Bears Travel to Colorado

10/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football

Oct. 3, 2006

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GAME SIX

BAYLOR (2-3, 1-0)

at COLORADO (0-5, 0-1)

SATURDAY, OCT. 7, 2006 • 1:30 P.M. MDT

FOLSOM FIELD (53,750)

BOULDER, COLO.

SERIES RECORD

Colorado leads 8-5

LAST MEETING

Baylor 42, Colorado 30 [10.4.03]

COACHES

BAYLOR: Guy Morriss (TCU, 1973)

Record at Baylor: 13-26 (4th season)

Career Record: 22-40 (6th season)

Record vs. Colorado: 1-0

COLORADO: Dan Hawkins (UC Davis, 1984)

Record at Colorado: 0-5 (1st season)

Career Record: 53-16 (6th season)

Record vs. Baylor: 0-0

BAYLOR/ISP RADIO NETWORK

John Morris, play-by-play

J.J. Joe, color analyst

Ricky Thompson, sideline

Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 161

INTERNET FEEDS

www.BaylorBears.com

BEARS TRAVEL TO COLORADO FOR FIRST BIG 12 ROAD GAME

Baylor returns to action Saturday, Oct. 7, traveling to Boulder, Colo., for a Big 12 Conference inter-division game against Colorado. Kickoff between the Bears and the Buffaloes is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. MDT (2:30 p.m. CDT) at Folsom Field.

The Bears (2-3, 1-0) defeated Kansas State 17-3 at home last Saturday in the Big 12 opener for both schools. Baylor is 0-1 on the road this season; this is Baylor's first game on an opponent's home field.

The Buffaloes (0-5, 0-1) have dropped nine straight dating back to last season after a 28-13 loss at Missouri last Saturday in the Big 12 opener for both schools. Colorado is 0-2 at home this season. Saturday's game is Homecoming on the Colorado campus.

BAYLOR-COLORADO SERIES

This is the 14th meeting between Baylor and Colorado, the fifth as Big 12 Conference foes. The Buffaloes hold an 8-5 advantage in the all-time series, which dates back to a 15-7 Baylor victory at Boulder in 1959.

Baylor ended Colorado's five-game series winning streak in the series with a 42-30 victory over the two-time reigning Big 12 North champion Buffaloes in 2003. The Bears' last victory at Folsom Field was a 16-14 triumpth Sept. 14, 1991, which was Baylor's last win over Colorado prior to the 2003 game.

Colorado leads the series 5-2 at Boulder and 3-1 since the inception of the Big 12 Conference. The Bears and the Buffaloes have played one neutral-site contest, a 21-9 Baylor victory at the 1986 Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston.

Overall: Colorado leads 8-5

Waco: Colorado leads 3-2

Boulder: Colorado leads 5-2

Neutral Site: Baylor leads 1-0

Since Start of Big 12: Colorado leads 3-1

SERIES NOTES

• Baylor's 42-30 victory over Colorado in 2003 was the first Big 12 Conference game of head coach Guy Morriss' Baylor career.

• That win followed consecutive shutouts by the Buffaloes (37-0 in Waco, 1999; 34-0 at Boulder, 2002).

• Rashad Armstrong rushed 37 times for 166 yards in the 2003 meeting. That tied for the third-most carries in a game all-time at Baylor, and it was the 13th-largest single-game rushing total in school history. Armstrong tallied 121 yards in the second half, the last time a Baylor player rushed for 100 yards in a half.

• The teams combined for 95 points in the 1992 meeting, the third highest-scoring game in Baylor football history behind only the 1917 game against Hardin Simmons (W 103-0) and the 1994 game against Texas (L 63-35).

• The 1959 meeting featured a 74-yard run by Ronnie Bull that at the time ranked as the fourth longest rush in school history and still is tied for 11th.

