Nov. 12, 2001
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Game 10: OKLAHOMA STATE at BAYLOR
Floyd Casey Stadium (50,000)
Waco, Texas
November 17, 2001 * 1:00 p.m. (CST)
The Skinny
Baylor (2-7, 0-7 Big 12) begins a two-game homestand to close out the 2001 season by hosting Oklahoma State (2-7, 0-6 Big 12) Saturday afternoon at Floyd Casey Stadium (50,000) ... Last week, the Bears fell behind 34-3 at halftime before falling at Missouri, 41-24. ... The Cowboys dropped a 49-30 home decision to Texas Tech ... According to USA Today's Jeff Sagarin, Baylor has played the nation's fifth-toughest schedule to date ... For the first time since 1959, Baylor has played three top five teams in a season. The Bears played No. 4 ranked Nebraska, No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 5 Texas within a four-week span ... Four of Baylor's last five games are at home.
Series
Baylor leads the all-time series, 11-8, since the first meeting between the Bears and Cowboys was won by OSU in Stillwater in 1914, 60-0. Oklahoma State has won seven of the last nine meetings, including five in a row.
Baylor's last win over the Cowboys was a 14-10 victory in Waco in 1994. The Bears have posted a 5-2 record against OSU in seven previous Cowboy trips to Waco, although Baylor has lost the last two times it has hosted the Pokes.
Coaches
Kevin Steele (Tennessee, 1981) is 5-26 in his third season at Baylor. He is 0-2 against Oklahoma State.
Oklahoma State's Les Miles (Michigan, 1975) is 2-7 in his first season as the Cowboys' head coach. Miles has never faced Baylor.
Steele and Miles share an NFL backgroud. Both were assistants in the pro ranks before getting their current jobs.
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.
* Redshirt freshman WR John Martin, a 2000 graduate of Stillwater High, is the son of Dave Martin, current associate AD at Oklahoma State and one-time interim commissioner of the Big 12.
* OSU passing game coordinator Darrell Wyatt spent the 1996 season as an assistant at Baylor.
* Robert Henry, BU's director of player development, and Cowboy defensive coordinator Bill Clay worked on the same defensive staffs at both Southern Miss and SMU in the early 1980s.
Newhouse Big At Mizzou
Junior WR Reggie Newhouse tied a pair of school records against Missouri with 12 receptions and three touchdown grabs. He also had 131 yards receiving against Mizzou, his fifth-career 100-yard day.
Newhouse tied Baylor's single-game reception mark first set by Tommy Smith against SMU in 1956 and matched by Lawrence Elkins versus Texas in 1963. The three TDs tied the record held by Melvin Bonner, who did it against both TCU and Utah State in 1992, and Elkins against Texas in 1963.
Newhouse leads Baylor and is among the Big 12 leaders in receptions with 48 for 538 yards. He is tied for seventh on BU's single-season reception list, and tied for fourth with seven touchdown receptions this season.
The son of former Dallas Cowboy Robert Newhouse is currently tied for third all-time at Baylor with 95 receptions, tied for fifth with 11 career touchdown catches and eighth with 1,244 career receiving yardage. He is the 19th player in Baylor history with 1,000 career receiving yards.
Stiles Booming It
Junior punter Adam Stiles, who is fourth in the Big 12 and 16th nationally with a 43.8 average, has boomed the ball for a 46.3 average in Baylor's last four games. Of his 32 punts in those four contests, Stiles has had 12 of 50-or-more yards.
Stiles is currently fourth on Baylor's all-time list with a 41.69 career average. He also ranks among career leaders in total punts (143) and punt yardage (5,961).
