Bears Travel North to Face Iowa State

10/3/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football

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BAYLOR BEARS (3-1, 0-1) at IOWA STATE (3-1, 0-1)

OCT. 8, 2005 • JACK TRICE STADIUM • AMES, IOWA • 1:00 P.M. CDT

BAYLOR CONCLUDES THREE-GAME ROAD STRETCH AT IOWA STATE

Baylor plays the final game of a three-game road stretch this Saturday, traveling to Ames, Iowa, for a Big 12 Conference inter-division game against Iowa State. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. CDT at Jack Trice Stadium on the Iowa State campus.

The Bears' (3-1, 0-1) and Cyclones' (3-1, 0-1) seasons are nearly mirror images of each other. Both teams started the season 3-0 only to lose their conference openers on a rival's home fields in overtime. Baylor dropped a 16-13 heartbreaker in one overtime at Texas A&M last Saturday, while Iowa State was upended 27-20 in two overtimes at Nebraska later that afternoon.

BAYLOR-IOWA STATE SERIES

Saturday is the seventh meeting between Baylor and Iowa State in football, the sixth as Big 12 Conference opponents. The first meeting was a 35-0 Baylor victory at Ames, Iowa, in 1988. The Bears also won the first meeting as Big 12 foes, a 49-21 decision Oct. 26, 1996, in Waco. However, the Cyclones have won the last four meetings: 24-17 at Ames in 1997, 31-17 at Floyd Casey Stadium in 2000, 41-0 at Ames in 2001 and 26-25 at Floyd Casey Stadium last season. Baylor has played Iowa State fewer times than any other Big 12 team.

SERIES NOTES: Baylor's 35-0 victory in 1988 was the third of three consecutive victories to open the season; the Bears lost the following week at Texas Tech and finished the year 6-5 overall. In that game, Baylor out-gained Iowa State 380-160 and ran 27 more plays than the Cyclones. The game was televised regionally on Raycom. The Bears held Iowa State to 51 yards rushing on 36 carries and 53 yards on 7-of-17 passing. It was the last time Baylor held an opponent to fewer than 60 yards both rushing and passing. ... The 1996 victory was Baylor's first as a Big 12 member. Baylor tallied a season-high 624 yards of offense, including 397 on the ground (tied for third in school history), with four rushing TDs and three passing TDs. Baylor's 49 points still stand as the most by the Bears in a Big 12 game. The game featured a 69-yard run by Jerod Douglas, tied for the 16th-longest in school history. Douglas finished with 19 carries for 154 yards, the 18th-best single-game total in school history and the third-best single-game total in a Big 12 contest. ... The Bears held Iowa State to 257 yards of total offense last season, the best defensive outing ever by a Baylor team in a Big 12 game.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR ...

• Baylor already has forced as many turnovers through four games this season as through 11 games last season. The 2004 Bears recovered five fumbles and snagged four interceptions. This season, the Bears have recovered three fumbles and picked six passes.

• 2005 Thorpe Award candidate FS Maurice Lane now has 220 career solo tackles, good for third on Baylor's all-time list and just 12 shy of overtaking second-place Ray Berry (1983-86). Lane has 315 career tackles (220 solos and 95 assists), 10th all-time at Baylor.

• Senior LG Lequalan McDonald should draw his 28th straight start along the o-line against Iowa State, while Lane should make his 39th career start (every game of his collegiate career in which he has played) and senior OS Willie Andrews should make his 28th straight start in the secondary.

• WR Trent Shelton has at least one reception in 26 consecutive games, tied for the 13th-longest active streak in Division I-A and the longest at Baylor since Reggie Newhouse's school-record 34-game streak.

• With 78 career receptions each, Shelton and junior WR Dominique Zeigler are tied for 15th on Baylor's all-time career receptions list.

• Zeigler has caught at least two passes in each of his last 14 appearances.

• Shelton needs 87 yards receiving to become Baylor's 22nd 1,000-yard receiver.

• QB Shawn Bell nees 89 yards passing to become the 17th player in school history to throw for at least 2,000 career yards.

• Bell's 60.2 career completion percentage ranks 11th among active Division I-A quarterbacks.