SERIES RESULTS

1959 BAYLOR 15, at Colorado 7 Sept. 26

1960 at BAYLOR 26, Colorado 0 Sept. 24

1966 Colorado 13, at BAYLOR 7 Sept. 24

1967 at Colorado 27, BAYLOR 7 Sept. 16

1973 at Colorado 52, BAYLOR 28 Sept. 29

1986 * BAYLOR 21, Colorado 9 Dec. 31

1991 BAYLOR 16, at Colorado 14 Sept. 14

1992 Colorado 57, at BAYLOR 38 Sept. 12

1993 at Colorado 45, BAYLOR 21 Sept. 11

1998 at Colorado 18, BAYLOR 16 Sept. 26

1999 Colorado 37, at BAYLOR 0 Nov. 13

2002 at Colorado 34, BAYLOR 0 Oct. 19

2003 at BAYLOR 42, Colorado 30 Oct. 4

* - Bluebonnet Bowl; Houston, Texas

LAST MEETING

Baylor overcame a slow start to score five touchdowns in just over 17 minutes in a 42-30 victory over two-time reigning Big 12 North champion Colorado.

Aaron Karas threw three TD passes, Rashad Armstrong ran for 166 yards and two TDs, and the defense made several huge plays, including a fumble return for a score and a goal-line stop that prevented a go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

It was a tremendous conference opener for new coach Guy Morriss, and a sweet moment for even-newer athletic director Ian McCaw, who watched Baylor play for the first time.

This victory came against a Colorado team ranked 17th two weeks earlier.

BAYLOR IN CONFERENCE ROAD OPENERS

Baylor is 32-52-4 all-time in its first road conference game of the season; the Bears did not play road conference game in 1917.

The Bears have not won their conference road opener since a 47-7 victory at Houston in 1995, the last season of the Southwest Conference. Baylor is 0-10 in Big 12 road openers, including a 16-13 overtime loss at Texas A&M last season. The Bears had two other close calls in that 10-game skid -- a 24-23 loss at Oklahoma in 1997 and an 18-16 loss at Colorado in 1998. After the 1998 Colorado game, Baylor was out-scored 261-34 in its next six Big 12 road openers with three straight shutouts from 2000 to 2002.

Baylor won its first road conference game of the season every year from 1982 to 1987, a six-game streak that was the longest such run in school history.

QUICK NOTES

• Baylor (9/6) and Missouri (6/4) are the only teams in the Big 12 with more interceptions than touchdown passes allowed.

• A win against Colorado would give Baylor victories in three consecutive conference games for the first time since 1992 (SMU, at TCU, Houston).

• Baylor has lost the coin toss to begin every game this season.

• Baylor has not allowed a first-quarter point in six straight games.

• Baylor has out-scored its opponents 91-20 in the first half over the last six games.

• Baylor is tied with Rutgers for the national in turnovers forced with 16.

• Baylor leads the Big 12 and is tied for fifth nationally with nine interceptions.

• In 15 offensive scores this season, Baylor has two scoring drives of more than three minutes (3:26 at Washington State, 5:40 vs. Army).

• Of Baylor's 14 offensive scoring drives, five have been less than one minute in duration (three have been less than 40 seconds).

• Baylor has registered 10 plays longer than 40 yards this season in five games. The Bears totaled 11 plays longer than 40 yards in 11 games last season.

• Two of Baylor's three longest plays this season were against Kansas State.

• Baylor committed a season-low five penalties against Kansas State. The Bears have incurred at least eight penalties in 11 of their last 13 games.

• The winning team's score has ended in 7 in all five Baylor games this season.

• One team has scored exactly 17 points in three of Baylor's five games this season.

• QB Shawn Bell has passed for at least 200 yards in seven consecutive games, tying Don Trull's school record from the 1963 season.

• Bell has completed at least one TD pass in seven straight games, tying Brad Goebel's school record from the 1987 season.

• LB Joe Pawelek leads all Big 12 freshmen with 6.6 tackles per game, 1.6 tackles per game more than the next-highest freshman (Andre Sexton, Oklahoma State).

BAYLOR-COLORADO CONNECTIONS

• Colorado's roster features 14 players who prepped at Texas high schools. RB Mario Price attended Keller High School along with Colorado DE Walter Boye-Doe and TB Hugh Charles. LB Ben Hixson attended Southlake-Carroll along with Colorado OL Justin Drescher. IR Thomas White attended Plano-West along with Colorado OL Wes Palazzi.

• ROV Brandon Stiggers played with Colorado RB Thomas Perez at Compton [Calif.] CC each of the past two seasons.

