
Texas 37-28

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

BEARS LEAD BIG 12 & TEXAS IN NFL DRAFTEES
Baylor had six players selected in the 2016 NFLà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Draft, the seventh-most among NCAA schools and most of any Big 12 or Texas program. Baylor also tops the league in first-round draft selections over the past six years and leads the state in overall picks over the last seven years [lists below].

MOST NFL 1ST-ROUND DRAFTEES SINCE 2011 (BIG 12)
5 - Baylor
4 - West Virginia
3 - Oklahoma St.
2 - TCU, Texas

BEST IN TEXAS LAST 6 YEARS, NFL DRAFT PICKS 2011-2016
22 - Baylor
18 - Texas A&M
17 - TCU
16 - Texas

BAYLOR 2016 NFL DRAFTEES
Rnd. (overall pick)
1. (15) Corey Coleman, WR - Cleveland
2. (38) Xavien Howard, CB - Miami
4. (122) Andrew Billings, NT - Cincinnati
5. (168) Spencer Drango, OT - Cleveland
6. (210) Jimmy Landes, LS - Detroit
6. (217) Rico Gathers*, TE - Dallas
[*played basketball at Baylor]

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
Ohio State 12

BAYLOR'S O-LINE PIPELINE
Baylor has a history of sending offensive linemen to the NFL over the past several years under O-line coach Randy Clements. The Bears have had seven linemen drafted in the last eight NFLà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € Drafts (including two first-rounders). Clements' crew has won four straight Big 12 Offensive Linemen of Year honors (2015 &à ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ €  2014 Spencer Drango, 2013 &à ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € 2012 Cyril Richardson). The unit has also paved the way for #AmericasTopOffense and six-straight years with a 1,000-yard rusher.

BAYLOR O-LINEMEN IN NFL DRAFT 2009-2016
2009, T Jason Smith - 1st Rnd (#2), Rams
2010, C JD Walton - 3rd Rnd, Broncos
2011, T Danny Watkins - 1st Rnd (#23), Eagles
2012, C Philip Blake - 4th Rnd, Broncos
2012, G Robert T. Griffin - 6th Rnd, Jets
2014, G Cyril Richardson - 5th Rnd, Bills
2016, T Spencer Drango - 5th Rnd, Browns

BAYLOR'S POWERFUL OFFENSE ALSO CRAZY FAST
After one game it appears, Baylor will continue a three-plus year period of dominance in scoring quickly. The Bears had five TDà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € drives under two minutes against Northwestern State. 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 50 times in the 66 games since 2011, which leads the nation.
- Baylor has gained 500+ yards in 29 of 40 games since 2013, including 20 games with 600+ yards in that span.
- Baylor has scored 30+ points in 52 of its last 59 contests and 40+ points in 45 of its last 59 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 114 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 in 8 of 13 games of 2015. BU has 39 such games in its history (35 since 2008).
- Baylor topped 700 yards of total offense in five games in 2016 (SMU, 723; LU, 785, Rice 793;OSU, 700; UNC, 756). BU has accomplished the feat 14 times in program history.

DEEP BACKFIELD LED BY NATION'S TOP DUO
Baylor has six veteran returners in 2016 with a total of 6,418 career rushing yards, led by the nation's only returning 1,000-yard running back duo from 2015: Shock Linwood (1,329 yards) and Johnny Jeffersonà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (1,000 yards). The Bears return 80.5%à ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (3,418 of 4,247) of their 2015 team rushing yards in 2016.

BAYLOR CAREER RUSHING TOTALS:
Sr. RB Shock Linwood: 3,559 yds, 34 TDs
Jr. RB Johnny Jefferson: 1,524 yds, 14 TDs
Sr. QB Seth Russell: 734 yds, 12 TDs
So. RB Terence Williams: 645 yds, 5 TDs
Sr. WR Lynx Hawthorne: 128 yds, 2 TDs
Jr. WR KD Cannon: 14 yds, 0 TD
TOTALS: 6,587 yds, 65 TDs

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 seasonsà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (Big 12-best 32-7 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.

BAYLOR FOOTBALL ON THE RADIO
Baylor football is aired live via the Baylor-IMG College Radio Network on ESPN Central Texas and flagship station 1660 AM/99.1 ESPN Radio (KRZI) in Waco, worldwide on BaylorBears.com, Sirius XM Radio and on the TuneIn Radio App. All games are broadcast by the "Voice of the Bears" John Morris and former Baylor standouts J.J. Joe (analyst) and Ricky Thompson (sideline reporter). Morris is in his 30th year in the Baylor broadcast booth and 22nd as the signature voice of Baylor Athletics, while Thompson and Joe are in their 17th and 13th years, respectively.

BAYLOR MEDIA WEBSITE
An all-in-one-place media page is can be found at Baylor's website at: http://www.BaylorBears.com/ot/bay-media.html. Among the information available at the site are links and pdfs of statistics, game notes, quick facts and directions as well as photo/logo downloads and video FTP information.

BAYLORBEARS.COM
Baylor's official athletic web site can be found at www.BaylorBears.com. The comprehensive site, which includes releases, photos, biographical sketches, blogs and audio broadcasts, is part of the CBS College Sports network. CBS College Sports currently hosts sites for more than 100.

UPà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € NEXT
Following the game against SMU, Baylor will have its first road game of the season as it travels to face Rice in Houston at 7 p.m. CTà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € on Friday, Sept. 16. That game will be televised by ESPN.

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Players Mentioned

Drew Galitz

#36 Drew Galitz

P/K
6' 0"
Senior
3L
K.J. Smith

#56 K.J. Smith

DE
6' 1"
Senior
Taylor Young

#1 Taylor Young

LB
5' 9"
Senior
Travon Blanchard

#48 Travon Blanchard

NB
6' 2"
Junior
Kyle Fuller

#55 Kyle Fuller

OL
6' 5"
Senior
Shock Linwood

#32 Shock Linwood

RB
5' 9"
Senior
Ryan Reid

#9 Ryan Reid

CB
5' 11"
Senior
Seth Russell

#17 Seth Russell

QB
6' 3"
Senior
Johnny Jefferson

#5 Johnny Jefferson

RB
5' 10"
Sophomore
Tony Nicholson

#31 Tony Nicholson

CB
5' 10"
Freshman
KD Cannon

#9 KD Cannon

WR
6' 0"
Freshman
Terence Williams

#22 Terence Williams

RB
6' 2"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Drew Galitz

#36 Drew Galitz

6' 0"
Senior
3L
P/K
K.J. Smith

#56 K.J. Smith

6' 1"
Senior
DE
Taylor Young

#1 Taylor Young

5' 9"
Senior
LB
Travon Blanchard

#48 Travon Blanchard

6' 2"
Junior
NB
Kyle Fuller

#55 Kyle Fuller

6' 5"
Senior
OL
Shock Linwood

#32 Shock Linwood

5' 9"
Senior
RB
Ryan Reid

#9 Ryan Reid

5' 11"
Senior
CB
Seth Russell

#17 Seth Russell

6' 3"
Senior
QB
Johnny Jefferson

#5 Johnny Jefferson

5' 10"
Sophomore
RB
Tony Nicholson

#31 Tony Nicholson

5' 10"
Freshman
CB
KD Cannon

#9 KD Cannon

6' 0"
Freshman
WR
Terence Williams

#22 Terence Williams

6' 2"
Freshman
RB