• Bell has thrown for at least 200 yards in two straight games. If he reaches 200 yards against Iowa State, he would be the first Baylor quarterback to accomplish the feat in three consecutive games since Aaron Karas in the final game of the 2001 season and the first two of the 2002 campaign.

• Junior RB Paul Mosley and sophomore RB Brandon Whitaker have combined for 143 touches this season without a fumble.

• The Bears have scored 28 points off their opponents nine turnovers while holding opponents to 10 points of their own nine turnovers.

• Baylor is 7-2 under Morriss when scoring at least 24 points and 6-1 when holding the opponent under 20 points.

BAYLOR vs. BIG 12 NORTH

Nearly all of Baylor's success in the Big 12 Conference has come against teams from the North Division. The Bears are 4-22 against teams from the North with only two victories (Texas, 1997; Texas A&M, 2004) against teams from the South. Baylor's victories against North teams are as follows: Iowa State (1996), Kansas (1998), Kansas (2002) and Colorado (2003).

INJURY REPORT

Junior C Will Blaylock sustained a left knee strain last Saturday against Texas A&M; he is expected to miss three to six weeks. Junior OS Maurice Linguist is questionable due to turf toe (Texas A&M). Junior DT Corey Ford (right knee) is out due to a knee injury sustained against Samford.

NEBRASKA GAME TIME SET

Baylor's Oct. 15 game against Nebraska has been set for a 6 p.m. CDT kickoff at Floyd Casey Stadium. The game will not be televised.

FROM THE TEXAS A&M GAME ...

• Baylor led through three quarters for just the second time in 37 all-time Big 12 road games. The last time this occurred was in 1997 when the Bears led Texas 13-8 only to get out-scored 22-7 in the fourth quarter.

• Baylor held Texas A&M to 287 yards, the second-best defensive effort ever for a Baylor team in a Big 12 game.

• Baylor's 90 offensive plays were the Bears' most since a 93-play game against Oklahoma State in 2001.

• QB Shawn Bell's 45 pass attempts total ranks tied for fourth in school history and are the most since his school-record 50 attempts against Texas A&M in 2004.

• Bell's 25 pass completions total ranks tied for sixth in school history and are the most since his school-record 32 attempts against Texas A&M in 2004.

• Bell passed for 200 yards in consecutive games for the first time in his career.

• WR Trent Shelton's third-quarter TD reception was his first of the season.

• Shelton and WR Dominique Zeigler both moved into Baylor's all-time career receptions top 15 list. Both now have 78 career receptions, tied for 15th all-time at Baylor.

• RB Brandon Whitaker earned his first career start.

• RB Paul Mosley's first-quarter, 57-yard run was the longest of his career and the longest by a Baylor running back since Chedrick Ricks' 78-yard scamper against Samford in 2002.

• Mosley's run was the longest run by any Baylor player since Trent Shelton's 71-yard run at Texas Tech in 2004.

• Mosley posted his third career 100-yard rushing game.

• Mosley established a career high with 133 yards rushing, the most by a Baylor running back since Rashad Armstrong piled up 166 yards against Colorado in 2003.

• TE Jordan Adams' first-quarter reception was the first of his career.

• Adams established career highs for receptions (2) and receiving yards (10).

• WR Shaun Rochon established career highs for receptions (7) and receiving yards (58).

• Rochon's 19-yard run in overtime was the longest run of his career. His previous long was 10 yards against Army earlier this season.

• DT M.T. Robinson's second-quarter interception was the first of his career.

• DE Marcus Foreman recorded a career-high tying seven tackles, including two solo efforts.

• OS Tyler Lindstrom established a career high with six tackles, four solo efforts, and matched his career high with two tackles for loss.

DIFFICULT STRETCH CONTINUES FOR BEARS

Saturday's game at Iowa State is the second of six consecutive games for the Bears against teams who have at least received votes in at least one of the two major polls at some point this season -- Texas A&M, Iowa State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Texas. In fact, of those six opponents, only Nebraska has not been ranked at some point this season; the Huskers are the 26th team in this week's Associated Press Top 25 and the 27th team in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Five of Baylor's first six Big 12 games are against 2004 bowl teams.

