Bears Host Buffaloes for Floyd Casey's 300th Game

10/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football

Oct. 1, 2007

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GAME SIX

BAYLOR (3-2, 0-1) vs. COLORADO (3-2, 1-0)

SATURDAY, OCT. 6, 2007 • 6:00 P.M. CDT

FLOYD CASEY STADIUM (50,000)

WACO, TEXAS

SERIES RECORD

Colorado leads 8-6

COACHES

BAYLOR: Guy Morriss (TCU, 1973)

Record at Baylor: 18-33 (5th season)

Career Record: 27-47 (7th season)

Record vs. Colorado: 2-0

COLORADO: Dan Hawkins (UC Davis, 1984)

Record at Colorado: 5-12 (2nd season)

Career Record: 97-35-1 (12th season)

Record vs. Baylor: 0-1

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

BAYLOR RETURNS HOME TO FACE COLORADO

Baylor returns to action Saturday, Oct. 6, hosting Colorado for a Big 12 Conference inter-division game. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT at Floyd Casey Stadium. This is the second Big 12 game of the season for both teams; Baylor plays its first conference home game, while Colorado plays its first league road contest.

The Bears (3-2, 0-1) saw a three-game winning streak snapped last Saturday, falling 34-10 at Texas A&M in the Big 12 opener for both teams. Baylor is 2-0 at home this season, having defeated Rice and Texas State.

The Buffaloes (3-2, 1-0) produced one of the biggest upsets in Big 12 history last Saturday, knocking off third-ranked Oklahoma 27-24 on Kevin Eberhart's game-winning, 45-yard field as time expired. Colorado is 0-1 on the road this season, falling 33-14 at Arizona State. The Buffs have won two straight overall.

BAYLOR-COLORADO SERIES

This is the 15th meeting between Baylor and Colorado, the sixth as Big 12 Conference foes. The Buffaloes hold an 8-6 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 with a 42-30 victory over the two-time reigning Big 12 North champion Buffaloes in 2003. The Bears followed up that victory with a 34-31, triple-overtime win at Boulder's Folsom Field last season.

Colorado leads the series 3-2 in Waco; the teams have split two previous decisions at Floyd Casey Stadium since the inception of the Big 12 Conference. The Buffaloes hold a 3-2 edge in the series as Big 12 foes. Baylor and Colorado have played one neutral-site contest, a 21-9 Baylor victory at the 1986 Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston.

SERIES NOTES: Baylor's 34-31, triple-overtime victory at Colorado last season was the eighth overtime game in school history and Baylor's third multiple-overtime game; it also was Baylor's second-ever three-overtime game. ... Last year's victory marked the first time Baylor won its first Big 12 road game of the season. ... . Shawn Bell completed 31 passes at Colorado last season, tied for the third-best single-game tally in school history. ... Baylor's 42-30 victory over Colorado in 2003 was the first Big 12 Conference game of head coach Guy Morriss' Baylor career. ... Colorado is the only Big 12 team Baylor has defeated in consecutive meetings. ... 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-best 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.

Overall: Colorado leads 8-6

Waco: Colorado leads 3-2

Boulder: Colorado leads 5-3

Neutral Site: Baylor leads 1-0

Since Start of Big 12: Colorado leads 3-2

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

2006 BAYLOR 34, at Colorado 31 (3OT) Oct. 7

* - Bluebonnet Bowl; Houston, Texas

LAST MEETING

BAYLOR 34, COLORADO 31 (3OT)

OCT. 7, 2006 • FOLSOM FIELD • BOULDER, COLO.

Joe Pawelek lept to snag Bernard Jackson's pass at the goal line on third-and-seven, ending the game and giving Baylor a 34-31 victory in triple-overtime.

Baylor's game-winning points came off the foot of Ryan Havens, who booted a 22-yard field goal in the first possession of the third overtime. Colorado rushed twice for a total of four yards on the two plays prior to Pawelek's interception.

While Havens' field goal and Pawelek's interception were the deciding plays, the game's biggest play came on a fourth-and-seven at the Colorado 10 in the second overtime. That is when Shawn Bell found Trent Shelton in the front left corner of the end zone for a TD. Havens' extra point tied the game at 31-31 and sent it to a third extra period.

