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GAME 6
BAYLOR (3-2, 1-0)
at
TEXAS A&M (2-3, 0-1)

Oct. 11, 2003 * 12:30 p.m. CDT
Kyle Field (82,600)
College Station, Texas

RADIO
Baylor Radio Network
KRZI-AM * KLRK-FM * Waco
John Morris, play-by-play
Walter Abercrombie, color
Ricky Thompson, sideline

TELEVISION
None

Baylor hits the road for the first time in more than a month this weekend, traveling to College Station, Texas, to face Texas A&M. Kickoff at Kyle Field is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. CDT. The Bears (3-2, 1-0) defeated Colorado 42-30 at home last Saturday. The Aggies (2-3, 0-1) fell victim to Texas Tech 59-28 at Lubbock that night. Baylor enters the game on a three-game winning streak, its longest since opening the 1996 season 3-0. The Bears have not won four straight since starting 5-0 in 1991.

SERIES
This is the 100th rendition of the Battle of the Brazos, a series which dates back to a 33-0 Texas A&M victory in 1899. The Aggies lead the all-time series 61-29-9, winning each of the last 12 meetings. Baylor's last victory over A&M was a 20-15 triumph Oct. 19, 1985 in Waco. Since then, the Aggies have won 16 of 17 meetings with the 1990 showdown ending in a 20-20 tie. Baylor is 10-28-3 all-time at College Station, dropping the last eight decisions at Kyle Field. The Bears' last victory at A&M was a 20-16 triumph Oct. 20, 1984.

COACHES
Guy Morriss (TCU, 1973) is 3-2 in his initial season at Baylor. In his third year as a collegiate head coach, Morriss has a 12-16 career record. This is his first meeting with Texas A&M. Dennis Franchione (Pittsburg State, 1973) is also in his first season season at Texas A&M, going 2-3 thus far. Franchione is 157-76-2 in 21 years as a collegiate head coach. This is his first meeting with Baylor.

CONNECTIONS
* Baylor head coach Guy Morriss played college ball at TCU, where Texas A&M head coach Dennis Franchione served as head coach from 1998 to 2000.
* Texas A&M defensive coordinator Carl Torbush was a graduate assistant at Baylor in 1975.
* Texas A&M assistant coach Lee Fobbs Jr. was an assistant coach at Baylor from 1997 to 2000.
* Texas A&M assistant coach Jim Bob Helduser was an assistant coach at Rice during the 1981 season while Baylor defensive tackles coach Tom Adams was a student assistant with the Owls.
* Baylor head coach Guy Morriss and Texas A&M assistant coach Melvin Smith both served on Jackie Sherrill's staff at Mississippi State in 1996.
* Several Baylor and Texas A&M players prepped at the same high school. Here is a list of such players on the two teams' depth charts:
Crockett: Ahmad Rhodes (BU) and L'Tydrick Riley (A&M)
Duncanville: Jonathan Evans (BU) and Kasey Cheshier (A&M)
Kingwood: Mark Murphy, Franklin Patterson (BU) and Chris Yoder (A&M)
Lufkin: Terrance Parks (BU) and Reggie McNeal, Julian Parks, Don Muhlbach (A&M)
Skyline: Cornell King (BU) and Ronald Jones (A&M)
Tyler-John Tyler: Dominick Cravens (BU) and Linnis Smith (A&M)
Tyler-Lee: John Mahaffey (BU) and Derek Farmer, Thomas Perry, Justin Warren, Cody Scates (A&M)

HONORS FOLLOW COLORADO UPSET
* Baylor was named National Team of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America. Auburn, Iowa, Mississippi and UCLA were also nominated.
* OS Derrick Cash earned Defensive Player of the Week honors from the Dallas Morning News. Cash had eight tackles, six solo efforts, with a pass break up and a quarterback hurry. His forced fumble on a third-quarter sack was returned for a touchdown and gave Baylor a lead it never relinquished.
* RB Rashad Armstrong was named Helmet Sticker Performer of the Week by Mark May on ESPN's College Scoreboard Show. Armstrong had 166 yards on 37 carries with two touchdowns, including 121 yards and both scores in the game's final 22 minutes.

ARMSTRONG TOP BIG 12 BACK
RB Rashad Armstrong leads the Big 12 Conference and ranks ninth nationally with 117.8 yards rushing per game. He also leads the conference with 127 carries, and he is tied for sixth in the Big 12 with five rushing touchdowns. Here are some other key notes on Armstrong: * Rushed for 100-plus yards in five of last seven games ...
* Rushed for 100-plus yards in three consecutive Big 12 games ...
* 166 yards vs. Colorado ranks 13th all-time at Baylor, most since 1995 ...
* 37 carries vs. Colorado ties for second all-time at Baylor, most since 1975 ...
* Tied for eighth all-time at Baylor with five career 100-yard rushing games ...
* Looks to join Walter Abercrombie as the only players in school history to rush for 100-plus yards in three consecutive games twice ...