LANE CLIMBS CAREER TACKLES CHART

Senior FS Maurice Lane enters Saturday's game at Iowa State with 315 career tackles, 10th all-time at Baylor. He needs one tackle to match Joe Campbell (1977-80) for ninth on Baylor's career list. With 16 career double-digit tackle outings, Lane has a legitimate chance to climb several spots on the list against Iowa State. Here is a look at Baylor's career tackles chart:

Player Seasons Solo Asst TT

1. Mike Singletary 1977-80 351 311 662

2. Ray Berry 1983-86 231 149 380

3. Kris Micheaux 1997-00 214 137 351

4. James Francis 1986-89 198 136 334

5. Doak Field 1977-80 164 166 330

6. Thomas Everett 1983-86 204 121 325

7. Gary Joe Kinne 1986-89 179 144 323

8. Mike Welch 1986-90 190 129 319

9. Joe Campbell 1977-80 170 146 316

10. Maurice Lane 2002-05 220 95 315

FIRST DOWN SUCCESS ABSENT AGAINST TEXAS A&M

Through the first three games of the season, Baylor averaged 6.0 yards per play on first down, gaining 198 yards on 36 first-down plays against SMU, 190 yards on 30 first-down plays against Samford and 194 yards on 31 first-down plays against Army. Baylor quarterbacks were 24-of-33 for 244 yards, three touchdowns, one interception through the first three games.

However, that early season success did not continue in the Texas A&M game as the Bears managed just 74 yards on 36 first-down plays (2.1 yards per play). Baylor rushed 20 times for just 35 yards on first down against the Aggies; the Bears lost 21 yards on one first down, an errant snap that sailed over QB Shawn Bell's head. Meanwhile, Bell was 8-of-12 for 39 yards on first down, including one pass for negative yardage (three yards).

Entering the Iowa State game, the Bears average 4.9 yards per first down play this season.

BAYLOR SECONDARY AMONG NATION'S BEST

Through games of Oct. 1, Baylor ranks first in the Big 12 Conference and third nationally with a pass efficiency defense rating of 88.15. The Bears have allowed only four passing touchdowns with six interceptions; opposing quarterbacks have completed just 44.7 percent of their passes for 178.8 yards per game.

Baylor intercepted only four passes in 11 games last season; the Bears have increased that total by 50 percent through four games this fall. Six different players have interceptions this season, including five different defensive backs (DT M.T. Robinson has the sixth pick).

The Bears rank fifth in the Big 12 and 26th nationally in pass defense yardage.

DEFENSE AS A WHOLE STACKS UP WELL NATIONALLY

Entering the Iowa State game, Baylor ranks fifth in the Big 12 and 19th nationally with 287.8 yards allowed per game. The Bears have allowed 15.8 points per game, sixth in the conference and 16th nationally.

Baylor has held three consecutive opponents under 20 points for the first time since the first three games of the 1996 season (16 vs. Louisiana Tech, 13 vs. Louisville, 10 vs. Oregon State). The last time the Bears held four consecutive opponents under 20 points was in a four-game winning streak to conclude the 1986 season (Baylor also held Louisiana Tech to three points to open the 1987 season). Last Saturday was Baylor's first loss under head coach Guy Morriss when holding the opponent under 20 points; the Bears are 6-1 under Morriss in such games.

BAYLOR IN BIG 12 CONFERENCE STATISTICAL RANKINGS

Through games of Oct. 1, Baylor ranks seventh in total offense (371.5 ypg), passing offense (215.8), scoring offense (27.3 ppg), rushing defense (109.0 ypg) and passing efficiency (115.9). The Bears are eighth in rushing offense (155.8), sixth in net punting (37.8 ypp), fourth in punt returns (13.1 ypr), eighth in kickoff returns (21.1 ypr) and sixth in turover margin (.00).

