Sept. 12, 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.
As far as football season openers are concerned, Baylor was strictly a homebody until five years after the end of World War II. After becoming a charter member of the Southwest Conference in 1915, the Bears opened every blessed season in Waco for 32 of the 33 seasons that unfolded for them through 1949 (they didn't play football, remember, in 1943 and '44 because of World War II).
The only break in that routine came in 1925 when, full of optimism and good football players, they went to South Bend, Ind., to open their season. Notre Dame trounced them, 41-0, and they did nothing that foolish again until 1950 when they opened their season in Laramie against the Wyoming Cowboys. They lost that one, too -- 7-0.
But mainly their opening menu was as predictable as a Tiger Woods headline -- open the campaign in Waco against Howard Payne or Stephen F. Austin or Southwestern or St. Edwards or Hardin-Simmons or North Texas, nail down a victory and go off and celebrate.
That was a script followed with marvelous precision except on two occasions. In 1918, another year of world conflict, they lost their season opener to the army team of nearby MacArthur Field, 7-6. And in 1927, they lost to Southwestern, 19-6. It should have come as no surprise that they didn't win a conference game that 1927 season, either.
SO IF THE TOPIC of conversation is Baylor and its football home openers, the Bears really did not get out of the business of playing rather meaningless warmup games until 1950 when George Sauer became head coach.
Since then, they've played any number of good teams in their home openers -- mind you, the first game played at home that particular season, not necessarily the first game of the season -- and a number of them have been tight and tense affairs and a few of them have even been conference games (such as Arkansas in 1959 and Houston in '76 and Texas Tech in '77), and several have been against highly-ranked opponents (examples: Oklahoma in '73 and Oklahoma State in '74).
But five of those Baylor home openers claim a special place in my memory -- the game against Houston in 1954, the one against Kansas State in 1969, the one against Brigham Young in 1983, the one against Fresno State in 1993, and the one against Syracuse in 1966.
The 1954 game against Houston became unforgettable because of what had happened the year before. The Cougars in '53 had embarrassed a good Baylor team which two weeks earlier had completed a 6-game winning streak and zoomed up high in the nation's Top Ten. Then Texas upset Baylor and its Fearsome Foursome backfield in Austin, 21-20. When Houston came to town the next week and mopped up on a still-disappointed Baylor, 37-7, Bruin fans were astounded and aghast. UH benefactor Hugh Roy Cullen, a fabulously wealthy oil man, gleefully gave Houston millions in appreciation of the victory.
Sauer gritted his teeth and the next September the Bears got their revenge in their season opener in Waco, 53-13.
IN 1969, BILL BEALL began his short era as headmaster of Baylor football with a game at Baylor Stadium against Kansas State. It is difficult to believe now but hopes were exceedingly high before that game that Beall would prove to be just what the doctor ordered for the Bears. He wasn't. Kansas State (rather lightly regarded at the time) romped, 45-15. Baylor didn't start recovering until Grant Teaff took over three years later.
"What I mainly remember about that Kansas State game is how unfair the first play was," says my longtime associate, Hollis Biddle. "Kansas State had this little guy named Herron (Mack Herron), who could fly. They sent him deep on their first play and threw a touchdown pass to him, and Baylor hasn't found him yet. Totally unfair."
There are a lot of Wildcats who played in that game that the Bears haven't found yet.
Chuck Reedy also began his coaching tenure at Baylor with a memorable game, and the Bears won that one, 42-39, against quarterback Trent Dilfer and Top-25 ranked Fresno State. It was a game of spectaculars throughout.
BUT NO BAYLOR home opener in the memory of this senior citizen compares to the classic staged by the Bears and Brigham Young in 1983. That one featured Pro Football Hall of Fame-bound Steve Young stamping himself (as far as I am concerned) as the best opposing quarterback ever to play against the Bears in Waco. And Baylor that night turned both Tom Muecke and Cody Carlson loose on BYU. The Bears finally prevailed, 40-36, but not until they had thwarted one last-gasp Steve Young surge.
Brigham Young wound up No. 7 in both final wire service polls that season, and as I remember it that Baylor game was the only one the Cougars lost.