BAYLOR vs. BIG 12 NORTH

Most of Baylor's success in the Big 12 Conference has come against teams from the North Division. The Bears are 6-25 against teams from the North with only three victories (Texas, 1997; Texas A&M, 2004; Oklahoma State, 2005) against teams from the South.

Baylor's victories against North teams are: Iowa State (1996), Kansas (1998), Kansas (2002), Colorado (2003), Iowa State (2005) and Kansas State (2006).

CRAWFORD NAMED BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

FS Dwain Crawford was named Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday. Crawford joined offensive honoree Graham Harrell of Texas Tech and special teams honoree Ryan Baum of Iowa State as the conference's weekly award recipients.

Crawford also was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week by the San Antonio Express-News.

A product of Giddings [Texas] High School, Crawford tallied five tackles, including a career-best three solo efforts, two interceptions and one other pass break up in Baylor's 17-3 victory over Kansas State. It was the first multiple-interception game of Crawford's career as he joined CB C.J. Wilson as the only Baylor players to accomplish the feat over the past five seasons.

Crawford is the first Baylor player to earn Big 12 Player of the Week honors this season. He is the first Bear to earn the weekly defensive honor since Colin Allred was so honored following Baylor's 44-34 victory over Oklahoma State in the 2006 season finale.

BAYLOR TURNS OVER A NEW LEAF

Since ranking 113th nationally in turnover margin and forcing just nine opponent miscues over the 11-game 2004 campaign, the Baylor defense has forced 45 turnovers (25 interceptions, 20 fumble recoveries) since the start of the 2005 season. In that time, the Bears have come up with at least one turnover in 15 of its last 16 games, including seven straight dating to last year's game against second-ranked Texas.

Over Morriss' first two seasons on the Baylor sideline, his defense forced 34 turnovers in 23 games, compared to the 45 it has totaled over the last 16 outings.

Here is a look at teams nationally with the most turnovers forced since the start of the 2005 season:

1. Southern California, 47

2. BAYLOR, 45

TCU, 45

4. Miami (Ohio), 43

Southern Mississippi, 43

6. Tulsa, 41

Iowa State, 41

West Virginia, 41

9. Virginia Tech, 40

Boise State, 40

A TALE OF TWO HALVES

The dissimilitude of Baylor's offensive production from the first half to the second half this season has been unequivocal. The Bears have led at the half in all five games but have won only twice. Last Saturday's win over Kansas State marked the first time this season Baylor has scored more points in the second half than in the first half against Division I-A opponents.

Here is a comparison of Baylor's offensive production (first half vs. second half) in four games against Division I-A opponents this season.

FIRST HALF SECOND HALF

33 POINTS 26

38 FIRST DOWNS 31

723 YARDS 453

130 PLAYS 129

5.6 YARDS/PLAY 3.5

36-89 RUSHING 45-27

2.5 YARDS/RUSH 0.6

58-112-1-634 PASSING 56-84-3-443

51.8 COMP. PCT. 66.7

5.7 YARDS/PASS 5.3

10.9 YARDS/COMPLETION 7.9

BELL MATCHES TWO SCHOOL RECORDS

QB Shawn Bell tied two school records with his 282-yard, two-TD performance last Saturday against Kansas State. It was the 12th 200-yard game of his career and his seventh in succession, tying Don Trull's school records. It also was his seventh consecutive with a TD pass, tying Brad Goebel's school mark.

Bell already owns Baylor's career records for completions (456) and completion percentage (.610). He ranks fifth on Baylor's career yards passing chart (4,437), second in attempts (748), tied for sixth in TD passes (28), first in TD-INT ratio (2.333) and first in lowest INT percentage (.0160).

Entering the Colorado game, Bell is four TD passes away from tying Cody Carlson's career school record and two TD passes from joining Carlson, J.J. Joe (31) and Jeff Watson (30) as the only Baylor quarterbacks with at least 30 career TD passes. To put Bell's TD-INT ratio in perspective, each of the other three quarterbacks with at least 30 career TDs also had at least 27 career INTs (Bell has just 12 entering the Colorado game).

DEFENSE STINGY IN FIRST QUARTER

Baylor has not allowed a first-quarter point in six straight games. That is the longest streak by a Baylor team since the Bears held seven consecutive opponents scoreless in the first quarter during the 1990 and 1991 seasons (last two games of 1990 and first five of 1991).

