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BAYLOR
vs.
#24 OKLAHOMA STATE
Nov. 22, 2003
11:30 a.m. CST
Floyd Casey Stadium
Waco, Texas
Baylor concludes its 2003 schedule Saturday, hosting No. 24 Oklahoma State at Floyd Casey Stadium. Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m. CST, and the game will be televised live on FOX Sports Net. Bill Land will handle play-by-play duties, while Gary Reasons will provide color analysis. The Bears (3-8, 1-6) have lost five straight since defeating Colorado 42-30 in early October, including a 41-3 defeat at the hands of top-ranked Oklahoma last Saturday at Norman. The Cowboys (8-3, 4-3) snapped a two-game losing streak last Saturday, defeating Kansas 44-21 at Stillwater. The teams played one common non-Big 12 opponent. Both teams defeated SMU.
SERIES
This is the 22nd meeting between Baylor and Oklahoma State. The Bears lead the all-time series 11-10; however, the Cowboys have won seven straight since the inception of the Big 12 Conference. Baylor's last victory over Oklahoma State was a 14-10 decision in Waco during the 1994 season. The Cowboys are 3-5 all-time in Waco, 2-3 at Floyd Casey Stadium. The Bears and Cowboys first met Oct. 25, 1914 with Oklahoma State blanking Baylor 60-0. After that, though, the Bears won nine consecutive meetings before a 20-7 OSU victory in 1972.
COACHES
Guy Morriss (TCU, 1973) is 3-8 in his initial season at Baylor. In his third year as a collegiate head coach, Morriss has a 12-22 career record. Prior to arriving at Baylor, Morriss spent two seasons as head coach at Kentucky. This is his first meeting with Oklahoma State. Les Miles (Michigan, 1973) is in his third season as a collegiate head coach, all coming at Oklahoma State. In that time, Miles has amassed a record of 20-15; he is 2-0 against Baylor.
CONNECTIONS
* Baylor WR John Martin is a graduate of Stillwater High School. His father, Dave, is associate AD at Oklahoma State.
* Baylor RB Brandon Whitaker is a graduate of Santa Fe High School in Edmond, Okla.
ARMSTRONG EYES SEASON RUSHING RECORD
All-Big 12 candidate RB Rashad Armstrong needs 10 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 11 games, Armstrong has rushed for 990 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 198 yards in the final game to break Walter Abercrombie's 1980 school record of 1,187 yards rushing. Last season, Armstrong had 112 yards rushing on 33 carries against Oklahoma State.
BAYLOR IN TELEVISED GAMES
Saturday's game against Oklahoma State is Baylor's 93rd all-time televised game. The Bears are 37-53-2 in such contests, 2-9 in games televised on FOX Sports Net. Baylor's victory earlier this season over Colorado on FOX Sports Net snapped a five-game losing streak in televised games. This marks the first season since 2000 that Baylor has played on television twice in the same season. That year, the Bears played four televised games, including two at Floyd Casey Stadium. Baylor's first televised game was a 27-0 victory Sept. 29, 1956 over Texas Tech on NBC.
QUICK NOTES
* Baylor held No. 1 Oklahoma to 57 yards rushing Saturday, the lowest ground total of the season for the Sooners. It also was the lowest rushing total against a Baylor team since the Bears held SMU to 56 yards rushing in 1994.
* Baylor is 37-141-5 all-time against ranked opponents, 21-121-1 when unranked and playing a ranked opponent. The Bears are 1-24 against ranked opponents since the inception of the Big 12 Conference (33-30 vs. No. 20 North Carolina State in 1998).
* Baylor's cumulative Division I-A opposition winning percentage of .579 (70-51) is 15th nationally. Alabama (.698, 91-41) ranks first, followed by Texas A&M (.672, 86-42) and Iowa State (.664, 79-40). Colorado (.640, 80-45) is fifth.
* Baylor's final five opponents of the season are all ranked 12th or better nationally in scoring offense, according to the latest NCAA statistical rankings.
* Five of Baylor's eight losses, including each of the last four, have been at the hands of bowl eligible teams.
* Baylor's special teams have produced scores in three of the last five games and in four games this season.
* Baylor has just three scoring drives of more than four minutes this season.
* Baylor is 2-0 this season when rushing for two or more TDs, 1-8 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).
* All-Big 12 candidate RB Rashad Armstrong needs 10 yards in the final game to become the sixth 1,000-yard rusher in school history.
* In the last 13 games, dating back to last year's Oklahoma game, all-Big 12 candidate RB Rashad Armstrong has tallied 1,205 yards rushing with 8 TDs.
