Baylor Closes Non-Big 12 Play at Army
9/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
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2005 BAYLOR FOOTBALL GAME NOTES
BAYLOR BEARS (2-0) at ARMY CADETS (0-1)
SEPT. 17, 2005 • MICHIE STADIUM •
ESPN CLASSIC
BAYLOR CLOSES 2005 NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE AT ARMY
Off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2001, Baylor concludes the non-conference portion of its 2005 schedule Saturday, Sept. 17, traveling to
Saturday's game will be televised nationally on ESPN Classic. Tim Ryan handles play-by-play duties, while 1989 Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware provides color commentary and Heather Mitts provides sideline commentary. The game can be seen live in the Waco, Texas, area on Time Warner Cable channel 64 and Grande Cable channel 25.
BAYLOR-ARMY SERIES
This is the third meeting between Baylor and Army. The Bears have won each of the first two meetings, both of which were played at
Baylor is 5-0 all-time against the United States Service Academies. The Bears are 3-0 against Air Force and have never faced Navy.
Army is a Division I-A Independent. The only other independent Baylor has faced is Notre Dame; the Bears are 0-2 all-time against the Fighting Irish.
BAYLOR IN TELEVISED GAMES
Saturday's game is the 96th televised game in Baylor football history; the Bears are 36-57-2 all-time in televised games. Baylor was 0-3 in televised games last season and 1-4 in televised games under head coach Guy Morriss.
This is the first time Baylor has played on ESPN Classic. The Bears are 1-7 all-time on the ESPN family of networks, going 1-6 on ESPN and 0-1 on ESPN2. Saturday is Baylor's first game on an ESPN network since a 30-29 overtime loss at
WHAT TO WATCH FOR ...
• Baylor seeks its first 3-0 start since 1996. The Bears have started 24 seasons 3-0 but only five since 1961 -- 1980, 1988, 1991, 1994 and 1996.
• Baylor looks to win three consecutive games since 2003 when the Bears posted home wins against SMU,
• Baylor looks for back-to-back road wins for the first time since the 1996 season when the Bears opened with a win against Louisiana Tech at
• Baylor looks for back-to-back wins on opponents' home fields for the first time since 1995 when the Bears won at
• Senior FS Maurice Lane, a Thorpe Award Watch List member, needs four solo tackles to move into third place on Baylor's all-time list. He enters the Army contest with 211 solo tackles (288 total career stops).
• Senior LG Lequalan McDonald should draw his 26th straight start along the o-line against Army, while senior
• WR Trent Shelton has at least one reception in 24 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.
• OS/KR Willie Andrews leads all active Division I-A players with 133 total kick returns (74 punts, 59 kickoffs).
• Baylor is 7-2 under Morriss when scoring at least 24 points and 5-0 when holding the opponent under 20 points.
ARMY GAME CAPTAINS SELECTED
Three Bears earned captain designation from the coaches for the Army game based upon their performance last Saturday against Samford. OT Nick Pace was honored on the offensive side of the ball, while CB C.J. Wilson was honored on the defensive side of the ball. From the special teams unit, P Daniel Sepulveda was honored.
Senior LB Colin Allred and junior QB Shawn Bell were selected by their teammates as captains for the 2005 season. In addition to the permanent captains, the coaching staff will select game-day captains based upon performance each week.
BEARS, BLACK KNIGHTS SHARE MANY TIES
Baylor junior RB Mario Price faces his former team Saturday. In his third year at Baylor, Price spent one season (2002) at Army. Then a cornerback, Price played all 12 games for the Black Knights and tallied five tackles with one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He also returned seven kickoffs for 108 yards.
Price is a product of Keller [
Katy [Texas] Cinco Ranch: BU -- DE Julian Hill, OT Nick Pace, WR Queito Teasley, TE Keegan Vann; Army -- TE Jared Ulekowski
Southlake [
Lafayette [
Furthermore, Army head coach Bobby Ross spent the 1978 through 1981 seasons as an assistant coach with the Kansas City Chiefs. During the same time, former Baylor All-America CB Gary Green was a member of the Chiefs. Army quarterbacks coach Eddie Wilson was Army's offensive coordinator when the teams last met in 1979.
INJURY REPORT
Senior WR Ryan Jeffrey (broken left hand) and freshman LB Justin Osinde (season-ending knee injury) will miss the Army game with injuries sustained during fall camp. Senior WR J Fields (hamstring) is probable for the Army game. Junior DT Corey Ford (right knee) and sophomore OS Zach Zachry (right knee) join junior OT Travis Farst (knee cap) on the questionable list.
FROM THE SAMFORD GAME ...
• Baylor's 24 first-half points were the most since scoring 30 in the first half against
• With a fumble return for a TD and a punt return for a TD, Baylor has 11 non-offensive scores since the beginning of the 2003 season.
• Baylor's 48 points were the most since scoring 50 against Samford in 2002.
