Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

BAYLOR
at
No. 1 OKLAHOMA

1:30 p.m. CST
Nov. 15, 2003
Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
Norman, Okla.

Baylor hits the road for the final time this season Saturday, traveling to Norman, Okla., for a showdown with top-ranked Oklahoma. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. CST at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The Bears (3-7, 1-5) have dropped five straight after a 62-14 loss at home last Saturday to Texas Tech. The Sooners (10-0, 6-0) whipped Texas A&M 77-0 at home last Saturday. Oklahoma has won 12 consecutive games, dating back to last season, the longest active streak in the nation. The teams have played three common opponents this season. Both teams defeated Colorado; Baylor lost to Texas and Texas A&M.

SERIES
This is the 13th meeting between Baylor and Oklahoma; the Sooners have dominated the series, winning each of the first 12 meetings. Oklahoma was a 49-9 winner last season at Floyd Casey Stadium. Baylor's last trip to Norman resulted in a 33-17 OU victory in 2001. While Oklahoma has won every game in the series, not all have been handily. In fact, the first three meetings as Big 12 foes were decided by a total of 17 points, including scores of 28-24 and 24-23 in the first two meetings. Baylor and Oklahoma first met Oct. 26, 1901; the Sooners left Waco that day with a 17-6 victory. The teams did not play again until 1973.

COACHES
Guy Morriss (TCU, 1973) is 3-7 in his initial season at Baylor. In his third year as a collegiate head coach, Morriss has a 12-21 career record. Prior to arriving at Baylor, Morriss spent two seasons as head coach at Kentucky. This is his first meeting with Oklahoma. Bob Stoops (Iowa, 1983) is in his fifth season as a collegiate head coach, all coming at Oklahoma. In that time, Stoops has amassed a record of 53-9. He is 4-0 against Baylor.

CONNECTIONS
* Oklahoma wide receivers coach Darrell Wyatt served in the same capacity at Baylor during the 1996 season. He is a native of Killeen, Texas.
* Oklahoma C Vince Carter is a graduate of Waco High School.
* Baylor's roster shows two players from Oklahoma: RB Brandon Whitaker is a graduate of Edmond's Santa Fe High School and WR John Martin is a graduate of Stillwater High School.

QUIROGA NAMED BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
WR Robert Quiroga became the third Baylor player ever to earn Big 12 Conference Player of the Week honors this week (Samir AL-AMIN, defense, 2001; Jonathan Golden, defense, 2002). He was so honored after posting 178 yards on six kickoff returns with one touchdown against Texas Tech. Quiroga tied Kalief Muhammad's school record for longest kickoff return, and he is the first player in school history with two kickoff returns for touchdown in the same season. Randy Davis is the only other Bear with two career kickoff returns for touchdown.

ARMSTRONG EYES SEASON RUSHING RECORD
RB Rashad Armstrong needs 45 yards rushing to become just the sixth 1,000-yard rusher in school history and the first since Jerod Douglas had 1,114 yards in 1995. Through 10 games, Armstrong has rushed for 955 yards, sixth in school history and the most since Douglas' 1995 total. Armstrong, who tallied his sixth career 100-yard rushing game against Texas Tech and his fourth this season, needs 233 yards in the final two games to break Walter Abercrombie's 1980 school record of 1,187 yards rushing. Last season, Armstrong had 103 yards rushing on 19 carries against Oklahoma and 112 yards rushing on 33 carries against Oklahoma State.

QUICK NOTES
* Baylor is 37-140-5 all-time against ranked opponents, 21-120-1 when unranked and playing a ranked opponent. The Bears are 1-23 against ranked opponents since the inception of the Big 12 Conference (33-30 vs. No. 20 North Carolina State in 1998).
* Baylor is 0-9-1 all-time against teams ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25. * Baylor's future opposition winning percentage of .850 (17-3) is second nationally behind only Texas Tech (.900, 18-2).
* Baylor's cumulative Division I-A opposition winning percentage of .577 (64-47) is 20th nationally. Alabama (.702, 85-36) ranks first, followed by Texas A&M (.690, 80-36). Iowa State (.676, 73-35) is fourth, and Colorado (.655, 74-39) is fifth.
* Baylor's final five opponents of the season are all ranked 14th or better nationally in scoring offense, according to the latest NCAA statistical rankings.
* Baylor's special teams have produced scores in three of the last four games and in four games this season.
* Baylor has just two scoring drives of more than four minutes this season.
* Baylor is 2-0 this season when rushing for two or more TDs, 1-7 when rushing for less than two TDs.
* Baylor's special teams have produced four scores this season: a blocked punt for a safety (UAB), a blocked punt for a touchdown (Kansas) and two kickoff returns for touchdowns (Kansas State and Texas Tech).
* RB Rashad Armstrong averages 114.8 yards per game when getting at least 20 carries. He averages 76.2 yards per game when getting less than 20 carries.
* RB Rashad Armstrong needs 45 yards in the final two games to become the sixth 1,000-yard rusher in school history.
* In the last 12 games, dating back to last year's Oklahoma game, RB Rashad Armstrong has tallied 1,170 yards rushing with 8 TDs.
* RB Rashad Armstrong now holds the Baylor record for career rushing yards by a two-year player (1,602).
* FS Maurice Lane has tallied double-digit tackles in eight of 10 games this season. He has reached double figures in five straight games.
* With 23 tackles against Texas Tech, FS Maurice Lane became the first Bear since 1992 with at least 20 tackles in a game. His total was the best by a Baylor player since Mike Singletary had 23 against Texas Tech in 1979.
* With 111 tackles on the season, FS Maurice Lane is nine stops shy of cracking Baylor's single-season top 10 list. He has recorded the most tackles in a season by a Bear since LB Dean Jackson had 113 in 1997.
* WR Robert Quiroga has caught at least one pass in 24 consecutive games.
* WR Trent Shelton has caught at least one pass in nine consecutive games.
* WR John Martin has caught at least one pass in six consecutive games played.
* FB Jonathan Evans has caught at least one pass in six consecutive games.
* P Daniel Sepulveda has at least one 50-yard punt in 10 consecutive games.
* P Daniel Sepulveda has established a school record with 21 punts of 50-plus yards this season.