The last team to score in the first quarter against Baylor was Missouri last season (seven points). Baylor has not allowed more than one first-quarter score since Oct. 2, 2004, when Texas scored two touchdowns. In 23 games since, Baylor has surrendered only eight first-quarter touchdowns. The Bears have out-scored their opponents 99-36 in the first quarter since the start of the 2005 season, allowing only four touchdowns in those 16 games, and 54-0 over the last six games.

BAYLOR HAS 20/20 VISION

In three-plus seasons under head coach Guy Morriss, Baylor has established a bit of a vicenary rule on the scoreboard. The Bears are 11-7 when scoring at least 20 points and 2-19 when scoring less than 20 points since the start of the 2003 season. Likewise, the Bears are 9-3 when holding the opponent to fewer than 20 points and 4-23 when allowing 20 or more points in that time.

Baylor's lone victories when scoring less than 20 points since the start of the 2003 season came in Morriss' first victory with the Bears -- a 10-7 win over SMU at Floyd Casey Stadium -- and last Saturday's 17-3 win over Kansas State that snapped a 17-game losing streak when scoring less than 17 points.

In fact, since 1995, Baylor has won a game when scoring less than 20 points only five times: 14-0 at North Carolina State in 1995, 14-13 at Louisville in 1996, 16-13 in overtime vs. New Mexico in 2001, the 2003 SMU game and last Saturday against Kansas State.

Baylor has lost six consecutive games when the opponent scores at least 20 points, including this season's loss to Army. The last time the Bears allowed 20-plus points and won was a 28-23 victory at SMU to open the 2005 season.

Furthermore, Baylor is 10-11 under Morriss when holding the opponent to fewer than 20 first downs and 3-15 when the opponent records at least 20 first downs.

SHELTON, ZEIGLER CONTINUE TO CLIMB CHARTS

WRs Trent Shelton and Dominique Zeigler soon will be able to claim the epithet of Baylor's all-time best receiving duo. The two have combined for 264 receptions as teammates. That ranks second in school history behind only the 265 receptions amassed by teammates Reggie Newhouse and Robert Quiroga during the 2000, 2001 and 2002 seasons.

Zeigler (133) enters the Colorado game fourth in career receptions at Baylor, while Shelton (131) is tied for fifth place with Robert Quiroga. Reggie Newhouse (1999-02) holds the all-time Baylor mark at 183. The only other Baylor receivers to amass at least 100 career receptions are Gerald McNeil (163) and Lawrence Elkins (144).

Shelton enters the Colorado game fifth all-time at Baylor with 1,606 career receiving yards. He needs 379 yards to pass Melvin Bonner (1,984; 1989-92) for fourth place.

Zeigler enters the Colorado game eighth all-time at Baylor with 1,403 career receiving yards. He needs 76 yards to pass Quiroga (1,478; 2000-03) for seventh place and 78 yards to pass Matt Clark (1,480; 1984-87) for sixth place.

WHITAKER CATCHES ON

RB Brandon Whitaker is third on the Baylor team with 22 receptions this season. With 4.4 receptions per game, Whitaker ranks 12th in the Big 12 and 78th nationally. Whitaker is seventh nationally in receptions per game among running backs.

Whitaker established career highs with nine receptions for 56 yards against Washington State. His nine receptions were the most by a Baylor running back since Charles Perry accomplished the feat at Houston in 1987. Only Derek Davis (10 vs. Texas A&M, 1970) has caught more passes out of the backfield in a single game.

WILSON PLAYS SET-UP MAN

Three of CB C.J. Wilson's four interceptions this season have led to Baylor touchdowns. His interception against TCU was followed by a four-play, 35-yard touchdown drive. His first interception against Northwestern State was followed immediatedly by a 46-yard Shawn Bell-to-Trent Shelton touchdown pass. Wilson took care of the scoring himself with his second interception against Northwestern State, returning it 52 yards for a touchdown.

Wilson's two-pick night against Northwestern State was the first multiple-interception game of his career and the first by a Baylor player since Samir AL-AMIN against Southern Illinois in the 2001 season finale. Wilson's pick six was the first by a Baylor defensive back since Al-Amin returned both interceptions in that Southern Illinois contest.

