Aug. 21, 2000

Editor's Note: Dave Campbell's column appears in each edition of the Baylor Bear Insider Report, available upon membership in the Baylor Bear Foundation. For information on joining the Bear Foundation, click here. For an archive of his other columns, click here.

In 1995 the Baylor Bears won seven games, lost only four, surrendered only 166 points, tied for second in the Southwest Conference title hunt, and then the bottom dropped out. In the next four seasons they won a grand total of nine games -- only three in conference play -- and surrendered the horrendous total of 1,432 points.

Count them up for yourselves: they gave up 320 points in 1996, 375 in '97, 323 in '98 and a record 414 points last year. Over that 44-game span they have given up an average of almost 33 points a game.

Incredible.

They scored their last shutout back in '95 when they blanked North Carolina State on a muddy September afternoon in Wolfpack country, 14-0. The next weekend they defeated Texas Tech in Waco, 9-7, and they had the Red Raiders shut out until the game was virtually over.

When that game was history, then-SWC Commissioner Steve Hatchell lingered in the press box until then-Baylor coach Chuck Reedy had completed his post-game meeting with the writers, and then they rode down the elevator together. As they did so, Hatchell said to Reedy: "Chuck, that's a big-time defense you have."

That conversation took place late on the evening of Sept. 30 of 1995.

And that is the very last time I can remember hearing anyone say anything complimentary about a Baylor defense.

IF THE BEARS are going to move up in the college football world this season, they obviously are going to have to move up in the defensive standings. For much too long now they have ranked anywhere from No. 90 to No. 105 among college defenses, and that's bottom of the barrel territory in a sport where the experts have long insisted that winning starts with defense.

So how will it be for the Bruin defense this season? Will the picket line show dramatic improvement, paving the way for significant improvement in the team's fortunes overall?

The INSIDER took those questions to Bruin defensive coordinator Brick Haley last week, seeking his best view of the team's developing defensive situation as Baylor's first game of the new century nears.

Brick's view: "We have a totally different personality on defense this year. The kids are excited. There's more of an attitude of wanting to play the game of defense because it's becoming more important to them. And they have a better grasp of the defense."

So what will fans notice from a game-plan point of view?

"We have a little more blitz in the package," Haley said. "We've broadened the defensive package. We have more speed than last year -- more speed at the outside backer positions, more speed in the secondary. I don't know if you'd say we're very fast overall but we are getting faster guys on the field, if we can just keep them from getting hurt.

"We're still small up front. We're going to have to do some things to compensate for that."

IN A DISCUSSION of the defensive front, and especially the defensive line, Haley started with junior nose tackle Ryan Gillenwater (6-0, 281, very strong). "Gillenwater is just a totally different person this fall," Baylor's chief of defense said. And he was quick to praise tackle Kevin Stevenson, a 6-2, 284-pound sophomore. "Both Gillenwater and Stevenson have really done a good job, along with Charles Mann (at defensive left end)." Mann is a 6-4 and 251-pound sophomore.

At right end, "Aaron Lard (redshirt freshman) is as tough as anyone we've had around here in a while, but he lacks game experience," Haley noted. "We're thin on depth. We're going to have to be lucky depth-wise."

And therein lies the rub. The Bears in the defensive line are definitely improved. But they're still young, especially when compared to the top defensive lines in the Big 12, they're not especially big, and the depth situation is scary.

Speaking of comparisons, Big 12 South favorite Texas has senior Casey Hampton (6-1, 305) at one tackle position and senior Shaun Rogers (6-4, 315) at the other. Both not only are strong All-Big 12 candidates but All-America candidates.

I think Gillenwater and Stevenson are going to represent significant improvement over what the Bears have boasted at defensive tackle in the past several years. But are they at the Texas level? We'll see, but I'd say they may need another season of growth and experience.

"Travis Hicks (6-3, 302, sophomore) was really making progress before a hamstring injury slowed him," said Haley. "Demetrio Phillips (6-4, 280, junior, an offensive lineman last year) is showing improvement. Eric Sims (6-4, 280, redshirt freshman) has done well. And we've got a walk-on, Joseph DeWoody (6-3, 258), who shows promise.