SPECIAL SPECIAL TEAMS
Baylor's special teams have been the strongest facet of the game this season for the Bears. The special teams have produced four scores this season after Robert Quiroga's school-record tying 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown last week against Texas Tech. It was the second consecutive game in which Quiroga returned a kickoff for a touchdown after a 98-yarder against Kansas State. CB James Todd's block against UAB in the season opener resulted in a safety. Todd also recovered CB Michael Boyd's block in the end zone at Kansas. Baylor's 1980 squad holds the school mark for blocks in a season with 13 (punts and placements). P Daniel Sepulveda ranks second in the Big 12 and 13th nationally in punting average (44.4 yards per punt), and CB Willie Andrews is 36th nationally with 24.7 yards per kickoff return (seventh in the Big 12). Andrews also is tied for third all-time at Baylor with 26 kickoff returns this season, and his 641 yards on those returns ranks third in school history, 29 yards shy of the school record.

Maurice Lane: TACKLE MACHINE
FS Maurice Lane leads the Bears and is tied for fifth in the Big 12 Conference with 11 tackles on the season. He is nine stops shy of cracking Baylor's single-season top 10, and he has recorded the most tackles by a Bear since Dean Jackson had 113 in 1997. Against Texas Tech, Lane recorded 23 tackles, the most by a Baylor player since Mike Singletary had 23 against the Red Raiders in 1979. Lane is the first Bear with at least 20 tackles in a game since Le'Shai Matson had 20 against Georgia Tech in 1992.

QUIROGA ETCHES NAME IN RECORDS BOOK, AGAIN
With his 100-yard touchdown kickoff return Saturday against Texas Tech, WR Robert Quiroga etched his name in the Baylor and Big 12 record books in several ways: * joins Ben Kelly (Colorado-3), Sirr Parker (Texas A&M-2), Joe Walker (Nebraska-2) and Randy Davis (Baylor-2) as the only players in Big 12 history with at least two career kickoff returns for touchdown ...
* joins Ben Kelly (Colorado, 1999) as the only players in Big 12 history with two kickoff returns for touchdown in a season ...
* joins Ben Kelly (Colorado, 1999) as the only players in Big 12 history with kickoff returns for touchdown in consecutive games (ironically, Kelly's were of 98 and 100 yards, just as Quiroga's) ...
* becomes the seventh player in Big 12 history with a 100-yard kickoff return ...
* joins Randy Davis as the only players in school history with two career kickoff returns for touchdown ...
* becomes the first player in school history with two kickoff returns for touchdown in the same season ...

ARMSTRONG AMONG CAREER RUSHING LEADERS
In just 22 games and 15 starts, RB Rashad Armstrong has rushed for 1,602 yards in his Baylor career. That ranks 10th in school history, and is a school record for a two-year player. Armstrong eclipsed Steve Beaird's school record for career yards by a two-year player during the Kansas State game; Beaird (1973-74) had 1,449 career yards rushing. Against Texas Tech, Armstrong rushed for 124 yards, the sixth 100-yard game of his career and the fourth this season. He has matched Beaird's school mark for 100-yard games by a two-year player and is tied for fourth overall in that category. Armstrong is the eighth player with at least four 100-yard rushing games in a season. Walter Abercrombie had at least four 100-yard games in three different seasons, including a school-record eight in 1980. Armstrong and CB Willie Andrews are also poised to crack Baylor's single-season all-purpose yardage top 10. Through 10 games, Armstrong has 1,131 all-purpose yards, while Andrews has 898. Kalief Muhammad had 1,166 yards in 1996 and currently ranks 10th in Baylor history. Through 10 games, Armstrong ranks fourth in the Big 12 and 31st nationally with 95.5 rushing yards per game, a figure that would rank fifth all-time at Baylor.

GARRETT SACK HAPPY
With two sacks against Texas Tech, LB John Garrett is now third all-time at Baylor with eight sacks on the season. He is 2.5 sacks shy of Matthew Pearson's school record, established in 1992, and he is one-half sack shy of matching Charles Benson (1982) for second in school history. Garrett moved into seventh place on Baylor's career sacks list with 11, one behind Glenn Coy (1994-1997) and Santana Dotson (1988-1991).