I still get goose bumps every time I think about that game.
THAT STAR-SPANGLED Brigham Young game was a night contest. So was the Fresno State game and the Kansas State disaster. Baylor's romp over Houston was a daylight mugging, but made memorable more for the delicious revenge factor it represented than for its intersectional implications or the time of the kickoff.
No, if you're looking for an unforgettable Baylor home opener played in the searing heat of a Texas September sun against a quality opponent with a national reputation, Baylor vs. Syracuse in 1966 is the game for you.
Syracuse came to Waco widely regarded as the best that Eastern football had to offer that season. The Orangemen had two special talents in their backfield, halfback Floyd Little and fullback Larry Csonka. Both would go on to fame and fortune in the NFL. Csonka would become the power center of Miami's two Super Bowl champions and Little would star at Denver.
Syracuse also had an abundance of beef up front, a winning tradition (No. 1 in the nation in 1959), a great coach (Ben Schwartzwalder) who was not famed for the quality of his mercy, and expectations of doing to Baylor -- and more -- what it had done on its previous visit to Texas. It had clubbed Texas in the 1960 Cotton Bowl, 23-14.
Intrigued by the special flavor of the matchup, the TV network that carried college football in those days (probably ABC) gave it national game-of-the-day treatment. I remember Waco civic leaders had several special meetings to make sure the city put its best football forward for the event. A number of representatives of the national media descended on Baylor Stadium, and for that hot Saturday afternoon, all eyes centered on Waco.
And Baylor romped. And romped and romped.
Rifle-armed Terry Southall and his numerous receivers never had it so good. And Baylor defenders -- Greg Pipes and company -- were here and there and everywhere. Syracuse found itself frustrated at every turn. The Orangemen quickly fell behind, and what coach John Bridgers' rampaging, beautifully-prepared Bears didn't take out of them, that relentless Texas heat did.
By the second half, those beefy Syracuse guys were begging for water and shade. They weren't begging for more Bears.
Final score: Baylor 35, Syracuse 12.
I BRING UP all that ancient history now because of the next Bruin game that will be played at Floyd Casey Stadium. That game, of course, will be against the up-and-coming Minnesota Gophers on Sept. 16.
Kickoff time: 11:30 a.m. Barring a dramatic change in this summer's weather pattern for Waco, the temperature gauge is going to be in the 90s by then, probably headed for the 100-degree mark.
That's Baylor weather (weather that the Bears have been preparing for and working out in since two-a-days began in early August).
Sports fans, that ain't Minnesota weather.
It was 102 degrees at kickoff time in Denton for the Baylor-North Texas game last Thursday night.
I don't believe it was 102 degrees this past Saturday at the Minneapolis Metrodome when the Gophers started putting it on Louisiana-Monroe, 47-10. Nor will it be 102 degrees in that same Metrodome this coming Saturday when the Gophers play Ohio University.
Ah, that merciless Texas heat, isn't it wonderful?
OF ALL THE HOME OPENERS Baylor has played since 1966 -- a game against a quality intersectional opponent, and in a contest scheduled to be played under a blazing Texas sun with television cameras looking on -- I believe this Minnesota showdown in its pre-game setting most closely resembles that Syracuse game.
But there are some strong differences, too.
In their three previous seasons the 1966 Bears had won 18 games. In the current Bears' three previous seasons Baylor has won five games. John Bridgers was starting his eighth season on the job, Kevin Steele is starting only his second. The Bears the previous season had proved they had talent, whipping both Auburn and Washington in their first two games, blanking A&M (31-0) and closing the season with victories over SMU and Rice.
And they proved they had talent in 1966 not only by crushing Syracuse in their season opener but later going to Fayetteville and upsetting Arkansas' two-time defending SWC champions, 7-0.
And the Bears this year? Well, we just don't know yet.
Their defense looked much improved in their game in Denton against North Texas. But how good is North Texas? Right now, we can only guess. At the spotlighted high school tripleheader at San Antonio's Alamo Dome (the H-E-B Classic staged by Texas Football magazine) this past Saturday, former Texas Tech coach Spike Dykes' first question to me was: "How did Baylor's defense look?" Spike is a strong admirer of Kevin Steele, he wants Steele's team to do well, and he knows winning starts with defense.