With five interceptions last season and four picks this season, Wilson is one shy of joining Jackie Allen (1966-68), Howard Fields (1976-79) and Vic Vines (1979-82) in a tie for 10th on Baylor's all-time career list.

TURNOVERS COSTLY FOR BEARS

While Baylor is tied for the national lead with 16 turnovers forced, the Bears' 11 turnovers committed have been quite costly. Nine of the 11 turnovers have come in the opponent's territory, including five inside the opponent's 30 yard line.

Interestingly, only one opponent drive following a Baylor turnover has lasted longer than four plays. Two of those drives, though, ended in opponent touchdowns and one ended in an opponent field goal. Four other opponent ensuing drives resulted in turnovers, one of which Baylor returned for a touchdown.

Baylor did not commit a turnover against Army; it was the Bears' first turnover-free game since the 2004 game at Texas Tech.

2006 BAYLOR TURNOVERS

OPP. TURNOVER SPOT ENSUING OPPONENT DRIVE

TCU Mosley fumble TCU 16 3-play drive, punt

TCU Bell INT TCU 21 3-play drive, TD

NSU Bell INT NSU 40 3-play drive, INT

WSU Bell INT WSU 17 3-play drive, punt

WSU Teasley fumble BU 34 3-play drive, TD

WSU Bell INT WSU 29 2-play drive, fumble returned for TD

WSU Teasley fumble WSU 49 end of game

KSU Nurudeen fumble KSU 47 3-play drive, punt

KSU Teasley fumble BU 41 6-play drive, FG

KSU Mosley fumble KSU 34 4-play drive, INT

KSU Bell INT KSU 20 6-play drive, INT

WILSON AMONG NATIONAL INTERCEPTION LEADERS

CB C.J. Wilson leads the Big 12 Confence with four interceptions and is one of only 10 players nationally with at least four interceptions this season. Wilson is tied for sixth nationally with 0.8 interceptions per game.

SEVERAL BEARS AMONG ACTIVE NCAA CAREER LEADERS

• QB Shawn Bell ranks 20th in attempts (748), 21st in completions (456) and 11th in completion percentage (60.96).

• WR Trent Shelton ranks 17th in receptions (131).

• WR Dominique Zeigler ranks 16th in receptions (133).

• CB C.J. Wilson is tied for 10th in interceptions (9), 15th in interception return yards (152) and tied for 15th in interception TD returns (1).

• P Daniel Sepulveda ranks first in punts (243), first in punting yardage (10,931), third in punts per game (6.2) and fourth in average (44.98).

SHELTON EXTENDS CONSECUTIVE RECEPTIONS RECORD

WR Trent Shelton has at least one reception in a Baylor record 38 consecutive games. Shelton's streak is the fifth-longest among active players in Division I-A. He also has recorded at least two receptions in 15 consecutive games.

WR Dominique Zeigler has recorded at least one reception in 25 consecutive games, tied for the 14th-longest streak in Division I-A. In fact, Zeigler has recorded at least two receptions in each of those 25 games. Zeigler did not play against Northwestern State, nor did he play against Oklahoma in the 2004 season finale.

Baylor is the only team in the nation with two receivers with active streaks of 25-plus games.

CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH A RECEPTION, ACTIVE DIVISION I-A PLAYERS

42 - Steve Odom Sr. WR Toledo

41 - Vincent Marshall Sr. WR Houston

41 - Johnny Quinn Sr. WR North Texas

39 - Brian Leonard Sr. FB Rutgers

38 - Trent Shelton Sr. WR BAYLOR

35 - Clark Harris Sr. TE Rutgers

29 - Dwayne Jarrett Jr. WR Southern California

29 - Ryne Robinson Sr. WR Miami (Ohio)

29 - Shaun Herbert Sr. WR Northwestern

27 - Caleb Spencer Sr. WR Nevada

26 - Craig Davis Jr. WR Louisiana State

26 - Marcus Monk Jr. WR Arkansas

25 - D'Juan Woods Jr. WR Oklahoma State

25 - Dominique Zeigler Sr. WR BAYLOR

25 - Calvin Johnson Jr. WR Georgia Tech

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

Anthony Arline's 40-yard fumble recovery returned for a touchdown against Washington State was Baylor's second non-offensive score of the game, third of the season and 16th in 39 games under head coach Guy Morriss.