* All-Big 12 candidate RB Rashad Armstrong now holds the Baylor record for career rushing yards by a two-year player (1,637).
* All-Big 12 candidate FS Maurice Lane has tallied double-digit tackles in nine of 11 games this season. He has reached double figures in six straight games.
* With 23 tackles against Texas Tech, All-Big 12 candidate 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 124 tackles on the season, All-Big 12 candidate FS Maurice Lane ranks 10th on Baylor's single-season top 10 list. He has recorded the most tackles in a season by a Bear since LaCurtis Jones had 126 in 1994.
* All-Big 12 candidate WR Robert Quiroga has caught at least one pass in 25 consecutive games.
* WR Trent Shelton has caught at least one pass in 10 consecutive games.
* QB Shawn Bell made his first career start Saturday at No. 1 Oklahoma.
* P Daniel Sepulveda has at least one 50-yard punt in 11 consecutive games.
* P Daniel Sepulveda has established a school record with 23 punts of 50-plus yards this season.
GARRETT SACK HAPPY
With one sack against Oklahoma, all-Big 12 candidate LB John Garrett is now second all-time at Baylor with nine sacks on the season. He is 1.5 sacks shy of Matthew Pearson's school record, established in 1992. Garrett moved into a fifth-place tie on Baylor's career sacks list with 12. Darryl Gardener (1990-1993) holds the school career mark with 15.
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 all-Big 12 candidate 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 20th nationally in punting average (43.4 yards per punt), and CB Willie Andrews is 33rd 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.
ARMSTRONG AMONG CAREER RUSHING LEADERS
In just 23 games and 16 starts, all-Big 12 candidate RB Rashad Armstrong has rushed for 1,637 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 has 1,177 all-purpose yards this season, 10th in school history. With 100 all-purpose yards against Oklahoma State, Armstrong would climb to fourth on Baylor's single-season chart. The Miami, Fla., native ranks sixth in the Big 12 and 37th nationally with 90.0 rushing yards per game, a figure that would rank sixth all-time at Baylor.
QUIROGA ETCHES NAME IN RECORDS BOOK, AGAIN
With his 100-yard touchdown kickoff return against Texas Tech, all-Big 12 candidate 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 ...
MARTIN, SEPULVEDA EARN ACADEMIC HONOR
Junior WR John Martin and senior LB Stephen Sepulveda earned Academic all-District VI honors, announced last week by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Martin, a communications studies major from Stillwater, Okla., was a first-team selection and is thus eligible for Academic all-America honors. Sepulveda, a business administration major from Highland Park, Texas, was named to the second team.
Maurice Lane: TACKLE MACHINE
All-Big 12 candidate FS Maurice Lane leads the Bears and is tied for third in the Big 12 Conference with 11.3 tackles per game on the season. With 124 total tackles, he 10th in school history, and he has recorded the most tackles by a Bear since LaCurtis Jones had 126 in 1994. 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.
YOUNGER SEPULVEDA KEEPS BOOMING 'EM
All-Big 12 and Freshman all-America candidate P Daniel Sepulveda ranks second in the Big 12 Conference and 20th nationally, averaging 43.42 yards per punt. In 81 punts, Sepulveda has tallied 3,517 yards, second all-time at Baylor. He needs nine punts and 40 punting yards to establish school single-season records in those respective categories. Sepulveda has 23 punts of 50-plus yards, a school record, and two punts of 60-plus yards. He has also placed 19 punts inside the 20 and four punts inside the five with two coffins. His average currently ranks 10th 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.
BAYLOR BIG 12'S YOUNGEST TEAM
Baylor's depth chart features nine true freshmen for the Oklahoma State 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.
SEPULVEDA CATCHES NATIONAL EYE
All-Big 12 and Freshman all-America candidate P Daniel Sepulveda, who began punting last spring, has caught the national eye this season. Second in the Big 12 in punting average, Sepulveda, who ranks 20th nationally in that category, was named to the watch list for the Ray Guy Award, given annually to the nation's top punter by the Augusta [Ga.] Sports Council. 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.
KARAS SIXTH AMONG ACTIVE BIG 12 PASSERS
QB Aaron Karas ranks sixth among active Big 12 signal callers in career passing yardage with 3,797 yards. Texas Tech's B.J. Symons (5,641 yards) is the active leader and ranks fifth all-time. Symons is followed by Oklahoma State's Josh Fields (5,423 yards; sixth all-time), Kansas State's Ell Roberson (4,488; 13th all-time), Missouri's Brad Smith (3,892), Oklahoma's Jason White (3,869) and Karas, who is also 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.
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.
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.
