Nov. 13, 2000
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BAYLOR at OKLAHOMA STATE
Lewis Field (48,000)
Stillwater, OK
November 18, 2000 * 1:00 p.m. (CST)
The Skinny
Baylor (2-8, 0-7 Big 12) closes out its 2000 season by traveling to Stillwater for a Big 12 South matchup against Oklahoma State (2-7, 0-6 Big 12) at Lewis Field (48,000).
BU-OSU Connections
Baylor Head Coach Kevin Steele spent three seasons as an assistant at Oklahoma State (1984-86) under then-Cowboy coach Pat Jones. Steele's son, Gordon, was born in Stillwater.
OSU senior running back Jamaal Fobbs, who leads the Cowboys with 47 receptions, is the son of Baylor defensive tackles coach Lee Fobbs.
Cowboy defensive coordinator Mike Cassity spent two seasons (1997-98) at Baylor before joining OSU. Cassity and linebacker coach Dave Huxtable were also on the same East Carolina staff with current BU assistant Dale Steele in the early 1990s.
Series
Baylor leads the all-time series, 11-7, since the first meeting between the Bears and Cowboys was won by OSU in Stillwater in 1914, 60-0. Oklahoma State has won six of the last eight meetings, including four in a row. Baylor's last win over the Cowboys was a 14-10 victory in Waco in 1994.
The Bears have posted a 5-4 record in nine previous trips to Stillwater. Their last road win over OSU came in 1939 (13-0). Baylor has won five of the six meetings decided by seven points or less.
Coaches
Kevin Steele (Tennessee, 1981) is 3-18 in his second season at Baylor. He is 0-1 against Oklahoma State.
Oklahoma State's Bob Simmons (Bowling Green, 1971) is 29-37 in his sixth season as the Cowboys' head coach. Simmons is 4-0 against Baylor.
Bear Injury List
Having already lost key offensive performers QB Greg Cicero, FB Derek Lagway, OL Tyshaun Whitson and WR John Martin to season-ending injuries, Baylor's injured list continues to grow.
Baylor's updated injury list includes:
Out - TB Elijah Burkins, Cicero, FB Jimmy Dalton (kidney stones), Lagway, Martin, QB Michael Odum (knee), DE Josh Samples (shoulder) and Whitson.
Doubtful - None.
Questionable - SS Samir Al-Amin (thigh), C Joe Jackson (ankle), Joe Simmons (ankle) and Josh Zachry (hip).
Probable - FB Melvin Barnett (ankle), LB McKinley Bowie (knee), WR Andra Fuller (knee), LB Jason Lary (knee), DE Charles Mann (shoulder), LB Kris Micheaux (foot), C Eric South (ankle), S Kyle Staudt (knee), DT Kevin Stevenson (shoulder) and CB Daniel Wilturner (lower leg).
Bears Youngest In Big 12
Baylor lists 24 freshmen and sophomores among the top 44 players on its depth chart, the most of any Big 12 team. Thus, the Bears' 20 juniors and seniors listed on the depth chart is the fewest of any league school.
Young Cubs See Playing Time
Of the 73 Bears who have played this season, 22 are freshmen, including nine true freshmen.
The nine true freshmen to have played this season are QB Kerry Dixon, LB John Garrett, TB Jonathan Golden, DB Bobby Hart, DB Matt Johnson, WR John Martin, DB Danielle McLean, WR Robert Quiroga and LB Stephen Sepulveda.
Bears Face Tough D's
For a five-game stretch, Baylor's offense faced defenses all ranked among the nation's top 22: Texas Tech (currently 22nd), Texas A&M (18), Nebraska (20), Texas (4) and Oklahoma (9).
Baxter A Thorpe Semifinalist
Senior CB Gary Baxter, the top NFL prospect at his position according to some sources, solidified his status as one of the nation's top cornerbacks last week by being named one of 10 semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation's top defensive back.
Despite other teams avoiding throwing his way, Baxter is among the team leaders with 11 pass deflections and is second on the squad with 87 total tackles. He has 58 tackles in Baylor's last five games.