"At defensive end, Eric Clay (6-1 senior, moved from linebacker) has done well, and he's gotten his weight up to the 250-255 range."

But in strictly the early going, waiting for those down on the depth chart to make more progress, yes, said Haley, "We could rotate six guys up there." That would be Gillenwater, Stevenson and Hicks at the tackle positions, and Mann, Lard and Clay at the end posts.

AND THE LINEBACKERS? Haley answered the question with "Oh, jeez," not "oh, wow."

Baylor's current linebacking picture represents a work in progress -- good talent but precious little experience except in a few rare cases represented mainly by middle man Kris Micheaux and strongside backer McKinley Bowie. And Bowie has been hampered by minor injuries.

Micheaux is papa Bear out there, big (6-1 and ranging from 266 to 272), experienced (senior and returning two-year starter), intelligent, a leader hungry for success. "Our middle guy has to be a head-banger, our bell-cow, a real leader," said Haley. "Micheaux is a good one. He's a leader, a good linebacker, a good person, and he has the body mass to hold up in there."

Incidentally, Micheaux puts his own stamp of approval on those two starting defensive tackles. "Kevin Stevenson is probably the best defensive tackle I've played behind since I've been at Baylor," Kris told the INSIDER. "He's so quick off the ball, and his explosiveness helps him get penetration and break up their (the opposition's) blocking schemes. He makes it a lot easier on the linebackers. And Gillenwater is very strong, very powerful. He distracts a lot of blocking schemes. And he and Stevenson always play so hard."

Bowie (6-1, 237, also a senior) has size and experience, but he will have to hurry to stay ahead of oh-so-fast Derrick Cash, 5-11, 205, only a redshirt freshman but capable of such big plays. That's at strongside linebacker. On the weakside, another redshirt freshman, Anthony Simmons (5-11, 207) already owns starting rights ahead of seniors Kyle Williams and Jason Lary. Simmons, an import from New Bern, N.C., is one of those precocious youngsters who plays beyond his years. Nobody makes more big plays on the Baylor defense, and nobody is going to beat him out unless he gets hurt.

Talking about his fellow linebacker, Micheaux said of Simmons, "He's such a good athlete. He can run. He really has a high motor. He's so exciting to watch."

Waiting for the young ones to develop (hopefully, in a hurry), the coaches are prepared to let Bowie, Cash and Simmons handle most of the outside work. "Our outside guys are more edge players and blitz guys. Like at weakside backer, we try to keep him covered up so he can run, go, make tackles. Also blitz," said Haley."

And when it comes to running down ball carriers, not many backers are going to get there faster than Cash and Simmons.

IT WAS A CONSCIOUS bid to create some competition at the backer positions that prompted Kevin Steele last week to shift three of his promising freshmen to those outside spots. John Garrett (6-1, 219, very fast for such size) and Jack Wallace (6-3, 200) moved from the secondary and Billy Crawford (the defensive MVP of the summer Texas high school all-star game) from end.

"They have ability, they have some speed, but they're green," said Haley. "Garrett is smart, he's football minded, and he can run, yes sir. He's a very instinctive player. Two years from now he could be very good." But the coaches, of course, will hope he can beat that time-table. As for Billy Crawford, "he's up from 211 to 227, he's played some linebacker before, and he has some instincts for the position," Haley said.

Behind Micheaux in the middle, sophomore Kelvin Chaisson (6-1, 232) has a smattering of experience and he's perked up this fall after a rather disappointing spring. But he also has been plagued by nagging injuries. And true freshman Michael Tolbert (6-0, 236) shows promise. "Tolbert has the body mass. He has a chance to break in there and help us. He's built just like Kris (Micheaux)," said Haley, who also noted that a walk-on from Dallas, Stephen Sepulveda (6-1, 207) offers some interesting possibilities.

IN THIS ERA when the passes rain down and more and more teams are turning to young gunslingers to dominate their offenses (Major Applewhite and Chris Simms at Texas, Kliff Kingsbury at Texas Tech, Josh Heupel at Oklahoma), a defense that does not have an abundance of talented defensive backs is a defense up a creek without a paddle. Fortunately, the Baylor secondary has plenty of imposing paddles.