Baylor Injury List
Here's an updated list at Baylor's injuries heading into the Oklahoma State game:
Player, Pos., Injury, Status
Randy Davis, DB, Knee (l), Doubtful
Jonathan Golden, RB, Shoulder (r), Probable
Jamaal Harper, LB, Knee (r), Out for season
Bobby Hart, DB, Bruised Liver, Out for season
Derek Long, OL, Shoulder (l), Probable
Antoine Muphry, OL, Knee (r), Probable
Joe Simmons, DE, Ankle (l), Probable
Michael Tolbert, LB, Ankle (l), Questionable
Josh Zachry, QB, Concussion, Probable
Baylor-Missouri Tidbits
* Baylor's 26 first downs against Mizzou was its highest total since 1997 at Fresno State. It was the Bears' most first downs against a conference foe since 1996 against Iowa State.
* Baylor amassed 402 yards of total offense, its most since a 1998 win over Kansas.
* CB Danielle McLean made his first career start in place of his former Waco High teammate, Bobby Hart, who is out for the year with a bruised liver.
* QB Greg Cicero finished with career numbers (25-of-35, 231 yards, 3 TDs, 1 int). He was 21-of-25 for 203 yards and three touchdowns in the second half.
Hart Out For The Season
Sophomore CB Bobby Hart, a standout in the secondary and Baylor's top kick returner, is out for the season after suffering a bruised liver on a kickoff return against Texas.
At the time of his injury, Hart led the Bears with 15 passes defended and ranked third in tackles with 65.
As a punt returner, Hart is eighth in the Big 12 with an 11.2 average and fourth all-time at Baylor with a 9.81 career average. Hart also returns kickoffs for the Bears, averaging 17.0 yards on 13 returns.
Baylor Sack Happy
Baylor ranks four in the Big 12 with 24 quarterback sacks in nine games. The Bears have already posted their highest season sack total since recording 26 in 1995.
The Bears highest single-game sack total this year was eight against defending national champion Oklahoma. Prior to the BU game, OU had allowed just seven sacks in its first six contests.
It took Baylor just three games to exceed its sack total from a year ago (nine). Junior DE A.C. Collier leads the Bears and is among the Big 12 leaders with six sacks.
Bears Getting In Their Snaps
Baylor has averaged over 75 snaps in its nine games, thanks in large part to its hurry-up offensive attack. The Bears are on pace to record their most snaps in a season since 1986 (892 snaps/81.1 a game).
The Bears' 84 offensive snaps against New Mexico were the most by Baylor since 1997, and the nine-game total of 678 is the highest in any nine-game stretch since 1995.
The Ball Is In The Air
Baylor's offense has taken to the passing game in an unprecedented manner. Averaging 39.9 pass attempts and 20.4 completions per game, the Bears are on a pace that would shatter the school season records in both categories.
After attempting 47 passes against New Mexico and 40 at Iowa State in back-to-back weeks, the 2001 squad became the first team in school history to attempt 40-or-more passes in consecutive games. Baylor has attempted 40 passes in five of its eight games.
Baylor Ties Completion Mark
Baylor tied a school record against Missouri by completing 29 passes (on 46 attempts).
Also, BU has notched three of the school's top eight pass completion totals this season. The Bears completed 27 passes at Iowa State and 25 against New Mexico.
BU Among Recovery Leaders
Baylor is tied for third in the nation with 15 fumble recoveries. That figure has helped the Bears rack up 22 total defensive takeaways, which is tied for 27th nationally.
Baylor's 22 takeaways is fourth in the Big 12 behind Nebraska (26), Oklahoma (26) and Texas (24).
The Bears have capitalized on the turnovers as well, averaging nearly a touchdown a game (5.6 ppg) off of takeaways.
BU Adds U.S. Decal To Helmet
Baylor has added two decals - one of the U.S. flag and another of a black cross - to the back of its helmet in remembrance of the terrorist attacks upon America.
Collier Applies QB Heat
Junior DE A.C. Collier is a big reason Baylor is fourth in the Big 12 with 24 sacks. Collier leads the club with six sacks, 21 quarterback hurries and 10 tackles for loss.
Last week against Texas, the Dallas native recorded a pair of sacks, four quarterback hurries and a pass deflection.