Individually, several Bears appear in this week's rankings. RB Paul Mosley is eighth in rushing (90.0 ypg), while RB Brandon Whitaker is 19th (52.5 ypg). QB Shawn Bell is 10th in passing efficiency (110.39), seventh in passing yardage (197.8 ypg) and ninth in total offense (189.5 ypg). WR Shaun Rochon ranks eighth in receptions per game (4.5), while WR Trent Shelton (3.8) is 16th, Whitaker (3.5) is 21st and WR Dominique Zeigler is 25th (3.3). Shelton ranks 14th in the league with 47.3 yards receiving per game, while Zeigler (39.3) is 21st and Rochon (38.3) is 24th.

Defensively, six Bears are tied for 10th in interceptions with one each. FS Maurice Lane is tied for sixth in the conference with 8.5 tackles per game, second among defensive backs. LB Jamaal Harper is tied for 26th in the league with 6.0 stops per contest. DT M.T. Robinson is tied for seventh in the Big 12 with 0.8 sacks per game, and DE Montez Murphy is tied for fourth with 0.5 fumbles forced per game. With four passes broken up and one interception, CB C.J. Wilson is tied for fourth in the conference with 1.3 passes defended per game.

BEARS STINGY AGAINST THE RUN

Baylor allowed only 56 yards rushing on 40 attempts against Army, one game removed from allowing 55 yards rushing on 29 attempts against Samford. It marked the first time Baylor held consecutive opponents below 60 yards rushing since 1989. The Samford tally was the lowest rushing total by a Baylor opponent since the Bears held SMU to 30 yards rushing in 1995.

The Army game was the fourth time under head coach Guy Morriss and the 37th time since 1980 that Baylor held an opponent under 60 yards rushing. Baylor is 3-1 in such games under Morriss (losing at Oklahoma in 2003) and 34-3 in such games since 1980.

The Bears' 55 yards allowed against Samford was the 13th-lowest since 1990 and the lowest since the beginning of the Big 12 Conference era in 1996. The 56 yards allowed against Army tied for 14th-lowest in school history.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

Baylor had two non-offensive touchdowns against Samford -- Jamaal Harper's 29-yard fumble return for a touchdown and Shaun Rochon's 85-yard punt return for a touchdown. It also marked the first time Baylor has recorded two non-offensive scores in one game since Samir AL-AMIN returned two interceptions for touchdowns against Southern Illinois in the 2001 season finale. In 27 games under head coach Guy Morriss, the Bears have recorded 11 non-offensive scores:

• 2003 vs. UAB -- James Todd blocked punt for safety

• 2003 vs. Colorado -- Jamaal Harper 7-yard fumble return (forced by Derrick Cash)

• 2003 at Kansas -- James Todd blocked punt recovery in end zone (blocked by Michael Boyd)

• 2003 at Kansas State -- Robert Quiroga 98-yard kickoff return

• 2003 vs. Texas Tech -- Robert Quiroga 100-yard kickoff return

• 2003 vs. Oklahoma State -- Willie Andrews 30-yard fumble return (forced by John Garrett)

• 2004 vs. Texas State -- Justin Crooks 9-yard fumble return (forced by Montez Murphy)

• 2004 vs. North Texas -- Braelon Davis blocked punt recovery in end zone (blocked by Davis)

• 2004 vs. Iowa State -- Braelon Davis defensive PAT (interception return)

• 2005 vs. Samford -- Jamaal Harper 29-yard fumble return (forced by Colin Allred)

• 2005 vs. Samford -- Shaun Rochon 85-yard punt return

ZEIGLER, SHELTON CLIMB BAYLOR CAREER RECEPTIONS LIST

Junior WRs Trent Shelton and Dominique Zeigler enter Saturday's game against Iowa State tied with Derrius Thompson (1996-98) for 15th all-time at Baylor with 78 career receptions each.

Last season, Shelton (38) and Zeigler (55) joined Marques Roberts (40) as the only the fifth Baylor trio with at least 30 receptions each.