The 2005 Bears produced four such scores, including both punt and kickoff returns for touchdowns by return specialist Shaun Rochon, a 29-yard fumble return touchdown by Jamaal Harper and a 25-yard interception return touchdown by LB Colin Allred.

The 2004 Bears forced just nine turnovers and Baylor ranked No. 113 nationally in turnover margin at minus 1.36 per game. But, in 2005, Baylor forced 29 opponent miscues (13 fumbles and 16 interceptions) to rank No. 30 nationally in turnover margin at plus 0.45 per game.

Through games of Sept. 30, Baylor ranks second in the Big 12 and tied for 14th nationally in turnover margin at plus-1.00 per game.

Here is a list of Baylor's 16 non-offensive scores under Morriss:

• 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

• 2005 at Oklahoma -- Shaun Rochon 98-yard kickoff return

• 2005 vs. Oklahoma State -- Colin Allred 25-yard interception return

• 2006 vs. Northwestern State -- C.J. Wilson 52-yard interception return

• 2006 at Washington State -- punt snap through back of end zone

INTERCEPTIONS LEAD TO SCORES OF LATE

Six of Baylor's last 12 interceptions have led to scores, including five touchdowns and two returned for touchdowns. Three of those 12 interceptions were in the 2005 season finale against Oklahoma State.

Baylor recorded its second three-interception game of the season last Saturday against Kansas State. It was the Bears third such game in their last six contests.

OPPONENT INT RETURN SPOT RESULT

Oklahoma State Jamaal Harper 15 yards OSU 1 TD: Mosley 1 run

Oklahoma State Colin Allred 25 yards OSU 0 TD: Allred 25 INT return

Oklahoma State Dwain Crawford 6 yards BU 32 6-play drive, punt

TCU C.J. Wilson 46 yards TCU 20 TD: Bell 21 pass to Baker

NW State C.J. Wilson 0 yards TCU 46 TD: Bell 46 pass to Shelton

NW State C.J. Wilson 52 yards BU 48 TD: Wilson 52 INT return

NW State Jake La Mar 5 yards NSU 48 3-play drive, punt

Washington St. C.J. Wilson 0 yards BU 15 3-play drive, punt

Washington St. James Todd 0 yards WSU 49 3-play drive, end of half

Kansas State Dwain Crawford 4 yards KS 21 5-play drive, FG

Kansas State Dwain Crawford 0 yards BU 41 1-play drive, INT

Kansas State Jordan Lake 0 yards BU 0 3-play drive, punt

NOTES FROM THE KANSAS STATE GAME

• Baylor held Kansas State to 45 yards rushing, the best rush defense effort by a Baylor squad since the Bears limited SMU to 30 yards in 1995.

• Baylor's 90-yard scoring drive in the first quarter was the Bears' longest drive this season in terms of yardage.

• QB Shawn Bell's 75-yard TD pass to WR Trent Shelton in the first quarter was the longest pass play of Bell's career and the longest reception of Shelton's career. It also tied for the 20th-longest pass play in school history; it was the longest Baylor pass since 2002.

• P Daniel Sepulveda's 78-yard punt tied his career high and was his 17th career punt of at least 60 yards. He had two punts of 60-plus yards and five 50-plus yards against Kansas State.

• IR Queito Teasley's 47-yard punt return was the longest of his career.

• LB Joe Pawelek established a career high with four QB hurries; he had two total in his first four games.

WILSON, SEPULVEDA AMONG KIPER'S TOP SENIORS

CB C.J. Wilson and P Daniel Sepulveda were ranked among the nation's top five seniors at their respective positions by ESPN.com's Mel Kiper. Wilson was listed No. 4 at cornerback, while Sepulveda was listed No. 2 at punter.

BAYLOR NAMES TRIO CAPTAINS FOR 2006

By vote of their teammates, QB Shawn Bell, CB C.J. Wilson and WR Dominique Zeigler serve as Baylor captains for the 2006 season. Bell also served as a captain in 2005.