Pawelek's game-ending interception was Baylor's third pick of the day and the second in which Pawelek played a roll. Early in the second quarter, Pawelek blitzed and got a clean shot on Jackson. The ball popped out of Jackson's hand, and an alert Corey Ford jumped to pull it out of the air. That set up Baylor's first score of the day, a 47-yard Havens field goal and cut Colorado's lead to 7-3. Baylor gained its first lead just under the two-minute mark in the second quarter as Bell connected with Trey Payne from 17 yards out.

Colorado knotted the score at 10-10 on a Mason Crosby field goal late in the third, but Baylor recaptured the lead at the 9:24 mark in the fourth on Paul Mosley's 28-yard TD run. The Buffaloes responded immediately with a 9-yard Byron Ellis touchdown run with 4:13 remaining that sent the game to overtime.

Mosley, who also had a 1-yard TD run in the first overtime, finished with 85 yards rushing on 20 carries. Bell was 31-of-44 for 272 yards and two TDs, breaking a Baylor record with his 13th career 200-yard game. Pawelek led all players with 14 tackles, including 11 solo stops.

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 8-25 against teams from the North with only three victories (Texas, 1997; Texas A&M, 2004; Oklahoma State, 2005) against teams from the South.

Five of Baylor's eight victories against Big 12 North teams have come under head coach Guy Morriss. Those eight wins are as follows: Iowa State (1996), Kansas (1998), Kansas (2002), Colorado (2003), Iowa State (2005), Kansas State (2006), Colorado (2006) and Kansas (2006). Baylor has won four of its last six against Big 12 North opponents, including a perfect 3-0 slate against North teams last season.

QUICK NOTES

• Baylor is 3-2 for the first time since 2003.

• Baylor is 7-16-1 all-time when 3-2, including a 5-6-1 record when 3-2 following a loss.

• Baylor is 200-194-21 all-time in October, including a 6-13 mark under Morriss.

• Baylor is 51-36-5 all-time on the first Saturday of October, including a 6-5 mark on Oct. 6.

• Baylor has forced at least one turnover in 25 of the last 28 games, including 16 games with at least two turnovers forced in that time.

• Baylor's defense has held the opposing offense without a first-quarter touchdown in 18 of the last 27 games, including 14 first-quarter shutouts in that time.

• Baylor has out-scored its opponents 41-10 in the first quarter through five games this season.

• Baylor has won 16 consecutive games when scoring at least 34 points, dating back to a 49-42 triple-overtime loss to Missouri in 1996. The Bears have won 21 consecutive games when scoring at least 34 points in regulation, dating back to a 63-35 loss to Texas in the 1994 season finale.

• Baylor has been flagged 27 times for 233 yards through this season's first five games. Last year, the Bears were penalized 42 times for 433 yards through the first five games.

• Baylor's defense has logged 12 quarterback sacks through the first five games of the 2007 season after recording only 11 sacks in 12 games last year.

KANSAS GAME TIME SET

Baylor's Oct. 13 game at Kansas has been selected for regional broadcast on Fox College Sports Central. Kickoff between the Bears and the Jayhawks is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. CDT at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kan. Fans should check with their local cable and satellite providers for availability.

BAYLOR HONORS 1951 TEAM

Baylor will honor members of the Bears' 1951 team during halftime of Saturday's game against Colorado. The 1951 Bears were 8-2-1 with a 4-1-1 mark in Southwest Conference play. Baylor lost to fifht-ranked Georgia Tech 17-14 in the 1952 Orange Bowl. It was Baylor's first-ever appearance in one of the "Big Four" bowl games (Cotton, Orange, Rose, Sugar) and the school's second New Year's Day bowl (1949 Dixie Bowl).

The 1951 team was coached by George Sauer and captained by Gale Galloway and Stanley Williams. The Bears started the season ranked 13th nationally and won their first four games (at Houston, at Tulane, Arkansas, Texas Tech) to reach No. 7 in the Associated Press rankings. Baylor and 16th-ranked Texas A&M played to a 21-21 tie in Waco the following week before the Bears suffered their only regular-season loss of the year -- a 20-7 defeat at home against TCU. The Bears rebounded to post a 16-10 victory at 10th-ranked Texas, a win that started a four-game winning streak to close the regular season.

Baylor's 1951 team finished the season ranked ninth nationally, the best final national ranking in program history.

FLOYD CASEY STADIUM CELEBRATES ITS 300TH GAME

Floyd Casey Stadium, originally known as Baylor Stadium, celebrates its 300th game Saturday when the Bears host Colorado. Baylor is 162-131-6 (.552) all-time at the stadium, which opened in 1950. The Bears won the stadium's first game, defeating Houston 34-7 in front of 25,000 fans Sept. 30, 1950.