(ARM)STRONG IN SECOND HALF
RB Rashad Armstrong has proven better as the game progresses this season. Not counting the North Texas game (in which he was injured on his first carry of the second half), Armstrong averages 83.8 yards per game in the second half with five touchdowns on 56 carries (6.0 yards per tote).

YOUNGER SEPULVEDA LEADS BIG 12
P/LB Daniel Sepulveda leads the Big 12 Conference and ranks sixth nationally, averaging 46.0 yards per punt. In 32 punts, Sepulveda has tallied 1,472 yards with nine punts going 50-plus yards. If the season ended today, Sepulveda would rank second in school history for punting average. Ty Atteberry established the standard at 46.35 in 1996. Sepulveda has also placed three punts inside the five with two coffins. Sepulveda's punting has made Baylor the Big 12's third-rated punting team in terms of net yards per punt. The Bears average 39.6 yards per punt, 18th nationally.

KARAS SECOND AMONG ACTIVE BIG 12 PASSERS
QB Aaron Karas ranks second among active Big 12 signal callers in career passing yardage with 3,160 yards. Oklahoma State's Josh Fields (4,494 yards) is the active leader. Karas is followed by Missouri's Brad Smith (3,037), Texas Tech's B.J. Symons (3,012) and Texas A&M's Dustin Long (2,702). Former Texas Tech QB Kliff Kingsbury holds the Big 12 record with 12,429 career passing yards. Karas is tied with Kansas State's Ell Roberson for fifth among active quarterbacks with 18 career touchdown passes. Fields is the active leader with 45, followed by Symons (31), Smith (23) and Long (21). Kingsbury holds the Big 12 record with 95 career scoring strikes.

QUIROGA ALSO AMONG ACTIVE LEADERS
WR Robert Quiroga is seventh among active Big 12 receivers with 104 career receptions. Oklahoma State's Rashaun Woods is the active and overall leader with 248 snags.

BEARS LOOK TO OVERCOME ROAD WOES
Baylor seeks to end a 15-game road losing streak Saturday at Texas A&M. Baylor's last victory away from Floyd Casey Stadium was a 20-7 triumph Aug. 31, 2000 at North Texas. That victory ended a 16-game road losing streak, dating back to a 37-35 win Sept. 6, 1997 at Fresno State. The Bears also hope to end a 29-game conference road losing streak. Baylor's last conference victory on the road was as a member of the Southwest Conference when the Bears posted a 48-7 victory Oct. 11, 1995 at SMU.

TOUGH ROAD AHEAD FOR BEARS
Baylor's future opposition winning percentage of .750 (27-9) is fourth nationally. Texas A&M (29-6) ranks first nationally, followed by Iowa State (28-7), Wisconsin (27-7) and Colorado (28-8). Six of the top nine, eight of the top 13, nine of the top 17 and 10 of the top 20 future opponent schedules are Big 12 teams.

OTHER SCHEDULE FACTS
Seven of Baylor's 12 2003 opponents (North Texas, Colorado, Texas, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State) participated in bowl games last season. Eight of the Bears' 2003 opponents (including Texas A&M) finished at or above .500. Baylor's 2003 opponents went a combined 88-53 (.624) in 2002. Five of the Bears' 12 opponents are currently ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Furthermore, the Big 12 boasted three teams in the top five spots of the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll. Baylor and Iowa State both have all three - Kansas State, Oklahoma and Texas - on their respective schedules. The Bears and the Cyclones are the only teams in the nation to have three preseason top-five teams on their schedules.

STREAKS...
* Rashad Armstrong has rushed for at least 50 yards in nine consecutive games.
* Rashad Armstrong has scored a rushing touchdown in three consecutive games.
* Aaron Karas has completed at least 10 passes in nine consecutive games.
* Robert Quiroga has caught at least one pass in 19 consecutive games.
* John Martin has caught at least one pass in six consecutive games.
* Marques Roberts has caught at least one pass in seven consecutive games.
* John Garrett has registered at least one solo tackle in 27 consecutive games.