Collier's six sacks, which currently ranks fifth in the Big 12, are the most by a Bear since Scotty Lewis collected seven sacks in 1993.
Bear QBs Standing Tall
Baylor has allowed just 24 sacks in nine games, a remarkable figure given the number of passes the Bears have attempted (359). That's comes out to a sack every 15.0 pass attempts.
A year ago, Baylor allowed 42 sacks and attempted 359 passes, for one sack every 8.5 attempts.
Ranked Foes Become Routine
For the second-straight season, Baylor played a stretch of three-consecutive games against ranked opponents. The Bears played Texas A&M (No. 24), Nebraska (No. 4) and Oklahoma (No. 2) in succession. Last year, Baylor faced No. 1 Nebraska, No. 22 Texas and No. 1 Oklahoma in a row.
Prior to 2000, the last time Baylor had played a trio of ranked foes in a row was 1959, when the Bears played 15th-ranked TCU, third-ranked Texas and fourth-ranked Southern Cal.
Bear Schedule Fifth-Toughest
According to USA Today's Jeff Sagarin, Baylor has played the nation's fifth-toughest schedule to date.
Six of Baylor's 11 2001 opponents (Iowa State, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Nebraska) participated in bowl games last season.
Five of Baylor's opponents are already bowl eligible this year.
Ironmen On The O-Line
C Joe Jackson has started 34-straight games and 38 total in his career. Fellow senior, RT Greg Jerman, has 36 career starts on the Baylor offensive line.
Starting At Home
2001 marked the first time since 1997, and just the second since 1994, that Baylor had opened a season at home. The Bears began the 1998 season at Oregon State, the 1999 season at Boston College and the 2000 campaign at North Texas.
Few Penalties For Bears
One sign of the discipline Kevin Steele has brought to the Bear football program is the low penalty numbers. Baylor has committed just 56 penalties (6.2 per game) through nine games this season, the second-lowest total in the Big 12.
Baylor committed just 128 combined penalties in Steele's first two seasons, its lowest two-season penalty total since 1973-74 (112). BU finished 1999 with its lowest penalty total (57) in nearly 30 years.
AFCA Recognizes BU Academics
For the fifth time in six 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 28 schools nationally to receive the AFCA's award for graduating over 70 percent of its players.
BU Leads Big 12 In Grad Rates
According to the latest NCAA graduation rates, Baylor's football team has posted an 82 percent success rate in this category, far higher than the rest of the Big 12 and the NCAA division I average (48 percent).
Nebraska was second among Big 12 football programs with a 50 percent graduation rate, while Baylor's fellow Big 12 South foes came in at 46 (Texas Tech), 45 (Oklahoma State), 42 (Texas), 38 (Texas A&M) and 17 percent (Oklahoma).
Turnovers Key BU Wins
For the first time under Head Coach Kevin Steele, Baylor lost a game in which it had won the turnover battle. Nebraska had five turnovers to Baylor' s four in it's win in Waco.
The Bears are now 5-1 under Steele when winning the turnover battle. The Bears have an overall turnover margin of -3 this season. BU is +4 this season in its two wins, but is -7 in its seven losses.
Family Ties
A number of Bears have noteworthy family connections:
- WR Reggie Newhouse is the son of former Dallas Cowboy RB Robert Newhouse.
- The father of FB 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.
- 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.
- Freshman CB Michael Boyd is the cousin of former Baylor standout Thomas Everett, a two-time All-SWC performer and winner of the inaugural Thorpe Award in 1986.
- Freshman DL Lorenzo Davis is the cousin of 14-year NBA veteran Derrick McKey.
- Freshman LB Jamaal Harper is a cousin of Kenyon Martin, who plays for the NBA's New Jersey Nets.
Steele Gets Neighborly Visit
Baylor's Kevin Steele got a chance to visit with his high-profile neighbor, President George W. Bush, on Aug. 30th.
