Sept. 24, 2006
After dropping a 27-20 overtime decision to Army Saturday evening at Floyd Casey Stadium, the 1-3 Baylor football team opens its 2006 Big 12 schedule against the 3-1 Kansas State Wildcats on Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. in Waco. Here are Baylor coach Guy Morriss' thoughts on Saturday's loss to the Black Knights:
Was there a tackling issue in the second half?
"It's hard to figure. You do a pretty good job of tackling for three weeks and then we look like we haven't tackled anybody in three years."
Did they wear down at all?
"I don't think so...again, it's just detail stuff. It just hasn't been important enough for them yet to get it corrected. I think we're doing a good job of coaching the details and making them aware of it, but until it becomes important to a player... you know we can't go do it for them. I'm not trying to blame it on players, but it's just the same old deal."
Was it in the game plan to run the ball more against Army?
"Yes, we wanted to run the ball a little more, and the more we ran it, it seemed like the worse we got at it. They were slanting a little bit. At times they would jump people in gaps and we didn't do a good job of handling that. That hurt us. That's something that we need to continue to work on. We can't not run the football."
What is the message to the players?
"Well it goes back to `let's get this stuff fixed.' We really need to focus on one weekend at a time, one game at a time. We have one at the end of this week that we have got to play and I believe it's doable. Last week we dropped balls and it seems like we have got that fixed this week."
At this point do you even think about a bowl?
"I don't think we're going to lose sight of what our goal is. I think it is realistic. I always do. We need what, five more? We have got to find a way to win five of the next eight. But let's not lose sight of the big picture. Let's shrink our little bull's-eye down here. And at the center of that bull's-eye we've got to beat K-State."
What are you going to do about special teams?
"I talked to Chris [Lancaster] this morning and I think we are going to have to make some personnel changes. We think we have people out there that are athletic enough to make the play, but you can't count on them. My way of looking at it is that there are some guys that are very dependable but maybe a little less athletic. At least we'll know they will be where they are supposed to be, in the right lanes, and hustling to the ball."
Why did Shawn Bell run the ball on third down and eight in overtime? "I guess Lee [Hays] told him to do that. I didn't know that they had talked...If you looked at several plays before that, if he would have bootlegged it, nobody would come with him."
Are you making any personnel changes on offense?
"I don't think so, nothing significant. We were talking about moving Thomas White to one of the slot positions. I think we've got the five best offensive linemen on the field...I think we've got the right people out there."
How upset were you about last night's game?
"We're kind of mad at seeing the same old things happen to us over and over and over...For me and my money, I think it's time to shut your yap and play. I'll do the talking. Y'all go play."
Sunday Notes: Baylor is 1-3 for the first time since the 1999 season ... Baylor has led at halftime in every game this season ... The Bears have outscored their opponents 46-10 in the first half this season, including 33-0 in the first quarter ... Baylor has not allowed a first-quarter scorer in five-straight games for the first time since a seven-game streak that spanned the final two games of 1990 and the first five of the 1991 campaign ... Senior QB Shawn Bell has thrown for at least 200-yards in six consecutive games one shy of the school-record set by Don Trull in 1963 ... Bell also went over the 4,000-yard passing mark for his career during the Army game and now has 4,155 yards, good for sixth on Baylor's all-time list ... Bell's 431 career completions in 702 attempts are the most-ever by a BU signal caller, six more than Jeff Watson totaled in 802 attempts from 1994 through 1997 ... Bell also ranks No. 9 on the Bears' career total-offense yards list with 4,033 ... Senior WR Trent Shelton has caught at least one pass in a school-record 37 straight games, while senior WR Dominique Zeigler has had at least one catch in 24-straight contests ... Senior P Daniel Sepulveda broke Ron Stowe's (1979-82) career punt yards record during the Army game and how has 10,483 yards on 235 punts (44.61 avg.), 144 more yards than Stowe totaled on 252 career kicks ... Sophomore IR Carl Sims is expected to return after missing the last two games with a sore hamstring.