Shelton heads into the Iowa State game having caught at least one pass in 26 consecutive games, the longest such string for a Bear since Reggie Newhouse ended his career with a 34-game streak (2000-2002). Shelton's streak is the 13th-longest active streak nationally and the second-longest in the Big 12. Here is a look at the longest active streaks nationally:

41 - Jovon Bouknight, WR, Wyoming

39 - Charles Sharon, WR, Bowling Green State

37 - Chris Francies, WR, UTEP

34 - Derek Hagan, WR, Arizona State

33 - Mark Philmore, WR, Northwestern

33 - Bill Sampy, WR, Louisiana-Lafayette

32 - Garrett Mills, TE, Tulsa

29 - Cory Rodgers, WR, TCU

28 - Steve Odom, WR, Toledo

28 - Vincent Marshall, WR, Houston

28 - Mark Simmons, WR, Kansas

27 - Nichiren Flowers, WR, Nevada

26 - Trent Shelton, WR, BAYLOR

26 - Brian Leonard, FB, Rutgers

26 - Scott Mayle, WR, Ohio

26 - Tres Moses, WR, Rutgers

26 - Jeff Webb, WR, San Diego State

24 - Jason Avant, WR, Michigan

24 - Greg Jennings, WR, Western Michigan

25 - Antwon Courington, WR, Southern Mississippi

23 - Mike Haas, WR, Oregon State

23 - Ryne Robinson, WR, Miami (Ohio)

22 - Jared Ellerson, WR, Minnesota

ANDREWS, BELL, SEPULVEDA AMONG CAREER ACTIVE LEADERS

OS Willie Andrews, QB Shawn Bell and P Daniel Sepulveda both rank among the NCAA's top career active leaders in sundry statistical categories.

Andrews is fifth in career punt returns (80), fourth in punt return yardage (783), 13th in punt returns per game (2.1), 19th in punt return yardage per game (20.1), 10th in kickoff returns (59), 10th in kickoff return yardage (1,443) and 13th in yards per kickoff return (24.5).

Bell ranks 11th in career completion percentage (60.2).

Sepulveda ranks ninth in total punts (165), ninth in punt yardage (7,341), fourth in punts per game (6.1) and second in yards per punt (44.5).

SEPULVEDA NAMED TO RAY GUY WATCH LIST

Junior P Daniel Sepulveda was named to the Ray Guy Award Watch List, the Greater Augusta [Ga.] Sports Council announced recently. Sepulveda, a product of Highland Park High School in Dallas, Texas, became the first sophomore to win the award given to the nation's top punter last season. Through four games this year, Sepulveda ranks fourth nationally with 46.3 yards per punt.

The Guy Award Watch List will be narrowed to 10 semifinalists in early November. The national voting body then will for the three finalists to be announced in early December. The winner will be announced Dec. 8 as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN.

BELL NAMED TO AFCA GOOD WORKS TEAM

Junior QB Shawn Bell was among 12 student-athletes named to the American Football Coaches Association's 2005 Good Works Team, the AFCA announced recently. Bell, the first Baylor student-athlete ever so honored, is one of three signal-callers on the team, joining D.J. Shockley of Georgia and Vince Young of Texas. Four Big 12 Conference student-athletes were so honored as Nebraska WR Mark LeFlore and Kansas State FB Victor Mann also were honored.

The two teams, a Division I-A team and a combined team from Divisions I-AA, II, III and the NAIA, honor players for their dedication and commitment to community service. From 1992-1996, the Good Works Team was selected by the College Football Association. When the CFA disbanded in 1997, the AFCA began selecting the teams.

SPECIAL SPECIAL TEAMS

The strongest facet of Baylor's squad in Guy Morriss' two seasons on the sideline has arguably been its special teams play. After recording four scores in 2003, the Bears' 2004 special team units tallied two more scores and featured the 2004 Ray Guy Award winner in Daniel Sepulveda and consensus first-team All-Big 12 return specialist Willie Andrews.

The 2004 Bears, who ranked No. 5 nationally in net punting (40.6 ypp), No. 35 in kickoff returns (21.7 ypr) and No. 36 in punt returns (11.1 ypr), were the only Big 12 team to rank among the nation's top 36 in all three of those statistical categories a year ago. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that in the year prior to Mark Nelson's arrival as Baylor's special teams coordinator the program ranked 91st nationally in punt returns, 115th in kickoff returns and 117th in net punting.