At Texas, Baxter's first quarter sack of UT's Major Applewhite caused a fumble that led to an early 7-0 Bear lead.
Baxter, along with fellow Bear corner Daniel Wilturner, is another in Baylor's long list of outstanding defensive backs. The Bears have sent 21 DBs into the NFL.
Micheaux Collects Tackles, TD
Senior MLB Kris Micheaux leads the team with 88 tackles and is moving up Baylor's career stop list.
Micheaux is third on Baylor's career list with 346 total tackles, third with 209 solo stops, and ninth with 134 assisted tackles.
He had a season-high 14 tackles in the Bears' loss to Minnesota and, in the season opener at North Texas, collected a team-high 13 tackles and returned a fumble 14 yards for his first career touchdown.
Newhouse Shines at WR
Sophomore WR Reggie Newhouse has established himself as Baylor's go-to receiver this season, leading the team with 34 receptions for 519 yards and three touchdowns.
Newhouse needs six more receptions to become the first Baylor player in 17 years to catch 40 passes in a season.
The son of former Dallas Cowboy Robert Newhouse, he already has a pair of 100-yard receiving games, including a career-best seven-catch, 136-yard night against South Florida.
Zachry Earns First Start at QB
Redshirt freshman QB Josh Zachry made his first career start against Missouri, completing 15-of-27 passes for 195 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Zachry is the fifth different quarterback used by Baylor this season, and the fourth different one to start. A local product, Zachry is the son of 1976 National League Rookie of the Year Pat Zachry.
Penalties Down Under Steele
One sign of the discipline Kevin Steele has brought to the Bear football program is the low penalty numbers. Baylor finished 1999 with its lowest penalty totals in nearly 30 years.
The Bears were flagged 57 times for 492 yards last season. It was fewest number of Bear penalties since committing 53 in 1973, and the fewest yards penalized since 1972 (472).
Last year was also the first since 1988 (67) that Baylor has held its season penalty total under 70. The Bears are on sub-70 penalty pace again this year, having committed just 62.
BU has been flagged four times or less in 9-of-21 games under Steele.
BU Staff Returned Intact
For the first time in 11 years, Baylor returned its entire coaching staff intact. The legendary Grant Teaff was the last Bear head coach to keep the same staff in place for consecutive seasons.
BU Finished With Ranked Foes
Baylor recently completed one of the most grueling schedule stretches in the nation, playing three-straight ranked teams, including two No. 1s. The stretch included No. 1 Nebraska, No. 22 Texas and No. 1 Oklahoma, all in a row. Prior to that stretch, BU played Texas A&M, who was unranked at the time but is currently 23rd nationally.
The last time Baylor played a trio of ranked foes in a row was in 1959, when the Bears played 15th-ranked TCU, third-ranked Texas and fourth-ranked Southern Cal.
Baylor Sees No. 1 ... Twice
Baylor became the first team in 22 years to face the nation's No. 1 team twice within a three-game span. The Bears played then-No. 1 Nebraska Oct. 21 in Lincoln, then played top-ranked Oklahoma Nov. 4 in Waco.
It is the first time since Missouri in 1978 that a team has played No. 1 twice within a three-game span. Mizzou was ranked 11th when it lost to top-ranked Alabama, 38-20, in the second game of 1978. Following a 45-14 win over Ole Miss, the then-No. 14 Tigers fell to No. 1 Oklahoma, 45-23.
James Returns To Endzone
Senior FS Odell James returned his first career interception 18 yards for a touchdown against Oklahoma.
The endzone was familiar territory for James, a former QB who has three career touchdown passes and a pair of touchdown runs in his BU career.
Bush 2000
With 50 yards against Texas Tech, senior TB Darrell Bush became the sixth player in Baylor history to reach the 2,000-yard mark in career rushing yardage.
Bush is currently ranked fifth at Baylor in career rushing yardage (2,154), fourth in career attempts (488), sixth in yards per game (55.2) and 10th in yards per carry (4.41).