YOUNGER SEPULVEDA KEEPS BOOMING 'EM
P Daniel Sepulveda ranks second in the Big 12 Conference and 13th nationally, averaging 44.42 yards per punt. In 73 punts, Sepulveda has tallied 3,243 yards, fourth all-time at Baylor. He has 21 punts of 50-plus yards, a school record, and two punts of 60-plus yards. Sepulveda has also placed 19 punts inside the 20 and four punts inside the five with two coffins. His average currently ranks third in school history. Against Texas A&M, Sepulveda punted nine times for an average of 47.8 yards per punt. He posted a net average of 47.1 yards per punt with four inside the 20 and three of 50-plus yards, including a game-high 55-yarder. Against Kansas, Sepulveda had punts of 60 and 61 yards, the last of which was a career long. He has booted at least one punt of 50-plus yards in every game this season. Sepulveda's punting has made Baylor the Big 12's third-ranked punting team in terms of net yards per punt. The Bears average 37.8 net yards per punt, 33rd nationally.

BEARS LOOK TO OVERCOME ROAD WOES
Baylor seeks to end a 18-game road losing streak Saturday at Oklahoma. 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 32-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.

BAYLOR BIG 12'S YOUNGEST TEAM
Baylor's depth chart features nine true freshmen for the Oklahoma game, including starters RT Nick Pace and DT Quincy Jenkins. No team in the Big 12 has more true freshmen on its depth chart than Baylor. Including redshirts, Baylor's two-deep roster features 16 freshmen, also tops in the Big 12. In all, the Bears have 25 underclassmen on the two-deep.

KARAS FIFTH AMONG ACTIVE BIG 12 PASSERS
QB Aaron Karas ranks fifth among active Big 12 signal callers in career passing yardage with 3,797 yards. Oklahoma State's Josh Fields (5,423 yards) is the active leader and ranks fifth all-time in the Big 12. Fields is followed by Texas Tech's B.J. Symons (5,286; seventh all-time), Kansas State's Ell Roberson (4,175), Missouri's Brad Smith (3,803), Karas and Kansas' Bill Whittemore (3,587). Karas also is eighth among active Big 12 quarterbacks with 21 career touchdown passes. Former Texas Tech QB Kliff Kingsbury holds the Big 12 records with 12,429 career passing yards and 95 career touchdown passes.

QUIROGA ALSO AMONG ACTIVE LEADERS
WR Robert Quiroga is ninth among active Big 12 receivers with 122 career receptions. Oklahoma State's Rashaun Woods is the active and overall leader with 266 snags, an all-time Big 12 record. Seven of the top 14 pass catchers in Big 12 history are active this season.

SEPULVEDA CATCHES NATIONAL EYE
P Daniel Sepulveda, who began punting last spring, has begun to catch the national eye. Second in the Big 12 in punting average, Sepulveda, who ranks 13th nationally in that category, has been added to the watch list for the Ray Guy Award, given annually to the nation's top punter by the Augusta [Ga.] Sports Council. He joins Florida's Eric Wilbur, Maryland's Adam Podlesh and Michigan State's Brandon Fields as the only freshmen on the 44-man list, which will be pared to 10 semifinalists in early November. Baylor special teams' coach Mark Nelson is no stranger to having a punter considered for the Guy Award. Last season, Nelson's punter at Kentucky, Glenn Pakulak, was a finalist along with Tennessee's Dustin Colquitt and winner Mark Mariscal of Colorado. Sepulveda has also caught the eye of Matt Hayes, a columnist for The Sporting News. In a recent issue, Sepulveda was selected as the punter for Hayes' Dream Team, a collection of difference-makers this season.

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. Baylor is the eighth Big 12 school to reach 500 wins. Iowa State (459), Oklahoma State (461), Texas Tech (455) and Kansas State (423) trail the Bears in all-time victories.

TOUGH ROAD AHEAD FOR BAYLOR
Baylor's future opposition winning percentage of .850 (17-3) is second nationally behind only Texas Tech (.900, 18-2). The Bears face Oklahoma (10-0) and Oklahoma State (7-3), while the Red Raiders face Texas (8-2) and Oklahoma (10-0). Furthermore, the Bears' final five opponents rank 14th or better nationally in scoring offense, according to the latest NCAA statistical rankings. Oklahoma is first (48.3 points per game), Texas Tech is second (44.9), Texas is fourth (42.4), Kanas State is eighth (38.6) and Oklahoma State is 14th (35.7).

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.

NEXT UP...
Baylor concludes its 2003 season at home, hosting Oklahoma State. Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m. CST at Floyd Casey Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on FOX Sports Net. The Bears lead the all-time series with the Cowboys 11-10, but the Pokes have won all seven meetings as Big 12 foes. Baylor's last victory over OSU was a 14-10 decision at Waco in 1994. Baylor is 5-3 against Oklahoma State at Waco, but the Bears are 1-3 against the Cowboys at Floyd Casey Stadium.