Sepulveda captured the Ray Guy Award as the nation's top collegiate punter after ranking No. 3 nationally with his 46.0 yard average and Andrews led the league and ranked 24th nationally in kickoff returns with his 24.7 yard mark.

A senior outside safety who will again contend for All-Big 12 and All-America honors, Andrews ranked No. 6 in the Big 12 and No. 65 nationally in 2004 with 107.6 all-purpose yards per game despite not taking a snap on the offensive side of the ball. He also led the Big 12 and ranked 24th nationally in kickoff returns (24.7 ypr) while standing No. 3 in the league and No. 43 nationally in punt returns (10.8 ypr).

BEARS GROWING UP

After fielding the nation's second-youngest team a year ago (only SMU at 76.1 percent had a higher percentage of underclassmen on its 2004 roster than Baylor, whose roster was 71.1 percent underclassmen) third-year coach Guy Morriss' 2005 Baylor squad will arguably be the most-seasoned of his tenure in Waco.

Baylor's 132-man 2005 roster includes 19 seniors, 34 juniors, 25 sophomores and 54 freshmen. The Bears' 2004 roster, by comparison, included some 96 underclassmen among the 135 players listed.

2005 BEARS FACE SIX 2004 BOWL TEAMS

After playing eight of 11 games a year ago against teams that went on to earn bowl invitations, Baylor will tackle six 2004 bowl squads in 2005. However, that's really nothing new for coach Guy Morriss' program: 15 times in Morriss' first two seasons (including 13 of 16 Big 12 contests), Baylor faced an opponent which wound up with a bowl bid at season's end.

The Bears' 2005 opponents combined for a 70-58 (.545) record a year ago and six earned bowl invites -- Texas A&M, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Texas and Oklahoma State.

All-told, six of BU's eight 2005 Big 12 games will be against teams that earned bowl bids last year. The Bears' eight Big 12 foes went 61-34 (.642) last year and accounted for six of the league's seven 2004 bowl bids.

Two of Baylor's three wins a year ago and six of its eight losses were at the hands of eventual bowl-bound teams. The Bears knocked off Cotton Bowl participant Texas A&M (35-34 in overtime) and New Orleans Bowl entrant North Texas (37-14) but dropped games to bowl-bound programs Texas (Rose champion), Iowa State (Independence champion), Texas Tech (Holiday champ), Oklahoma State (Alamo), Oklahoma (Orange) and UAB (Hawai'i).

Baylor and Syracuse were the only programs to play eight eventual bowl teams in 2004 and the Bears' slate ranked as the nation's sixth-toughest according to the NCAA's annual strength of schedule survey.

BAND OF BROTHERS

Baylor's 2005 roster features three sets of brothers: the Boatners (junior Yancy and true freshman Thad), Jenkins (junior Quincy and redshirt freshman Desmond) and McDonalds (senior Lequalan and true freshman LeQuantum).

BAYLOR AGAIN LEADS BIG 12 IN GRADUATION RATES

For the fifth time in the Big 12 Conference's nine-year history, Baylor University posted the highest student-athlete graduation rate of any league institution, according to figures released by the NCAA last fall.

The Bears' most-recent graduation rates, for the freshman class of 1997-98, is 78 percent, a school record by four points over the previous high of 74 percent in 2000. That figure is also 8 points higher than Baylor's general student population and 16 points better than the NCAA Division I national average of 62 percent.

Baylor also graduated a Big 12-best 76 percent of its male student-athletes and a league-high 82 percent of its female student-athletes. The Baylor football program produced a Big 12-leading 88 percent graduation rate, marking the fifth time in the league's history it set the standard for classroom excellence.

Among Division I-A institutions, Baylor's overall student-athlete graduation rate ranked as the nation's 10th-highest mark according to the most-recent NCAA figures.

In addition to leading the Big 12 in graduation rates five times, Baylor ranked second on three other occasions. All-told, 88 percent of Baylor student-athletes who exhausted their eligibility and entered school from 1988-89 through 1997-98 left with degree in hand according to the NCAA study.