LAKE MAKES NAME FOR HIMSELF

FS Jordan Lake ranks fourth in the Big 12 and is tied for 44th nationally with 9.4 tackles per game. A sophomore from Houston's Memorial High School, Lake leads the Big 12 and ranks ninth nationally in tackles among defensive backs. Lake also is fourth in the Big 12 and tied for 17th nationally with 6.2 solo tackles per game.

Lake, who was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week following the Bears' 34-21 victory at Buffalo, has 48 tackles on the season, including 32 solo stops and 1.0 tackle for loss. Along with two interceptions and two passes broken up, Lake has forced two fumbles and recovered two others.

SZYMANSKI ALREADY NEARING SEASON TOUCHDOWNS LIST

With 14 touchdown passes through the season's first five games, QB Blake Szymanski already is nearing Baylor's all-time, single-season touchdown passes list. He enters Saturday's game against Colorado tied with Adrian Burk (1949) and J.J. Joe (1992) for fourth place on Baylor's all-time single-season touchdowns passing list. Szymanski needs one touchdown pass to tie Larry Isbell (1950) for third place and two touchdown passes to tie Terry Southall (1966) for second place. Shawn Bell established Baylor's single-season record last season with 19 touchdown passes.

Szymanski established a Baylor record for touchdown passes by a sophomore in the season's third game. With three touchdown passes at Buffalo, Szymanski surpassed Cody Carlson's previous school mark for touchdowns by an underclassman (Carlson's record was 12 in 1983).

Through the season's first five games, Szymanski is on pace for 278 completions, 3,372 passing yards and 33 touchdown passes, all of which would shatter Baylor's single-season records.

WHITAKER EYES RECEPTIONS MARK

RB Brandon Whitaker enters the Colorado game one reception shy of cracking Baylor's career receptions top 10 list; he has 75 career catches for 418 yards and three touchdowns.

Whitaker also needs two receptions to tie Jeffrey Murray's school record for career receptions by a non-receiver. Murray tallied 77 receptions as a fullback from 1986 to 1989. Whitaker recorded 30 receptions in each of the last two seasons. He established career highs with nine receptions for 57 yards at Washington State last season.

BEARS HAVE 20/20 VISION

In four-plus seasons under head coach Guy Morriss, Baylor has established a bit of a vicenary rule on the scoreboard. The Bears are 16-11 when scoring at least 20 points and 2-22 when scoring less than 20 points since the start of the 2003 season. Likewise, the Bears are 10-3 when holding the opponent to fewer than 20 points and 8-30 when allowing 20 or more points in that time.

INSIDE RECEIVERS FEAST

Inside and and slot receivers have accounted for 44.2 percent of Baylor's receptions this season (53 of 120), 45.2 percent of Baylor's receiving yards (647 of 1,431) and 35.7 percent of Baylor's touchdown receptions (5 of 14).

Baylor's top two receivers in all three categories are inside receivers. Justin Akers leads the team in receptions (21) and yards (249), while Brad Taylor is second yards (210) and tied for second in receptions (13). Akers leads the team with three touchdown receptions, while Taylor is one of three Bears with two touchdown grabs. Slot receiver Justin Fenty is tied for fourth on the team in receptions (12) and sixth in yards (114). IR Kyle Mitchell also has three catches for 19 yards, IR Eddy Newton has three receptions for 37 yards and IR Joe Bennett has one catch for 18 yards.

FIRST-QUARTER DEFENSIVE SUCCESS CONTINUES

Baylor's defense allowed just 57 first-quarter points in 12 games last season, averaging 4.8 points per game allowed in the opening period. Two of the seven first-quarter touchdowns allowed by the Bears last season were scores by the opponent's defense, meaning Baylor's defense allowed only 3.6 first-quarter points per game. The Bears' defense allowed only six first-quarter touchdowns (two of which were followed by missed extra points) and one field goal. No team scored more than one offensive touchdown, only two scored more than once -- Texas Tech (offensive touchdown and field goal) and Oklahoma (offensive and defensive touchdown).

That success has carried over to the 2007 season as the Bears have allowed only one first-quarter score through the first four games. Baylor held TCU, Texas State and Buffalo scoreless in the opening period; the Bears allowed one first-quarter touchdown against Rice and one first-quarter field goal at Texas A&M.

