Bears Open Spring Drills
3/20/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
2007 Baylor Spring Preview
Download Free Acrobat Reader
March 20, 2007
2007 Bears At A Glance
2007 Spring Practice Dates: March 20, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 31; April 2, 3, 5, 10, 12, 13. All practices are closed to the media and public.
2007 Spring Game: Saturday, April 14, 1 p.m. at Floyd Casey Stadium
2006 Lettermen Returning: 42 (20-offense; 21-defense, 1-specialist)
2006 Lettermen Lost: 34 (13-offense; 17-defense, 4-specialists)
2006 Starters Returning: 11 (4-offense; 7-defense, 0-specialists)
2006 Starters Lost: 13 (7-offense; 4-defense, 2-specialists)
Returning Starters (11)
Offense (4): OT Jason Smith**, 6-5, 288, Jr., Dallas, Texas (20 career starts); OG Chad Smith**, 6-6, 280, Sr., Allen, Texas (16); OG Dan Gay**, 6-5, 311, Jr., Lafayette, La. (10); IR Thomas White*, 6-2, 206, Jr., Plano, Texas (5).
Defense (7): DE Geoff Nelson***, 6-2, 260, Sr., Cedar Hill, Texas (12); LB Nick Moore**, 6-1, 226, Sr., Arlington, Texas (11); Rov Dwain Crawford**, 6-0, 208, Jr., Giddings, Texas (11); DT Vincent Rhodes**, 6-2, 302, Jr., Denison, Texas (10); LB Joe Pawelek*, 6-2, 231, So., Spring Branch, Texas (10); DE Jason Lamb*, 6-6, 253, So., Richardson, Texas (8); Rov Brandon Stiggers*, 6-0, 199, Sr., Houston, Texas (8).
Starters Lost (13)
Offense (7): WR Dominique Zeigler (30 career starts); WR Trent Shelton (29); QB Shawn Bell (23); C Will Blaylock (20); LT Travis Farst (16); RB Paul Mosley (16); IR Trey Payne (4).
Defense (4): CB Anthony Arline (33); NT M.T. Robinson (30); CB C.J. Wilson (25); OS Maurice Linguist (24).
Specialists (2): PK Ryan Havens; P Daniel Sepulveda.
Bears Open Spring Drills
The Baylor football team opens its fifth spring under the direction of head coach Guy Morriss on Tuesday, March 20, at 3:30 p.m. Per NCAA rules, the Bears will hold 15 workouts this spring, culminating with the annual Green & Gold Game, April 14, at Floyd Casey Stadium.
As was the policy toward the end of the 2006 season, all practices are closed to both the media and public.
Baylor returns 42 lettermen, including 11 starters, from last year's team which went 4-8 overall, but won a school-record three (against five losses) Big 12 Conference games.
"The players have worked very hard in the winter conditioning program, but I believe they are anxious to get on the field and get started," said Morriss. "As we've done in previous years, every job on our depth chart is up for grabs over the next month. I believe we'll have some good competition (for starting jobs) in the coming weeks, which is important for the continued development of our program."
2007 Baylor Spring Storylines
Offensively, the Bears look to replace seven starters from last year's unit which averaged 23.6 points per game, Baylor's highest mark since 1996 (24.2 ppg), and 315.2 yards per contest. In addition to seeking a replacement for 23-game starter Shawn Bell at quarterback, the Bears must replace their top rusher of 2006 in running back Paul Mosley (43.4 ypg), as well as six of their 10 leading receivers from a year ago, including the top two--Dominique Zeigler (54 rec.) and Trent Shelton (53 rec.). Three of the Bears' four returning starters are along the offensive line.
The Baylor defense returns seven starters, but needs to replace both of its starting cornerbacks in C.J. Wilson and Anthony Arline, as well as outside safety Maurice Linguist and nose tackle M.T. Robinson. That foursome combined to start 44 games in 2006, with Linguist (71 tackles) and Wilson (59 tackles), ranking third and fourth, respectively, on the squad in tackles a year ago. Baylor yielded 408.2 yards and 32.6 points per game a year ago. Baylor returns its starting linebacking corps from a year ago as well as three starters along the line.
Two-time Ray Guy Award winner Daniel Sepulveda and honorable mention All-Big 12 place-kicker Ryan Havens completed their eligibility, leaving the spring kicking chores in the hands of junior walk-on Caleb Allen. The Baylor staff signed a punter and place-kicker last month who are both expected to challenge for the starting jobs in 2007. Sepulveda led the nation in punting a year ago with his 46.5-yard average en route to unanimous consensus All-America honors, while Havens made 32-of-33 PATs and 11-of-14 field goals.