Steele lives near Crawford, Texas, where Bush owns a ranch. A friend in the Secret Service arranged a meeting between the two, part of which took place at the Western White House and part aboard Air Force One shortly before Bush returned to Washington following his August vacation.
Baylor Football on the Air
The Baylor Radio Network provides Bear broadcasts to 18 stations throughout the state of Texas. For a list of affiliates, click here.
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 outlets. The program, co-hosted by John Morris and Lori Scott-Fogleman, airs on KCEN-TV Channel 6, Fox Sports Southwest and the College Channel (Waco cable 18).
Bear Captains Named
A pair of seniors, SS Samir Al-Amin and C Joe Jackson, have been selected by teammates as captains for 2001.
BU Walk-on Program Strong
Two current scholarship Bears, starting left tackle Jon Erickson and second-team quarterback Josh Zachry, were former walk-ons who earned their scholarships.
Baylor currently has nearly 60 walk-ons in its non-scholarship program. In the last two years alone, seven walk-on student-athletes have earned athletic scholarships. The Bears even have a specific scholarship, the Williams M. Harman III Memorial Scholarship, that is designated for a former non-scholarship player.
Bears Close in on Win No. 500
Baylor needs five more wins to join the 500-win club all-time. The Bears are 495-464-43 since beginning football play in 1899.
Entering the 2001 season, 48 schools have reached the 500-win plateau.
Gold Rush
Floyd Casey Stadium was awash in gold during Baylor's season-opening win over Arkansas State, thanks in large part to the efforts of two local women.
More than 20,000 "Gold Rush" shirts were sold through the work of Debbie Sartain and Nell Hawkins, who organized the athletic department's goal of encouraging the Baylor faithful to wear bright yellow shirts to Bear athletic events.
Late Starters
After opening the 2000 season on Aug. 31, Baylor didn't start its 2001 season until Sept. 8. It was the Bears' latest opener since starting the 1998 season on Sept. 12.
Capers Speaks To Bears
Houston Texans' head coach Dom Capers addressed the Baylor football team two days before the Bears opened the 2001 season with a 24-3 win over Arkansas State.
Capers, who was in town as the featured speaker at Waco's annual Kickoff Luncheon, is a close friend of Baylor's Kevin Steele. Steele and Capers were both assistants at the University of Tennesse in the 1980s and Steele coached linebackers under Capers at the NFL's Carolina Panthers.
Preseason BU Honors
LB John Garrett and WR Reggie Newhouse were named honorable mention All-America by Street & Smith.
DL Kevin Stevenson (Lindy's) and P Adam Stiles (The Sporting News) were both named second-team All-Big 12.
Teaff To Join Hall Of Fame
Former Baylor coach Grant Teaff, who became the Bears' winningest coach from 1972-92, has been selected to join the National Football Foundation/College Football Hall of Fame in December.
Teaff compiled a 128-105-6 record while leading the Bears to a pair of Southwest Conference championships and eight bowl games. While posting 12 winning seasons, Teaff, who still resides in Waco and currently serves as the executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, guided six of his Baylor squads to season-ending national rankings.
Teaff joins sixth previous Baylor additions to the Hall of Fame: Barton Koch, Jim Ray Smith, Lawrence Elkins, Bill Glass, Morley Jennings and Mike Singletary.
Bears in the NFL
Nine former Baylor players made opening day NFL rosters, including 2000 Bear defensive back Gary Baxter (Baltimore Ravens).
Player, Pos., NFL Team
Gary Baxter, DB*, Baltimore Ravens
Ray Crockett, DB, Kansas City Chiefs
Santana Dotson, DT, Green Bay Packers
Albert Fontenot, DE, San Diego Chargers
Daryl Gardener, DT, Miami Dolphins
Kelvin Garmon, OL, Dallas Cowboys
Fred Miller, OT, Tennessee Titans
Justin Snow, TE, Indianapolis Colts
Derrius Thompson, WR, Washington Redskins
* - 2000 Baylor letterman
Baylor Through the Years
Baylor is 495-464-43 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.