In 27 games since the 2005 season opener at SMU, Baylor has held the opponent without a first-quarter offensive touchdown 18 times with 14 first-quarter shutouts. Texas Tech last season is the only opponent to record more than one first-quarter offensive score during that time. Baylor has not allowed multiple first-quarter offensive touchdowns since UAB scored three first-quarter touchdowns in the 2004 season opener, a span of 38 games. The Bears have held the opponent without a first-quarter offensive touchdown 22 times and scoreless 16 times in those 38 games.

NOTES FROM THE TEXAS A&M GAME

• Ninth-largest crowd (82,970) to ever watch a Baylor game.

• Largest crowd to ever watch a Baylor-Texas A&M game.

• Baylor did not allow a sack for the first time since the 2004 game against North Texas (36 games).

• Texas A&M's second-quarter, 58-yard touchdown pass was the longest play against Baylor's defense this season.

• Texas A&M ran 94 total offensive plays, the most against a Baylor team since Oklahoma had 95 in a double-overtime game in 2005 and tied for the fourth-most in Baylor history.

• Baylor managed seven first downs on the day, its lowest single-game total since Oklahoma held the Bears to seven first downs in 2000.

• WR David Gettis made his first career start and recorded a career-high 88 yards receiving.

• Gettis' fourth-quarter, 69-yard reception was the longest of his career.

• K Caleb Allen's first-quarter, 46-yard field goal was the first field goal, the first field goal attempt and the first points of his career.

• SS Brandon Stiggers established a career high with 13 tackles, including a career-high tying six solo stops.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

Baylor has recorded 14 non-offensive scores in 50 games under head coach Guy Morriss, notching at least one such score in each of Morriss' four seasons.

• 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. Oklahoma -- Braelon Davis 56-yard fumbler return (forced by Davis)

BAYLOR TURNS OVER A NEW LEAF

Baylor ranked 113th nationally in turnover margin and forced just nine opponent miscues over the 11-game 2004 campaign, but the last three seasons it has reversed that trend. The Bears' defense has forced 66 turnovers (37 interceptions, 29 fumble recoveries) since the start of the 2005 season to rank third in the Big 12 and tied for ninth nationally among Division I-A teams in that span. Baylor has come up with at least one turnover in 25 of 28 games since the start of the 2005 season, including 16 games with two or more.

Baylor forced 34 turnovers over 23 games in Guy Morriss' first two seasons, compared to the 65 it has totaled over the last 27 outings. Here's a look at the teams with most turnovers forced over the last three seasons:

TURNOVERS GAINED 2005 2006 2007 TOTAL

1. TCU 40 26 12 78

2. South Florida 30 25 17 72

3. Louisiana Tech 31 29 11 71

Western Michigan 25 34 12 71

5. Texas 27 32 10 69

6. Boston College 18 37 13 68

7. Florida 31 29 7 67

Oklahoma 23 32 12 67

9. Baylor 29 27 10 66

Oregon 32 22 12 66

Southern California 38 22 6 66

West Virginia 31 24 12 66

13. Louisiana-Monroe 26 34 5 65

Southern Mississippi 34 25 6 65

15. Georgia 29 30 4 64

16. Missouri 24 28 11 63

Boise State 26 31 6 63

Miami (Ohio) 35 22 6 63

Nevada 23 37 3 63

FORMER WALK-ONS EARN SCHOLARSHIPS

Six senior walk-on members of the Baylor football team were awarded scholarships for the 2007-08 academic year: OG Ricky Hasoon, LB Daniel Lopez, CB Ralph Rodriguez, OL Ted Tanner, SS Zach Jones and FB Keegan Vann.

At the end of spring practice, the Baylor staff also placed junior WR Thomas White on scholarship. Including the seniors receiving scholarships prior to the start of the season, Baylor's 2007 roster features eight walk-ons who have earned scholarships.

Since Morriss' arrival in 2003, 30 Bears have gone from walk-on to scholarship status.

BAYLOR AMONG NATION'S BEST COLLEGES

Baylor University ranks as the nation's 75th-best institute for higher learning, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2008 "America's Best Colleges" edition. Baylor is ranked third among Big 12 Conference schools, trailing only Texas (44th) and Texas A&M (62nd). Last year, Baylor was the fourth-ranked Big 12 school but leap-frogged Colorado (79th) in this year's rankings.