Coaching Staff Features Five New Faces
In the off-season, coach Guy Morriss' coaching staff underwent an extreme makeover as five new faces were added, and the dean of the Bears' staff, Larry Hoefer, was promoted to defensive coordinator.
Kasey Dunn, who spent the past three seasons as running backs coach at the University of Arizona, is Baylor's new special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach. He brings 14 years of coaching experience to Waco, which includes stops at Arizona (2004-06), TCU (2003), Alabama (2003), Washington State (1998-2002), New Mexico (1996-97), Idaho (1993 and 1995) and the University of San Diego (1994).
A standout wide receiver at the University of Idaho from 1987 through 1991, Dunn was a three-time All-American who still holds Vandal school records for career receptions (268) and receiving yards (3,847), while ranking No. 2 in touchdown receptions (25). The 1992 Idaho graduate played with professionally with the CFL's British Columbia Lions (1992) and Edmonton Eskimos (1993), and the NFL's Houston Oilers (1992).
Former University of Houston All-America wide receiver Jason Phillips will coach Baylor's inside receivers and serve as recruiting coordinator after helping his alma mater to three bowl games in the last four seasons. He coached the Cougar wide receivers in three of his four seasons and spent one year (2005) as their cornerbacks coach. Prior to his return to Houston, Phillips coached wide receivers at Texas State in 2002 and was an offensive assistant under head coach Dana Dimel at Houston in 2001.
As an All-America athlete at UH, Phillips was on the receiving end of many "Run-n-Shoot" passes from Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware. Under the leadership of head coach Jack Pardee, Phillips led the nation in receiving in 1987 and 1988, becoming the first NCAA player in 23 years to accomplish such a feat in two consecutive seasons. He played with the NFL's Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons, as well as in the CFL.
Morriss also hired University of Houston safeties coach Clay Jennings, a graduate of nearby La Vega High School, as Baylor's cornerbacks coach. Jennings has spent the past two seasons (2005 and 2006) as Houston's safeties coach, helping coach Art Briles' program to back-to-back bowl appearances (2005 Fort Worth Bowl and 2006 Liberty Bowl) and the 2006 Conference USA championship. Prior to his two-year stint at Houston, Jennings spent two seasons (2003 and 2004) as the defensive backs coach at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he helped the Ragin' Cajuns to a No. 11 national ranking in pass defense, and two years as secondary coach and recruiting coordinator at Sam Houston State.
A four-year letterwinner as a defensive lineman and special teams standout at the University of North Texas from 1992 through 1995, Jennings also coached the secondary at Southern Arkansas University, Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa and Morehouse College.
Cornell Jackson, who has spent the past two seasons as running backs coach at the University of New Mexico and has 20 years of collegiate coaching experience under his belt, joined the Baylor staff as running backs coach, Feb. 26. Before his second coaching stint at New Mexico, Jackson spent three seasons (2002-04) at the University of Washington. He coached the Husky running backs in 2004 and had added duties as UW's recruiting coordinator. Jackson coached the Husky safeties in 2003 after instructing the UW inside linebackers during his first season in Seattle.
Jackson also worked as linebackers coach at the University of Houston (2000-01), tutored running backs at Arizona State from 1996-99, outside linebackers at New Mexico (1995), linebackers at Pacific (1992-94) and Utah State (1990-91). He began his coaching career as running backs coach at Butler County (Kan.) Community College in 1987 before moving on to Central Missouri State as a graduate assistant coach from 1988-89. The 1986 Sterling (Kan.) College graduate was a two-time all-conference defensive back (1982 and 1983) at Hinds Junior College in Raymond, Miss.
Eric Schnupp, who has served as offensive line coach at West Texas A&M the past three seasons, will coach Baylor's tight ends. At Baylor, Schnupp is reunited with Bears' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Lee Hays, who joined Morriss' staff in Dec. 2005 after serving in a similar position with the Buffaloes.
He spent three seasons as offensive line coach at American Series High School in Miami, Fla., before breaking into the college ranks at WTAMU. A native of Miami, Fla., Schnupp was a three-year letterwinner along the offensive line for his hometown Miami Hurricanes from 1997 through 1999. Following his Hurricane playing career, he spent one season with the XFL's Chicago Enforcers before launching his coaching career.
Hoefer, the only remaining member of Morriss' original staff, was named the Bears' defensive coordinator in late February when Bill Bradley was named 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.
For the second straight year, Morriss will coach the Bears' offensive linemen with help from Schnupp.