Bush needs 35 attempts to move past Jerod Douglas (522, 1994-97) into third on the career carry list and 78 yards to pass Dennis Gentry (2,231, 1977-81) for fourth on the yardage chart.
Giddens Takes Pick For Six
Redshirt freshman CB Eric Giddens scored his first career touchdown at Texas, returning a Chris Simms' interception 72 yards for the score.
It was the 11th-longest interception return in Baylor history, and the Bears' first interception returned for touchdown since Daniel Wilturner took one back 52 yards last season against Oklahoma State.
Dixon, Garrett, Hart Start
A trio of true freshmen, QB Kerry Dixon, LB John Garrett and DB Bobby Hart, have earned starts this season.
Hart started as the dime back against both Texas Tech and Oklahoma.
Garrett received his first start at weakside linebacker against Texas A&M, playing in place of Anthony Simmons, who sat out the game for disciplinary reasons. Garrett, Texas' 1999 2A High School Defensive Player of the Year, responded with nine tackles, including one for loss.
Dixon also started against A&M, completing 11-of-27 for 107 yards.
Bear Captains Named
A trio of seniors, CB Daniel Wilturner, LB Kris Micheaux and TB Darrell Bush, were selected by teammates as captains for the 2000 season.
Bears Start Freshmen LBs
All three Baylor starting linebackers at Texas were freshmen.
Redshirt freshmen Derrick Cash and Anthony Simmons started at SLB and MLB, respectively, while true freshman John Garrett earned his third-straight start at WLB.
The three responded well, as Simmons (12) and Garrett (10) both recorded double-figure tackle outings against the Longhorns.
Family Ties
A number of Bears have noteworthy family connections:
- LB Kris Micheaux is the cousin of Larry Micheaux, an all-american on the University of Houston's famed Phi Slamma Jamma basketball teams of the early 1980s.
- WR Reggie Newhouse is the son of former Dallas Cowboy RB Robert Newhouse.
- The father of true freshman TE Jonathan Evans, Dr. Tony Evans, is the host of a nationally syndicated daily radio program which can be heard on 250 stations in the U.S. and in 40 countries. He is founder and president of The Urban Alternative, a national organization seeking spiritual renewal in urban America through the church. He also serves as chaplain for the NBA 's Dallas Mavericks.
- True freshman WR John Martin is the son of Dave Martin, current associate AD at Oklahoma State and one-time interim commissioner of the Big 12.
- QB Josh Zachry is the son of Pat Zachry, a 10-year major league veteran who as a member of the 1976 World Champion Cincinnati Reds won the National League's Rookie of the Year award.
- Defensive graduate assistant coach Brian Polian is the son of Indianapolis Colts GM and President Bill Polian, the man credited with building Buffalo's AFC championship teams of the 1990s.
Turnovers Key BU Wins
Under Head Coach Kevin Steele, Baylor is 3-0 when winning the turnover battle and 0-18 when losing or tying the turnover margin.
Bears Lose QB Cicero To Injury
Junior QB Greg Cicero, a junior college transfer who had won the starting position in spring drills, was lost for the season with a broken collarbone sustained in the first quarter against Minnesota.
Cicero completed 19-of-30 passes for 228 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in his four-plus quarters of play this season.
BU With Freshmen QBs
Baylor has started a freshman quarterback in its last five games and is now 29-27-2 all-time when starting a freshman QB. The Bears' 31-17 loss to Iowa State snapped a three-game winning streak by freshmen QBs dating back to 1995.
Prior to redshirt freshman Guy Tomcheck starting Baylor's 28-13 win over South Florida, true freshman Jermaine Alfred was the Bears' last rookie starting QB. Alfred got the nod in wins over SMU and Rice in 1995.
True freshman Kerry Dixon has also started for the Bears, getting the nod against Texas A&M and Nebraska.
Tomcheck Has Strong 1st Start
Redshirt freshman QB Guy Tomcheck was impressive in his first start, completing 20-of-28 passes for 223 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions against South Florida.