Other Big 12 schools ranked were: Iowa State (t-85th), Kansas (t-85th), Missouri (t-91st), Nebraska (t-91st), Oklahoma (108th) and Kansas State (124th). Oklahoma State and Texas Tech were considered "third tier" schools and were, therefore, not ranked numerically.

AFCA SALUTES BAYLOR FOR GRADUATION RATE

Baylor was one of 34 NCAA Division I-A schools to have its football program honored with the 2007 Academic Achievement Award by the American Football Coaches Association.

In the most-recent AFCA survey, four institutions registered graduation rates of 90 percent or more for their 2001-02 freshman football class, including Northwestern and Notre Dame, which earned top honors from the Touchdown Club of Memphis with their 95 percent marks.

Baylor joined Big 12 schools Nebraska, Texas and Texas Tech among the 32 institutions who received honorable mention recognition with a graduation rate of 70 to 90 percent. Baylor also was recognized in the AFCA's 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2006 surveys.

2007 SCHEDULE FEATURES EIGHT 2006 BOWL TEAMS

After playing seven of 12 games a year ago against teams that went on to earn bowl invitations, Baylor will face eight 2006 bowl teams this season, including six of its eight Big 12 opponents. But, that's nothing new for coach Guy Morriss' program, as 28 times in his first 46 games (including 25 of 32 Big 12 contests) along the Baylor sideline he's faced an opponent who ended the season in a bowl game.

The Bears' 2007 opponents combined for an 85-67 (.559) record a year ago and eight earned bowl bids -- TCU (Poinsettia champion), Rice (New Orleans), Texas (Alamo champion), Kansas State (Texas), Texas A&M (Holiday), Texas Tech (Insight champion), Oklahoma (Fiesta) and Oklahoma State (Independence champion). Baylor's eight 2007 Big 12 foes went 60-43 (.583) a year ago and recorded all three of the league's bowl wins.

Six of Baylor's eight losses in 2006 came at the hands of eventual bowl-bound teams while it knocked off Texas Bowl participant Kansas State, 17-3, and bowl-eligible Kansas, 36-35.

Over Morriss' four seasons in Waco, his teams have tackled the nation's 55th- (2003), sixth- (2004), 28th- (2005) and 49th- (2006) most-difficult schedules according to the NCAA.

FOOTBALL OPERATIONS HEADED TO CAMPUS IN 2008

Ground was broken May 10, 2007, on the Alwin O. and Dorothy Highers Athletics Complex and the Simpson Athletics and Academic Center, a $34 million complex that will integrate the Baylor athletics department and football program into the campus environment for the first time since the late 1950s.

The lead gift for the privately funded project and the largest single gift in school history is from the estate of Alwin O. Highers Jr. of Alexandria, La. A native Texan and a 1939 Baylor business graduate, Mr. Highers was well known as the owner of Alexandria's Dr Pepper Bottling Co. He also was a dedicated supporter of Baylor athletics and in particular its football program, until his death in 2003. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, who still resides in Alexandria.

The focal point of the Highers Athletics Complex will be the 96,300-square-foot Simpson Athletics and Academic Center, which will be built on University Parks Drive adjacent to Baylor's Mayborn Museum Complex and the university's other athletic facilities that are part of the Julie and Jim Turner Riverfront Athletic Complex on the Brazos River.

A Baylor University graduate and generous Baylor supporter, Bob R. Simpson is a co-founder, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of XTO Energy Inc. of Fort Worth. His leadership at XTO has been recognized by numerous publications, including Barron's ("30 most respected CEO's in the world," March 27, 2006), Oil & Gas Explorer ("Executive of the Year," March 2006), Institutional Investor ("Best CEOs," January 2006), BusinessWeek ("The BusinessWeek Top 50 Performers," April 2006) and Forbes ("2,000 Leading Companies in the World," April 17, 2006).

Simpson earned a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance, with magna cum laude honors, in 1970 and his MBA in 1971.

The first floor of the Simpson Athletics and Academic Center will include functions that are currently housed at Floyd Casey Stadium, such as a main athletics training room, equipment room, football team locker room, coaches' locker room and weight room. Floor two will hold administrative offices, the football office and meeting rooms, as well as an academic center which will benefit all Baylor student-athletes.

The Highers Athletics Complex will include three football practice fields, two with a natural surface and the other with artificial turf. Construction will take approximately 18 months and is expected to be completed by July 2008.