At that same tripleheader, the winningest coach of them all, Brownwood's Gordon Wood (another Steele admirer), made this comment: "I've been around a lot of winning teams, and I've always found that to win big you have to have a good defense and a good kicking game. You have to have those two."
I thought Baylor's defensive play was encouraging Thursday night but the kicking game was erratic at best and terrible on occasion. And the offensive line was no ball of fire, either.
STILL, THE BEARS WON, which was more than imperative if they are to start making strides this season. And if the truth be told, they should have scored a shutout.
But now comes the acid test.
Minnesota won eight games last season and lost only four, and none of those losses was by more than 5 points, and the combined margin of the four setbacks was only 14 points. One of the losses came in overtime to eventual Rose Bowl winner Wisconsin. The others were to Ohio State, Purdue and Oregon in the Sun Bowl. The Gophers return eight defensive starters and they dote on putting relentless pressure on the passer (44 QB sacks last season and an average of 41.3 the past three years). They ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten in pass defense last season.
They have an All-American at center (Ben Hamilton) to spearhead their offensive line, and an All-American candidate and Big Ten sacks leader (Karon Riley) to pace the defense.
Watching North Texas being able to put too much pressure on Baylor quarterback Greg Cicero, I had to think of Minnesota and cringe.
Come on, you Texas sun. Don't let us down now.
Baylor Notepad
It was announced last week that Baylor was one of only two schools in the nation to have both the men's and women's tennis teams end the season ranked among the Top 20 in the nation and also earn ITA All-Academic Team status. Mississippi was the only other team in NCAA Div. 1 to win such recognition.
The Baylor men's team won the Big 12 Conference crown and finished the season ranked No. 7 in the country with an overall record of 23-6. The Lady Bears ranked No. 19 in the final ITA poll and posted a 22-5 mark.
And both the men and women put together a team grade point average greater than 3.2, thus earning them recognition as part of the national All-Academic Team. . .
The Baylor baseball team lost one of its more prized recruits last week when Waco High pitcher Sam Hays signed a last-minute contract with the Seattle Mariners reportedly worth about $1.2 million. "This is an opportunity of a lifetime and it was hard to pass up," said Hays, who is the grandson of former major league pitcher and longtime Waco resident Sid Hudson. "I'm still planning to get my degree from Baylor. Education is important to me and my family."
Hays had already moved into an apartment near Baylor and was preparing to start attending classes Monday (Aug. 21) when the Mariners came in with their offer. . .
According to John Werner (WACO TRIBUNE-HERALD), Houston Willowridge basketball guard Kenny Taylor has made a verbal commitment to sign with Baylor. "Taylor, 6-3, averaged 12.5 points and 2.3 assists for a 36-1 Willowridge team last season," wrote Werner. "His forte is the three-point shot, but he's also a solid defensive player. . .Taylor picked Baylor over Oklahoma, Tulsa, Villanova, Rutgers and SMU."
Also according to Werner, "Taylor is the second high school player to make a verbal commitment to the Baylor men's basketball team this month, joining Dallas Kimball guard Dandrick Jones. The NCAA fall signing date is in November.". . .
It's still years away and it might never happen, but even so, that was an exciting vista that Baylor president Robert Sloan opened for Wacoans and Baylor supporters last week with his announcement that the Dallas 2012 Olympic Bid Committee has decided it will recommend that Waco and Baylor University host the Olympic Youth Camp that will be held in conjunction with the games.
Now Baylor just has to hope that Dallas wins the bid.
In 1996 when Atlanta hosted the summer Olympic Games, Berry College in Rome, Ga., received international recognition for hosting delegates from 152 countries in its Youth Camp.
"It's a real coup for Waco and Baylor," said Jim Haller, chairman of the Waco Sports Commission. If it happens, that is. Dallas is competing with Tampa, Houston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington and Cincinnati for the 2012 Games, if they should be awarded to the U.S. Dallas will learn in 2002 if it has been chosen the American finalist in that competition. The host city will not be identified until 2005.
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.