LONE STAR TIES

The Bears' 132-man roster features 120 players who played their high school football in the Lone Star state. The other 12 players on Baylor's roster hail from Louisiana (2), Oklahoma (2), California (2), Arizona (1), Nebraska (1), Missouri (1), Mississippi (1), Illinois (1) and Virginia (1).

Of the 70 players listed on Baylor's 2005 depth chart for the Iowa State game, 63 are Texans, including 22 of the 24 projected starters (includes No. 1 place-kicker and punter) for the Bears.

COACHING STAFF BOASTS 198 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

The 2005 Baylor football coaching staff boasts a combined 198 years of sideline experience in the professional, collegiate and high school ranks. Six members of this year's staff -- Larry Hoefer (safeties), Harold Jackson (wide receivers), Chris Lancaster (offensive line), Wesley McGriff (cornerbacks/recruiting coordinator), Mark Nelson (linebackers/special teams coordinator and Brent Pease (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks) -- have been with Guy Morriss since he first became a Division I-A head coach in 2001 at Kentucky. Entering his fifth season as a head coach, Morriss was recently rated as one of the nation's eight most underrated coaches by SportsIllustrated.com.

The newest member of the Baylor staff is 26-year coaching veteran Don Wnek who replaced Tom Adams as the Bears' defensive line coach on Aug. 7, 2005. Wnek, a specialist in pass rush and defensive line techniques, spent the 2004 season as the director of football operations at the University of Indiana and worked as a federal law officer for the Department of Homeland Security in 2003. Prior to his stint with the U.S. Government, he worked in the CFL, XFL and in the college ranks at his alma mater, Northern Illinois, and Nevada.

Not only is the Baylor staff steeped in sideline experience, but it features three men, Morriss (one), defensive coordinator Bill Bradley (three) and Jackson (five), who combined to earn nine NFL All-Pro awards between them. Two others, Nelson and Pease, also enjoyed successful professional football playing careers.

TRANSFERS FIND HOME AT BAYLOR

Baylor's 2005 depth chart features seven players who began their collegiate careers at other Division I-A programs but have since found their way to Waco. All seven are former Texas high school preps.

Tulane transfer Will Blaylock missed nearly all of Baylor's spring drills with an ankle injury, but the junior is listed as the Bears' top center. Sophomore Jordan Adams stands No. 3 at tight end after joining the program from New Mexico. Junior RB Mario Price, who lettered as a true freshman at Army in 2002 before sitting out the 2003 season in Waco, is No. 4 on the depth chart at running back.

On the defensive side of the ball, sophomore Nick Moore, who lettered at Georgia Tech as a true freshman in 2003, is No. 2 at linebacker behind senior Jamaal Harper and another Tulane transfer, sophomore Alton Widemon, is No. 2 at cornerback.

Junior Paul Howard, the Bears' No. 2 defensive end, began his collegiate career at Texas Tech and played there as a redshirt freshman, and DT Klayton Shoals redshirted as a true freshman at Iowa State before joining the Baylor program.

Howard, Price and Shoals both lettered for the Bears in 2004 while the other four were in the program but sat out due to NCAA transfer rules.

OVER THE AIR

Bear football games can be heard live on the Baylor Radio Network. The network includes 11 affiliates across Texas, including flagship stations ESPN KRZI-AM (1660) in Waco. All Baylor games are broadcast by the "Voice of the Bears" John Morris, a veteran broadcaster in his 11th season as the signature voice of Baylor Athletics. Former Baylor football standouts J.J. Joe (color analyst) and Ricky Thompson (sideline reporter) complete the broadcast team.

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 College Sports TV network. CSTV currently hosts sites for more than 100 universities, including four Big 12 schools and the conference office.

BAYLOR GAMES ON THE INTERNET

The radio call from all of Baylor's games can be heard free of charge live on the Internet at www.BaylorBears.com.

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 (Sunday, 10:30 p.m. CT), Fox Sports Southwest (Wednesday, 1 p.m. CT), College Sports Television (Friday, 3:30 p.m. CT) and the College Channel (Waco cable 18).

NEXT UP...

Baylor returns home for just its second home of the season, hosting Nebraska for a 6 p.m. CDT kickoff at Floyd Casey Stadium. The game will not be televised.