Bears Continue 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 (15) and in Big 12 play (seven) than the Bears registered in the six previous years (13 overall/three Big 12) before Morriss' Central Texas arrival.
In fact, Morriss has directed Baylor to seven of its 11 all-time Big 12 Conference victories and its only two conference road wins. He owns a 15-31 record in four seasons at Baylor and is 24-45 in six seasons as a head coach overall.
JoePa Looks To Build On Outstanding Rookie Season
Sophomore linebacker Joe Pawelek enjoyed one of the finest season's ever by a Baylor rookie, earning 2006 first-team freshman All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America and second-team recognition from Rivals.com. The Associated Press' 2006 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year, Pawelek also garnered conference Defensive Freshman of the Year honors from The Sporting News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Houston Chronicle as well as second-team All-Big 12 honors from the league's coaches. He led the Bears in tackles with 86 stops (46 solos) while playing in every game with 10 starts.
Pawelek tied for 10th in the Big 12 with 7.17 tackles per game, the highest per-game average of any conference freshman, and finished the season with 4.5 tackles for loss (No. 4 on squad), 2.0 sacks (T-No. 2 on team), one interception, four pass breakups (T-No. 2 on squad) and a team-high nine quarterback hurries.
All Eyes On QB Battle
A year ago, the focus on the offensive side of the ball was on the installation of the Bears new spread attack. This year, though, the attention will be directed at the five-man race to replace 23-game starter Shawn Bell as the Bears' starting quarterback. Bell, whose Baylor career was cut short when he went down with a season-ending knee injury late in the Texas A&M game, established virtually every school single-season and career passing record despite not playing more than nine games in any season. He missed the final three games of the 2006 season, but still set school single-season records for passing yards (2,582), attempts (383), completions (241), completion percentage (.629) and touchdowns (19) while directing the Bears to a 4-5 record and a school-record three Big 12 wins.
Sophomore Blake Szymanski, who started the final three games of the 2006 season in place of Bell and completed 52.9 percent of his passes on the season, will take the first snap of the spring with the Bears' No. 1 unit. From there, it's game on, as Szymanski will have to fight off Kent State transfer and fifth-year Michael Machen, junior walk-on Ryan Roberts, a transfer from Midwestern State who sat out the 2006 campaign at Baylor, Tyler Junior College transfer John David Weed, a junior, and redshirt freshman Tyler Beatty to start the Sept. 1 season-opener at TCU.
"That's the guy that makes everything go," Morriss said of the Bears' quarterback battle. "We don't need a guy that has a huge arm, but he's got to make good decisions and quick decisions and get the ball to the open guy."
Another Tough Schedule On Tap For 2007 Bears
After playing seven of 12 games a year ago against teams that went on to earn bowl invitations, Baylor will face eight bowl teams in 2007, 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' 12 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
The Baylor University Board of Regents at its February 2007 meeting approved plans to construct 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 in the modern era.
The lead gift for the privately funded project and the largest single gift in Baylor's 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 beloved 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 supporter of Baylor, 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). He attended Baylor University for his entire collegiate experience, earning 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 of the facility will take approximately 18 months, with expected completion by summer 2008.
Baylor Quick Hits
In each of the last three years, coach Guy Morriss' Bears have improved their Big 12 win total--going from 1 victory in 2004, to 2 in 2005 and a school-record 3 in 2006 ... The Baylor defense returns eight of its top 10 tacklers from a year ago ... After starting 10 games at FS as a sophomore in 2006, 2007 All-America candidate Dwain Crawford moves to Rover as a junior ... Senior running back Brandon Whitaker is the Bears' leading returning receiver (30 rec.) and rusher (17.6 ypg) ... Baylor's pre-spring depth chart features 14 seniors, 20 juniors, 20 sophomores and 15 freshmen ... Baylor attracted a Floyd Casey Stadium record 259,559 fans to its seven home games in 2006, an average of 37,080 fans per game, which was a school-record for a seven-game home schedule and the 13th-best mark overall in the stadium's 56-year history ... The Baylor defense has forced 56 turnovers over the last two seasons (32 interceptions and 24 fumble recoveries) ... The Bears are 11-5 in four seasons under Morriss when scoring 24 or more points ... Baylor averaged 33.5 points in its four wins a year ago compared to 18.6 in its eight 2006 losses ... On the flip side, the Bears yielded 19.8 points in its 2006 victories and 39.0 in its setbacks ... Baylor's 2007 non-conference schedule includes first-time foe Buffalo (Sept. 22), as well as former SWC rivals TCU (Sept. 1) and Rice (Sept. 8) and Southland Conference entrant Texas State (Sept. 15).