• WR Shaun Rochon's fourth-quarter, 85-yard punt return for a TD was Baylor's first since Thomas Everett's 75-yard TD return against
• Rochon's punt return also was the longest since 1968 and tied for the sixth-longest in Baylor history.
• OS/KR Willie Andrews established a Baylor career record for kickoff return yardage on his first kickoff return of the night. He ended the game with 1,443 yards.
• Andrews moved into sole possession of fourth place on Baylor's career punt return list in tonight's game, passing Gary Green. Andrews now has 74 career punt returns.
• CB C.J. Wilson's first-quarter interception was the first of his career.
• P Daniel Sepulveda recorded his ninth and 10th career punts of 60-plus yards during the second quarter, tying Kyle Atteberry's school record.
• Sepulveda also extended his school record for career punts of 50-plus yards. He now has 53 on his career.
• LB Jamaal Harper's second-quarter, 29-yard fumble return for a TD was the second of his career. He also had a 16-yard return against
• CB James Todd's third-quarter interception was the second of his career.
• RB Brandon Whitaker's third-quarter TD was the first of his career.
• WR Mikail Baker's fourth-quarter TD reception was the first reception of his career.
• PK Ryan Havens tied his career-long with a 47-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
BEARS LOOK TO RUN TABLE AGAINST NON-CONFERENCE FOES
Much attention has been paid to the fact that a win Saturday against Army would give Baylor its first 3-0 start since 1996. However, a win also would give the Bears a perfect record in the non-conference portion of their schedule for the first time since the same season.
In fact, Baylor has gone undefeated against non-conference foes only 14 times since joining the Southwest Conference in 1915. In 1951, the Bears went undefeated against non-conference opponents but fell to Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl. Baylor has accomplished the feat only three times since 1962.
Here is a look at seasons in which the Bears went undefeated against non-conference opponents: 1916 (6-0), 1919 (5-0), 1923 (4-0), 1928 (5-0), 1932 (4-0), 1940 (4-0), 1947 (4-0), 1949 (4-0), 1956 (5-0*), 1961 (4-0*), 1976 (3-0), 1988 (4-0), 1991 (3-0) ... * includes bowl win.
SPECIAL TEAMS SHINE YET AGAIN
Baylor's heralded special teams unit, ranked 15th nationally by Phil Steele's 2005 College Football Preview, turned in another strong outing last Saturday against Samford. All-America P Daniel Sepulveda averaged 51.0 yards per punt, including two punts of 61 yards, another of 50 yards and two inside the 20. Meanwhile, the Bears punt coverage team held Samford to 10 yards on two returns for a net average of 45.0 yards per punt (one punt was a touchback).
PK Ryan Havens, in his first season handling place kicking duties for the Bears, made good on both of his field goal attempts, including a 47-yarder that tied his career long.
However, the star of the night on special teams was PR Shaun Rochon, whose 85-yard punt return for a touchdown in the game's final minute tied for the sixth longest in school history. It also was Baylor's first punt return for a touchdown since Thomas Everett's 75-yard return against
BEARS MOVE BALL ON FIRST DOWN
Through the first two games of the season, Baylor has averaged 5.9 yards per play on first down, gaining 198 yards on 36 first-down plays against SMU and 190 yards on 30 first-down plays against Samford. Baylor quarterbacks are 15-of-21 for 164 yards, two touchdowns, one interception and one sack on first down this season.
BAYLOR IN BIG 12 CONFERENCE STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Through games of Sept. 10, Baylor ranks fourth in the Big 12 Conference and 19th nationally with 38.0 points per game. Defensively, Baylor is one of nine Big 12 teams allowing fewer than 20.0 points per game. The Bears rank sixth in the league in both total offense (392.5 ypg) and total defense (290.0 ypg). Baylor's pass defense ranks fourth in the Big 12, allowing 177.5 yards per game; the Bears are third in the league in pass efficiency defense at 92.8.
Individually, RB Paul Mosley ranks 10th in the league and 61st nationally in rushing (75.0 ypg) and is tied for the league lead with 12.0 points per game. WR/KR Shaun Rochon ranks second in the league and 10th nationally in punt return yardage (22.8 ypr), while OS/KR Willie Andrews ranks sixth in the Big 12 and 29th nationally in the same category (12.8 ypr). P Daniel Sepulveda is second in the conference, averaging 47.6 yards per punt. Sepulveda trails only John Torp of
BEARS STINGY ON RUN AGAINST SAMFORD
Baylor allowed only 55 yards rushing on 29 attempts against Samford last Saturday. That marked the lowest rushing total by a Baylor opponent since the Bears held SMU to 30 yards rushing in 1995. It marked the third time under head coach Guy Morriss and the 36th time since 1980 that Baylor held an opponent under 60 yards rushing. Baylor is 2-1 in such games under Morriss (losing at
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.
Baylor had two non-offensive touchdowns last Saturday 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
• 2003 vs. UAB -- James Todd blocked punt for safety
• 2003 vs.