Few teams in the Big 12 South figure to have cornerbacks the equal of Gary Baxter, Daniel Wilturner, Allen Pace and prize redshirt freshman Eric Giddens. At free safety, redshirt freshman Matt Amendola and former quarterback Odell James figure to make up in want-to and hard knocks what they might lack in experience. And at strong safety, Samir Al-Amin is a well-liked junior who has been around, and the coaches more and more like what they see in former wide receiver Kyle Staudt.

And then there are those wide-eyed but wonderfully-talented newcomers: Matt Johnson, Bobby Hart, Danielle McLean and Marcus Stenix. Green as gourds, they still are going to be in there often in the third-down nickel and dime situations. That is especially true where Johnson and Hart are concerned. They glitter like rare gems.

THE GAME HAS CHANGED so much, said Haley. "Everybody now thinks you have to pitch and catch. So if you're a defense, you'd better have a number of quality defensive backs if you're going to make it through the season. Right now I feel comfortable about six or seven of our backs, and one is coming on rapidly, so we could have eight."

He elaborated on the leading defensive backs with these words:

"Baxter has really had a good camp. He's done everything we've asked him to do. He's really progressing. He's as good a corner as I've seen. I think he's worked hard every day this summer toward having a great (senior) season, making up for lost time.

"Daniel Wilturner's a fighter. He works as hard, maybe harder, than any young man I've been around. The game is very important to Wilturner. He simply will not go to that training room.

"Samir has had a good camp although he's been hurt some. He understands football. I'm expecting good things out of him.

"Amendola is so smart -- he's a coach's kid. He's another one who understands football. And he will hit you. He tries to put all of his 194 pounds into every tackle he makes. He's really done a good job."

THOSE ARE THE PROBABLE starters in the secondary at this time, but thanks to the numbers, Haley and the defensive coaches can stay flexible. For example, don't be surprised to see Baxter lining up in some situations at free safety, playing a form of centerfield.

Concerning some of the other defensive backs, Haley said this:

"Giddens has been nicked up but he's one of our better ones. A good cover guy, good speed. We just need to keep him healthy.

"Pace has the experience and he has such good speed. He and Giddens give us good depth at the corners.

"Kyle Staudt has really done a good job. He's picked up things quickly (after switching from wide receiver). He's a good hitter who runs decently. He wants to make every hit a big hit and we have to get him a little more under control. He's got good size (6-3, 210).

"We've really been pleased with Odell. He's a pleasant surprise. He seems a lot happier in this position (rather than quarterback). He seems to have a great grasp for coverage, probably because of his experience at quarterback. But to me, he's really been a pleasant surprise." And with his 6-3 and 221 pounds, Odell brings more size to the secondary.

And speaking of some of the newcomers in the secondary, Haley singled out Hart as "bringing a tenacity to his play, and he's really a smooth athlete. He looks like he's coasting but really he's gliding along, he's a lot faster than he looks. And he's been well coached. He's got a great mind for the game.

"Matt Johnson is such a competitor. He competes on every play. He gets in there, kicks, pecks, fights, he's just very competitive."

And where Stenix is concerned, "what we saw on film is exactly what we're getting. He's a tough kid and he can run," said Haley.

BUT WHERE PASS DEFENSE is concerned, unrelenting pressure on the passer can be the tell-tale factor. The young Bear who is going to be one of Baylor's better pass rushers one of these days is redshirt freshman Joe Simmons (6-4, 233), a defensive end. "We need him to help us," said Haley. "He has a real knack for rushing the passer. And he has those long arms, a big wingspan. Our best pass rushers right now are Mann, Lard and Simmons. And Gillenwater is a good anchor point for us inside."

So how is this defense going to rate?

"I'll be very embarrassed if we're not better than last year," he said. He didn't say anything about knocking about 150 or 200 points over 1999's total of 414 points given up, but that has to be the goal.

Editor's Note: Dave Campbell's column appears in each edition of the Baylor Bear Insider Report, available upon membership in the Baylor Bear Foundation. For information on joining the Bear Foundation, click here. For an archive of his other columns, click here.