BEARS HONOR FORMER ASSISTANT COACH ADAMS

Baylor's jerseys feature black TA patches in 2006. These patches are in memorial of former defensive line coach Tom Adams, who passed away Aug. 2 after a battle with cancer.

Adams served as Baylor's defensive line coach during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. While with the Bears, Adams coached 2004 NFL draftee Khari Long and 2004 Associated Press All-Big 12 defensive end Montez Murphy.

SENIOR LEADERSHIP

Two years after fielding the nation's second-youngest football team, Baylor's 2006 hopes may well rest on the shoulders of its 33 seniors, 25 of whom are fifth-year players. Of those 33 seniors, 16 were listed No. 1 at their respective position on the Bears' preseason depth chart -- eight on offense, six on defense as well as its No. 1 place-kicker and punter.

The Baylor roster featured an average of just 17.3 seniors over its first 10 seasons in the Big 12 and only once prior to 2006 had the Bears carried more than 20 seniors (the 2002 roster listed 22 seniors) on the squad.

WILSON NAMED TO THORPE AWARD WATCH LIST

Senior All-America candidate CB C.J. Wilson, who earned first-team 2005 All-Big 12 honors from six media outlets at cornerback, is one of 33 players named to the 2006 Jim Thorpe Award Watch List. Wilson is one of four Big 12 players selected to the list, joining Texas' Michael Griffin, Missouri's David Overstreet and Oklahoma's Reggie Smith. The list was derived through a point system based on 10 preseason All-American teams.

SEPULVEDA NAMED TO GUY AWARD WATCH LIST

P Daniel Sepulveda is one of six members on the Greater Augusta Sports Council's 2006 Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List, comprised of the top non-graduating finalists from the previous year and Sepulveda, the award's 2004 winner.

Sepulveda, who was selected as the nation's No. 1 punter by The Sporting News in its 2006 preview magazine, ranked second in the Big 12 and third nationally with a 46.18-yard punting average in 2005 en route to All-America and All-Big 12 honors. That averaged ranked as the second-best single-season average in Baylor history, just ahead of his 2004 mark of 46.0 ypp.

The Ray Guy Award is presented to the nation's best collegiate punter as determined by a national selection committee made up of sports writers, college football coaches and sports information directors, former punters and members designated by the Greater Augusta Sports Council. Wake Forest's Ryan Plackemeier won the 2005 Ray Guy Award.

BELL NAMED TO MANNING AWARD WATCH LIST

QB Shawn Bell was among 22 student-athletes named to the 2006 Manning Award Watch List, announced Aug. 23 by the Sugar Bowl Committee. Bell joins Iowa State's Bret Meyer and Nebraska's Zac Taylor as the only Big 12 Conference quarterbacks on the list. Also on the list is Washington State's Alex Brink, who the Bears faced Sept. 16 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Wash.

The Manning Award was created in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning and will be presented to the recipient following the holiday bowl season. It is the only quarterback award which takes into consideration the candidates' bowl performances.

The winner will be determined by a select panel of national media covering college football, as well as each of the Mannings.

DUAL-SPORT ATHLETES

Baylor's 2006 roster features four dual-sport athletes: WR David Gettis, LB Joe Pawelek, WR Carl Sims and WR Queito Teasley.

Gettis is one of the nation's top-rated 400-meter runners in track. Pawelek is a catcher on Baylor's baseball team; he sat out the 2006 season as a redshirt. Sims appeared in 10 games at guard for Baylor's basketball team during the 2005-2006 campaign. Teasley earned All-Big 12 honors in the long jump and was a member of Baylor's 2006 Big 12 champion 4x100-meter relay team.

CB Braelon Davis and WR Dominique Zeigler both ran track previously in their time at Baylor. Davis was a sprinter; Zeigler competed in the high jump. Both Davis and Zeigler earned All-Big 12 honors in track.

THE GRADUATES

Baylor is one of 10 schools in Division I-A with at least six graduates on its 2006 football roster, according to research conducted by Tony Neely at the University of Kentucky. Auburn leads the way with 11, followed by Notre Dame and Texas Tech (nine each); Miami, Fla. (eight); Boston College, Louisiana Tech and Penn State (seven each); and Baylor, Kentucky and West Virginia (six each).