• 2003 at
• 2003 at
• 2003 vs. Texas Tech -- Robert Quiroga 100-yard kickoff return
• 2003 vs.
• 2004 vs.
• 2004 vs.
• 2004 vs.
• 2005 vs. Samford -- Jamaal Harper 29-yard fumble return (forced by Colin Allred)
• 2005 vs. Samford -- Shaun Rochon 85-yard punt return
BEARS SPREAD THE WEALTH IN PASSING GAME
Baylor quarterbacks connected with nine different receivers in last Saturday's game against Samford. It marked the ninth time in Guy Morriss' tenure -- and the second consecutive game -- that Baylor quarterbacks completed passes to at least nine different receivers.
YEAR OPPONENT COMPLETIONS RECEIVERS
2003 UAB 20 9
2003 North
2003
2003
2004 at UAB 28 13
2004 at
2004
2005 at SMU 23 9
2005 Samford 19 9
ZEIGLER,
Junior WRs Trent Shelton and Dominique Zeigler are inching closer to Baylor's career receptions top 15 list. Entering Saturday's game at Army, Zeigler has 70 career receptions, eight behind 15th-place Derrius Thompson (1996-98).
Last season,
Shelton heads into the Army game having caught at least one pass in 24 consecutive games, the longest such string for a Bear since Reggie Newhouse ended his career with a 34-game streak (2000-2002).
38 - Jovon Bouknight, WR,
37 - Charles Sharon, WR,
34 - Chris Francies, WR, UTEP
31 - Derek Hagan, WR,
31 - Bill Sampy, WR, Louisiana-Lafayette
31 - Mark Philmore, WR, Northwestern
29 - Garrett Mills, TE,
27 - Steve Odom, WR,
26 - Vincent Marshall, WR, Houston
26 - Cory Rodgers, WR, TCU
26 - Mark Simmons, WR,
25 - Jason Avant, WR,
24 - Trent Shelton, WR, BAYLOR
24 - Scott Mayle, WR,
23 - Antwon Courington, WR,
22 - Martin Nance, WR,
22 - Ryne Robinson, WR,
22 - Jeff Webb, WR,
A second-team 2004 All-Big 12 selection, Lane has started all 36 games he has played in at Baylor and already ranks among the school's all-time leaders in solo tackles. With 211 career solos, he stands No. 4 on BU's career list and needs just 89 more to join College and Pro Hall of Famer Mike Singletary as the only Bears to record 300 or more career solos. Lane, who has 288 career tackles, is just 16 stops shy of the school's all-time top 10 and 93 away from moving into the No. 2 position behind Singletary's career mark of 662 stops.
In 2004, he led the Bears and ranked No. 3 among all Big 12 performers (tops among league defensive backs) in tackles with 104 (9.5 tpg). Lane paced the Big 12 and ranked No. 3 nationally in solo tackles with 7.0 per game, as his 77 solos ranked as the eighth-best one-season total in school history. He ended the season with four straight double-figure tackle games, one of which was a season-high, 16-tackle effort at
ANDREWS MAKES MARK IN MULTIPLE AREAS
One of Baylor's most versatile players, senior OS Willie Andrews again figures to be a busy man in the secondary and on special teams for the 2005 Bears. On the field for 854 snaps as a junior, the 2005 All-America and All-Big 12 candidate has started 25 consecutive games in the secondary entering the Army game.
Andrews led the 2004 Bears in sacks (three), ranked No. 2 in both tackles for loss (10) and quarterback hurries (seven) and was No. 3 in total tackles with 67. A near consensus 2004 first-team All-Big 12 honoree as a return specialist, he also garnered a first-team award from The Dallas Morning News for his standout defensive play. Andrews ranks as the school's all-time leader in total kick return yards (kickoff and punt returns) with 2,057 yards and is poised to own nearly every school return record before his career ends.
Through games of Sept. 10, Andrews ranks sixth in the Big 12 Conference and 29th nationally with 12.8 yards per punt return. He also leads all active Division I-A players with 133 career total kick returns (74 punt returns, 59 kickoff returns).
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).
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 bowl squads in 2005. However, that's really nothing new for coach Guy Morriss' program, as 15 times in his first 24 games (including 13 of 16 Big 12 contests) along the Baylor sideline he's 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
Baylor and
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
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.
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
Of the 72 players listed on Baylor's 2005 depth chart for the Army game, 65 are Texans, including 22 of the 24 projected starters (includes No. 1 place-kicker and punter) for the Bears.
BAND OF BROTHERS
Baylor's 2005 roster features three sets of brothers: the Boatners (junior Yancy and true freshman Thad), Jenkins (junior
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
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
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
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
BAYLORBEARS.COM
Baylor's official athletic web site can be found at www.BaylorBears.com. The comprehensive site, which includes releases,
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
NEXT UP...
Baylor takes a week off before starting Big 12 Conference play Saturday, Oct. 1, at Texas A&M. Kickoff between the Bears and the Aggies at Kyle Field in