FAMILY AFFAIR

The Bears' 2007 roster includes the sons of six former Baylor football standouts, three of whom were All-Americans during their Baylor careers. True freshmen Matt Singletary, V.J. McElroy and Chris Francis join three other sons of Baylor legacies already in the program--sophomore offensive guard Sam Sledge, redshirt freshman receiver Ben Randle and sophomore running back Tony Anderson, who must sit out the season as a transfer from I-AA Southeast Missouri State.

Singletary's father, Mike, was a three-time All-American and two-time Davey O'Brien Award winner who is enshrined in both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame after standout playing careers at Baylor and with the NFL's Chicago Bears. McElroy's father, Vann, was a two-time All-America defensive back at Baylor who went on to play in two Pro Bowls with the NFL's Los Angeles Raiders. The younger Francis' father, James, earned 1989 All-America and Southwest Conference Player of the Year honors and was a first-round NFL Draft pick of the Cincinnati Bengals.

David Sledge was an All-Southwest Conference performer for the Bears in 1978. Alfred Anderson, the third-leading rusher in school history, and Ervin Randle, an eight-year NFL veteran with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs, were Baylor teammates in the early 1980s.

BAYLOR CONTINUES TO IMPROVE UNDER MORRISS

Introduced as Baylor's 24th head football coach on Dec. 11, 2002, Guy Morriss inherited a proud program that had fallen on hard times and produced just 13 victories in the six seasons (1997-2002) prior to his arrival. He and his staff have already posted more wins both overall (18) and in Big 12 play (seven) in five years than the Bears registered in the seven previous years (17 overall/four Big 12) before Morriss' Central Texas arrival.

Morriss has directed Baylor to seven of its 11 all-time Big 12 Conference victories and its only two conference road wins, while improving the Bears' league win total in each of the last three seasons. He owns a 18-33 record in five seasons at Baylor and is 27-47 in seven seasons as a head coach overall.

COACHING STAFF FEATURES FIVE NEW FACES

In the off-season, Baylor's coaching staff underwent a makeover as five new faces were added, and the dean of the Bears' staff, Larry Hoefer, was promoted to defensive coordinator.

After spending the past three seasons as running backs coach at the University of Arizona, Kasey Dunn is Baylor's new assistant head coach, special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach. Former University of Houston All-America wide receiver Jason Phillips will coach the Bears' inside receivers and serve as recruiting coordinator after helping his alma mater to three bowl games in four seasons. Morriss also hired former University of Houston safeties coach Clay Jennings, a graduate of Waco's La Vega High School, as Baylor's cornerbacks coach.

Cornell Jackson, who coached running backs at the University of New Mexico the past two years and has 20 years of collegiate coaching experience, is the Bears' new running backs coach. Eric Schnupp joined the staff as tight ends and assistant offensive line coach after working three seasons in a similar position at West Texas A&M. He will assist Morriss with the offensive line.

Hoefer, the only remaining member of Morriss' original staff, was named the Bears' defensive coordinator in late February when Bill Bradley was hired as secondary coach of the NFL's San Diego Chargers.

Lee Hays returns for his second season as Baylor's offensive coordinator and will also tutor the Baylor signal callers in 2007, while Gary Kinne (linebackers) and Don Wnek (defensive line) are back for their second and third seasons, respectively, in the Baylor program.

The 2007 Baylor coaching staff boasts more than 160 years of experience at the professional, collegiate and high school levels. Seven members of Baylor's staff played NCAA Division I football and five played professional football.

OVER THE AIR

Bear football games can be heard live on the Baylor/ISP Sports Radio Network. The network includes nine 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 with 21 years' experience in the Baylor broadcast booth and in his 13th 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

Houston KKHT-FM 100.7

Dallas/Fort Worth WBAP-AM 820

Jacksonville KXAL-FM 100.3

Lubbock KJAK-FM 92.7

Lufkin KYBI-FM 101.9

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, 4 p.m. CT) and the College Channel (Waco cable 18).

UP NEXT ...

Baylor returns to action Saturday, Oct. 13, traveling to Lawrence, Kan., for a Big 12 Conference inter-division game at Kansas. Kickoff between the Bears and the Jayhawks is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. CDT at Memorial Stadium on the Kansas campus. The game will be televised regionally on Fox College Sports Central. Fans should check with their local cable and satellite providers for availability.

Kansas holds a 5-3 advantage in the all-time series, but the Bears have won two of the last three meetings. Most recently, Baylor edged Kansas 36-35 at Floyd Casey Stadium last season, overcoming an 18-point, fourth-quarter deficit for the second-largest comeback in school history.