Nov. 19, 2001
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Game 11: SOUTHERN ILLINOIS at BAYLOR
Floyd Casey Stadium (50,000)
Waco, Texas
November 24, 2001 * Noon (CST)
The Skinny
Baylor (2-8, 0-8 Big 12) closes out the 2001 season by hosting I-AA foe Southern Illinois (1-9) Saturday at Floyd Casey Stadium (50,000) ... Last week, the Bears fell at home to Oklahoma State, 38-22, despite dominating the statistical ledger ... SIU fell on the road to Western Kentucky, 36-6 ... According to USA Today's Jeff Sagarin, Baylor has played the nation's 11th-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
This is the first-ever meeting between Baylor and Southern Illinois. The Bears last played a I-AA school in 1990, a 13-9 home win over Sam Houston State.
Coaches
Kevin Steele (Tennessee, 1981) is 5-27 in his third season at Baylor. He has never faced Southern Illinois.
Southern Illinois' Jerry Kill (Southwestern College, 1983) is 1-9 in his first season as the Saluki's head coach and 50-34 in his eighth season overall.
Baylor-Oklahoma State Tidbits
* Baylor's 31 first downs against Oklahoma State was its highest total ever in the Big 12 and its most overall since 1995 at Houston.
* The Bears rushed for 200 yards and threw for 300 in the same game for the first time since 1992 against TCU.
* BU had possession for 35:34 against OSU, its highest total since 1997 against Texas A&M.
* Baylor's 315 passing yards tied for the 12th-highest total in school history and the most since 1989 against Texas Tech.
* The offense totalled 517 yards, Baylor's highest output since 1996 vs. Iowa State.
* Baylor had 93 offensive snaps against OSU, the seventh-most ever for a BU club and the most since 1990 against SMU.
Stiles Booming It
Junior punter Adam Stiles, the Big 12's highest rated punter nationally (seventh) with a 44.2 average, has boomed the ball for a 46.9 average in Baylor's last five games. Of his 35 punts in those five contests, Stiles has had 15 of 50-or-more yards.
Stiles is currently fourth on Baylor's all-time list with a 41.93 career average. He also ranks among career leaders in total punts (146) and punt yardage (6,122).
Offense Gaining Momentum
Baylor's offense produced a combined 919 yards in its final two Big 12 games against Missouri (402) and Oklahoma State (517). It marked the first time since 1993 that the Bears have posted consecutive games of 400-plus yards total offense.
Three For Thirty
For the fourth time in school history, Baylor has three different receivers - Reggie Newhouse (56), John Martin (31) and Andra Fuller (30) - with 30 receptions apiece. This also occurred in 1964, 1966 and 1998.
Baylor Injury List
Here's an updated list at Baylor's injuries heading into the Southern Illinois game:
Player, Pos., Injury, Status
Randy Davis, DB, Knee (l), Out for season
Jon Erickson, OL, Knee (r), Out for season
Ryan Gillenwater, DL, Shoulder (r), Out for season
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, Hamstring (r), Questionable
Danielle McLean, DB, Shoulder (l), Doubtful
Brad Schleuter, OL, Wrist (l), Out
Kyle Staudt, DB, Quad (r), Questionable
Michael Tolbert, LB, Ankle (l), Probable
Davon Vinson, QB, Knee (r), Probable
Josh Zachry, QB, Concussion, Questionable
First Down, Baylor!
Baylor has collected 57 combined first downs in its last two games against Missouri (26) and Oklahoma State (31), the Bears' highest two-game total since 1992 (32 vs. SMU and 26 vs. TCU).
Bears Getting In Their Snaps
Baylor has averaged over 77 snaps in its 10 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' 93 offensive snaps against Oklahoma State is seventh all-time at Baylor and the most since 1990.
Playing Like All-Big 12
Junior WR Reggie Newhouse, currently fourth in the Big 12 with 5.6 receptions per game, is making a push for all-conference recognition. Newhouse has 56 receptions for 616 yards. He is tied for third 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 third all-time at Baylor with 103 receptions, tied for fifth with 11 career touchdown catches and seventh with 1,322 career receiving yardage. He is the 19th player in Baylor history with 1,000 career receiving yards.
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.
Baylor Ties Completion Mark
Baylor tied a school record against Missouri by completing 29 passes (on 46 attempts).
Also, BU has notched four of the school's top nine pass completion totals this season. The Bears completed 27 passes against both Iowa State and Oklahoma State and 25 against New Mexico.
The Ball Is In The Air
Baylor's offense has taken to the passing game in an unprecedented manner. Averaging 40.2 pass attempts and 21.1 completions per game, the Bears have shattered 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 seven of its 10 games.
Baylor Sack Happy
Baylor ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 25 quarterback sacks in 10 games. The Bears have 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.
Collier Applies QB Heat
Junior DE A.C. Collier is a big reason Baylor is fourth in the Big 12 with 25 sacks. Collier leads the club with six sacks, 25 quarterback hurries and 11 tackles for loss.
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 25 sacks in 10 games, a remarkable figure given the number of passes the Bears have attempted (402). That's comes out to a sack every 16.2 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 11th-Toughest
According to USA Today's Jeff Sagarin, Baylor has played the nation's 11th-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.
Six of Baylor's opponents are already bowl eligible this year.
Ironmen On The O-Line
C Joe Jackson has started 35-straight games and 39 total in his career. Fellow senior, RT Greg Jerman, has 37 career starts on the Baylor offensive line.
BU Among Recovery Leaders
Baylor is tied for fifth in the nation with 15 fumble recoveries. That figure has helped the Bears rack up 23 total defensive takeaways, which is tied for 31st nationally.
The Bears have capitalized on the turnovers as well, averaging nearly a touchdown a game (5.7 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.
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.
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.
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 -6 this season. BU is +4 this season in its two wins, but is -10 in its eight losses.
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.
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 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).
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.
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.