RECORDS & MILESTONES WATCH
* Rashad Armstrong is tied for eighth all-time at Baylor with five 100-yard rushing games.
* Rashad Armstrong needs 78 yards to move into 20th place all-time at Baylor in single-season rushing yardage.
* Rashad Armstrong needs 89 yards to move into 20th place all-time at Baylor in career rushing yardage.
* Aaron Karas owns a career completion percentage of .600 (262-of-437), which tops Baylor's career chart (ahead of second-place Don Trull, .557).
* Aaron Karas is 10th on Baylor's career passing yardage list (3,160). He needs 528 yards to catch ninth-place Tom Muecke (3,688).
* Aaron Karas ranks ninth on Baylor's career completions list (262). Here is what Karas needs to move into:
8th - 38 completions (Don Trull, 299)
7th - 60 completions (Neal Jeffrey, 321)
* Robert Quiroga is fourth on Baylor's career receptions list (104). Here is what Quiroga needs to move into:
3rd - 40 catches (Lawrence Elkins, 144)
2nd - 59 catches (Gerald McNeil, 163)
* Robert Quiroga ranks ninth all-time at Baylor in career receiving yards (1,198). Here is what Quiroga needs to move into:
8th - 103 yards (Kalief Muhammad, 1,300)
7th - 193 yards (Charles Dancer, 1,390)
6th - 196 yards (Bruce Davis, 1,393)
* Derrick Cash is fifth on Baylor's career interception return yardage list with 189 yards, 5 yards shy of fourth-place Thomas Everett (194) and 28 yards back of third-place Del Shofner (217).
* Derrick Cash has a career yards-per-interception-return average of 25.8, ranking seventh in school history.

BEARS CLAIM WIN NO. 500
Baylor captured win No. 500 in the program's 101-season history with its 27-6 victory over Sam Houston State. The Bears began playing football in 1899; Baylor is 501-475-43 all-time. Through games of Sept. 20, 2003, 56 Division I-A teams have reached 500 victories. TCU and Wyoming reached the plateau earlier this year. Miami, Fla., and Baylor reached the plateau Sept. 27. North Carolina State (497), Fresno State (494) and South Carolina (493) all have a chance at win No. 500 this season. Baylor is the eighth Big 12 school to reach 500 wins. Iowa State (459), Oklahoma State (459), Texas Tech (453) and Kansas State (419) trail the Bears in all-time victories.

FIELDS, JOHNSON SELECTED AS CAPTAINS
Senior C Cedric Fields and senior CB Matt Johnson were selected as team captains for the season. Fields is a three-year letterman from Corsicana, Texas. Johnson hails from Pearland, Texas, and has earned three letters.

FAMILY TIES
* 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.
* 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.
* DL Lorenzo Davis is the cousin of 14-year NBA veteran Derrick McKey.
* LB Jamaal Harper is a cousin of Kenyon Martin, who plays for the NBA's New Jersey Nets.
* Freshman TE Iris Williams has a pair of notable family members. Uncle Elvis Patterson won a pair of Super Bowl rings with the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys, while cousin and former Baylor standout Fred Miller is a starting offensive lineman for the Tennessee Titans.
* Freshman WR Trent Shelton is the nephew of the Atlanta Falcons' receivers coach George Stewart.
* Freshman CB Jason Reaux is the son of Tommy Reaux, who lettered for Baylor's football team from 1967 to 1969.

BU LEADS BIG 12 IN GRADUATION RATES
According to the latest NCAA graduation rates, Baylor's football team has posted a 77 percent success rate in this category, the best figure in the Big 12 and far above the NCAA division I average (52 percent). Texas Tech was second among Big 12 football programs with a 73 percent graduation rate, followed by Nebraska (67), Texas A&M (59), Iowa State (50), Missouri (50), Texas (50), Oklahoma State (48), Kansas State (44), Kansas (43), Colorado (38) and Oklahoma (6).

OVER THE AIR
Bear football games can be heard live on the Baylor Radio Network. The network includes 18 affiliates across Texas, including flagship stations KRZI-AM (1660/1580) and KLRK-FM (92.9) in Waco. All Baylor games are broadcast by the "Voice of the Bears" John Morris, a veteran broadcaster in his eighth season. Former Baylor football standouts Walter Abercrombie and Ricky Thompson are in their third season providing analysis.

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.BaylorBears.com, or at www.yahoo.broadcast.com.

BAYLORBEARS.COM
Baylor's official athletic web site can be found at www.BaylorBears.com. The comprehensive site, which includes releases, photos, biographical sketches and audio broadcasts, is part of the Official College Sports Network. OCSN currently hosts sites for more than 100 universities, including four Big 12 schools.

INSIDE BAYLOR 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). IBS also airs Wednesdays on College Sports TV; check local listings for time.

NEXT UP...
Baylor remains on the road, traveling to Kansas for a 1 p.m. CDT game Saturday, Oct. 18 at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kan. The Bears lead the all-time series 4-2, including a 2-1 advantage as Big 12 Conference foes. Baylor defeated Kansas 35-32 last year in Waco.