2006 BAYLOR BEARS WHO HAVE COMPLETED UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES

QB Shawn Bell May 2006 B.S.Ed., physical education

OT Travis Farst May 2006 B.S., communication studies

IR Andrew Heard * May 2004 B.S., communication studies

OS Maurice Linguist August 2006 B.S., communication studies

RB Mario Price August 2006 B.S.Ed., health science studies

CB James Todd May 2006 B.S., communication studies

* - Texas Tech graduate

BEARS TAP TEXAS TALENT POOL

Baylor leads the Big 12 Conference with 111 former Texas high school athletes on its 2006 football roster, according to research by the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. The Bears also rank first in the conference with 40 student-athletes from Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex high schools. The other 14 Bears hail from Louisiana (three), California (two), Oklahoma (two), Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia (one each).

SCHOOL DFW TEXAS

BAYLOR 40 111

Texas 27 105

Texas Tech 24 99

Texas A&M 14 91

Oklahoma 30 53

Oklahoma State 17 53

Missouri 10 25

Kansas 11 23

Kansas State 9 18

Iowa State 5 15

Colorado 7 14

Nebraska 2 7

AFCA HONORS BAYLOR FOR GRADUATION RATE

Baylor was one of 29 NCAA Division I-A schools nationally to have its football program honored with the 2006 Academic Achivement Award by the American Football Coaches Association. The AFCA has honored Baylor for its football graduation rates seven times since 1996.

Six institutions registered graduation rates of 90 percent or more for their freshman football classes of 2000-2001, including SMU, which earned top honors from the Touchdown Club of Memphis with its 100 percent mark. Baylor joined Big 12 schools Iowa State, Nebraska and Texas Tech among the 23 institutions who received honorable mention recognition with a graduation rate of 70 percent or higher.

The overall graduation rate of the survey-record 104 schools that responded was 58 percent. Since the NCAA began tracking graduation rates in 1991, the Baylor football program has averaged a 65.3 percent rate and seven times in the last nine years it has recorded a 60.0 percent or higher mark.

FORMER WALK-ONS EARN SCHOLARSHIPS

Five senior members of the Baylor football team who began their careers as walk-ons have been awarded scholarships for the 2006-07 academic year, head coach Guy Morriss announced at the end of the Bear's Aug. 18 practice.

OS Bryan Bays, FB Damon Dotson, FS Bennett Hoefer, WR Craig Munn and RB Mario Price were rewarded by the Bears' staff. Hoefer, who will graduate in May 2007, is the only one of the five who is not a fifth-year senior. Price earned his undergraduate degree from Baylor in August.

Since Morriss' arrival in Waco, 22 walk-ons have earned scholarships, 11 of which are on the Bears' 2006 roster. The most notable walk-on turned scholarship recipient is P Daniel Sepulveda, who won the 2004 Ray Guy Award as the nation's top collegiate punter. Sepulveda, who had not punted since early in his high school career, walked-on as a linebacker and became Baylor's top punter as a redshirt freshman in 2003. He was placed on scholarship by Morriss after earning second-team All-Big 12 honors in January 2004.

OVER THE AIR

Bear football games can be heard live on the Baylor/ISP Sports 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 12th 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.

BAYLOR/ISP SPORTS FOOTBALL RADIO NETWORK

Abilene KYYW-AM 1470

Amarillo KIXZ-AM 940

Big Spring KBST-AM 1490

Dallas/Fort Worth WBAP-AM 820

Dallas/Fort Worth KKDL-AM 1160

Houston KKHT-FM 100.7

Jacksonville KXAL-FL 100.3

Lubbock KJAK-FM 92.7

Lufkin KYBI-FM 101.9

San Antonio KRPT-FM 92.5

Waco (Flagship) KRZI-AM 1660 ESPN

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, 11 p.m. CT), Fox Sports Southwest (Wednesday, 1 p.m. CT), College Sports Television (Friday, 1 p.m. CT) and the College Channel (Waco cable 18).

UP NEXT ...

Baylor remains on the road Saturday, Oct. 14, traveling to Austin, Texas, for a Big 12 South showdown against Texas at Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Kickoff time for the game has not yet been scheduled due to television potential.