In place of the injured Greg Cicero (broken collarbone), Tomcheck became the first Bear in four seasons to throw three scoring passes. He was also Baylor's first freshman starting QB since Jermaine Alfred started a pair of games as a true freshman in 1995.
Bears in the NFL
Twelve former Baylor players made opening day NFL rosters, including a pair of 1999 Bears:
Ray Crockett, DB, Denver Broncos
Santana Dotson, DT, Green Bay Packers
Derrick Fletcher, OL, Washington Redskins
Albert Fontenot, DE, San Diego Chargers
Daryl Gardener, DT, Miami Dolphins
Kelvin Garmon, OL, Dallas Cowboys
Dwight Johnson, DT*, Philadelphia Eagles
George McCullough, DB, Tennessee Titans
Fred Miller, OT, Tennessee Titans
Frankie Smith, DB, Chicago Bears
Justin Snow, TE*, Indianapolis Colts
Derrius Thompson, WR, Washington Redskins
* - 1999 Baylor letterman
Bears Close in on Win No. 500
Baylor needs eight more wins to join the 500-win club all-time. The Bears are 492-456-44 since beginning football play in 1899. Entering the 2000 season, 47 schools have reached the 500-win plateau.
Multi-Sport Bears
Baylor's Kevin Steele believes strongly in recruiting multi-sport athletes. On the current Bear roster, wide receivers Martin Dossett and Randy Davis are members of the Baylor track squad, while true freshman wideout Robert Quiroga is a member of the AAU 1,600-meter national champion relay team.
Bears Face Tough Schedule
Five of Baylor's 11 2000 opponents (Minnesota, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M and Nebraska) participated in bowl games last season, while seven of them posted winning records (including Texas Tech and South Florida).
Baylor's opponents have combined for a 59-39 (60 percent) record thus far.
Bear Miscellany
With its 20-7 win at North Texas, Baylor improved to 64-30-5 all-time in season openers ... The North Texas win snapped a 16-game road losing streak, which stretched back to 1997 ... Baylor's defense limited North Texas to just seven points, the fewest points allowed by the Bears since a 34-6 home win over Rice in 1995 ... Baylor's 40 pass attempts against Minnesota were the most by the Bears since attempting 43 passes in a 49-42, four-overtime loss to Missouri in 1996. It was also the first time BU had attempted 40 passes in a regulation-length game since 1988.
Academic Power
For the fourth time in five years, the American Football Coaches Association recognized Baylor for producing one of the top football teams in America in terms of academic performance.
The Bears were one of 25 schools nationally - and the only one in the Big 12 Conference - to receive the AFCA's award for graduating over 70 percent of its players.
Preseason BU Honors
A trio of Bears were honored during the preseason by a number of publications.
CB Gary Baxter was named first-team All-Big 12 and was ranked the No. 15 corner in the nation by The Sporting News.
LB Kris Micheaux was a second-team All-Big 12 preseason selection, and was named the No. 10 inside linebacker nationally by TSN.
QB Greg Cicero was recognized as the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year by several publications.
Baylor Through the Years
Baylor is 492-456-44 since beginning football play in 1899 ... Baylor has had winning seasons in nine of the last 15 campaigns ... The school record for wins came in 1980 when the conference champion Bears won 10 games ... Baylor has 16 seasons of eight-or-more wins and five of nine-or-more victories ... The Bears' last eight-win season came in 1991 and the last nine-win mark in 1986.
Baylor Games on the Internet
The radio call from all of Baylor's games can be heard live on the internet on Baylor's official online website, www.GoBaylorBears.com, or at www.yahoo.broadcast.com.
Inside BU Sports TV Show
Inside Baylor Sports, a half-hour look at the world of Baylor athletics, will air weekly throughout Central Texas and other regional outlets. The program, co-hosted by John Morris and Lori Scott-Fogleman, airs on KCEN-TV Channel 6, Fox SportsNet Southwest and the College Channel (Waco cable channel 18). KCEN carries the show at 10:30 p.m. Sundays while Fox shows it at 1:00 p.m. Wednesdays.
