Sept. 10, 2007
GAME THREE
BAYLOR (1-1) vs. TEXAS STATE (1-1)
SATURDAY, SEPT. 15, 2007 • 6:00 P.M. CDT
FLOYD CASEY STADIUM (50,000)
WACO, TEXAS
SERIES RECORD
Baylor leads 6-0-0
LAST MEETING
at Baylor 24, Texas State 17 (Sept. 11, 2004)
COACHES
BAYLOR: Guy Morriss (TCU, 1973)
Record at Baylor: 16-32 (5th season)
Career Record: 25-46 (7th season)
Record vs. Texas State: 1-0
TEXAS STATE: Brad Wright (Texas State, 1981)
Record at Texas State: 1-1 (1st season)
Career Record: 1-1 (1st 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
BAYLOR HOSTS TEXAS STATE
Baylor returns to action Saturday, Sept. 15, hosting NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) foe Texas State. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT at Floyd Casey Stadium. This is Baylor's final non-conference home game of the 2007 season.
The Bears (1-1) are coming off a 42-17 victory over former Southwest Conference rival Rice last Saturday at Floyd Casey Stadium. Texas State (1-1) suffered a 45-27 loss to NCAA Division II Abilene Christian at home that same night. This marks the second consecutive week Baylor has faced an opponent that lost to team from a lower division the previous week.
BAYLOR-TEXAS STATE SERIES
Baylor and Texas State meet for the seventh time Saturday; all six previous meetings also took place in Waco and were won by the Bears.
The teams first met Oct. 4, 1909; Baylor won 55-0 in its season opener. That was the most points ever scored by a Baylor team and the Bears' largest margin of victory ever at the time. Baylor and Texas State met again in 1913, and it proved to be the closest game in the series history as the Bears pulled out a 9-7 victory.
Three years later, things were not as close. Baylor defeated Texas State 75-0 in the 1916 season opener, again establishing school records for points in a game and largest margin of victory. Both marks were eclipsed the following season when Baylor defeated Hardin-Simmons 103-0, but the 1916 performance against Texas State still ranks third all-time at Baylor in both categories.
Baylor and Texas State did not meet again until 1987, when the Bears claimed a 36-15 victory. The following season, Baylor earned a 45-7 victory. The Bears and the Bobcats last met in 2004, when Baylor held off Texas State 24-17. That was the second game for then-first-year Texas State head coach David Bailiff, who currently is in his first season as head coach at Rice.
Overall: Baylor leads 6-0-0
Waco: Baylor leads 6-0-0
San Marcos: Never Met
ALL-TIME RESULTS
1909 Oct. 4 Baylor 55 Texas State 0 Waco, Texas
1913 Oct. 4 Baylor 9 Texas State 7 Waco, Texas
1916 Sept. 30 Baylor 75 Texas State 0 Waco, Texas
1987 Oct. 10 Baylor 36 Texas State 15 Waco, Texas
1988 Oct. 8 Baylor 45 Texas State 7 Waco, Texas
2004 Sept. 11 Baylor 24 Texas State 17 Waco, Texas
SERIES NOTES
• Baylor's 76-0 victory in 1916 remains the third-largest margin of victory and the third-most points scored in Baylor history.
• Baylor's 55-0 victory in 1909 was the largest margin of victory in the program's young history at the time. It still is tied for eighth in school history. Baylor's 55 points in that game were the most scored by a Bears team at that point and remains tied for 11th all-time at Baylor.
• Baylor rushed for 339 yards against in the 1988 meeting, tied for 21st in school history.
• Anthony Ray rushed for 162 yards on 16 carries in the 1988 game, tied for the 15th-best single-game rushing total in school history. It also was the only time a Baylor player has amassed at least 150 yards rushing in a game with 16 or fewer carries and one of only four times a Baylor player has rushed for at least 150 yards with less than 20 carries.
SERIES SUPERLATIVES
Most Points Scored, Baylor: 75 (1916)
Most Points Scored, Texas State: 17 (2004)
Most Points Scored, both teams: 75 (1916, BU 75-0)
Largest Margin of Victory, Baylor: 75-0 (1916)
Largest Margin of Victory, Texas State: n/a
BAYLOR BESTS vs. TEXAS STATE
Rushing Attempts
19, Charles Perry, 1987
Rushing Yards
164, Anthony Ray, 1988
Receptions
5, Dominique Zeigler, 2004
Receiving Yards
72, Alonzo Pierce, 1988
Passing Attempts
30, Dane King, 2004
Passing Completions
16, Chad Goebel, 1987
16, Dane King, 2004
Passing Yards
268, Chad Goebel, 1987
Passing Touchdowns
2, Chad Goebel, 1988
2, Dane King, 2004
Team Bests
Rushing Attempts: 49 (1988)
Rushing Yards: 368 (1988)
Passing Attempts: 30 (2004)
Passing Completions: 16 (1987, 2004)
Passing Yards: 268 (1987)
Total Offense: 548 (1988)
BAYLOR vs. DIVISION I-AA
In 1978, the NCAA split Division I into two divisions for football -- Division I-A and Division I-AA (now called Football Championship Subdivision). Since then, Baylor is 12-0 against Division I-AA opponents, including a 47-10 victory over Northwestern State last season. This is the eighth consecutive season in which Baylor has played a I-AA opponent. Here is a list of Baylor's previous 12 games against I-AA opponents:
1982 Baylor 21, North Texas 17
1986 Baylor 38, Louisiana Tech 7
1987 Baylor 13, Louisiana Tech 13
1988 Baylor 45, Texas State 7
1990 Baylor 13, Sam Houston State 9
2000 Baylor 20, South Florida 13
2001 Baylor 56, Southern Illinois 12
2002 Baylor 50, Samford 12
2003 Baylor 27, Sam Houston State 6
2004 Baylor 24, Texas State 17
2005 Baylor 48, Samford 14
2006 Baylor 47, Northwestern State 10
QUICK NOTES
• Baylor is 19-17-2 all-time when 1-1; however, the Bears are just 5-10-1 when 1-1 coming off a win.
• Baylor is 12-0 all-time against NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) opponents.
• Baylor is 6-3 against non-Big 12 teams from Texas during head coach Guy Morriss' tenure.
• Baylor is 118-61-2 all-time in September, including a 10-6 mark under head coach Guy Morriss.
• Baylor is 30-14 all-time on the third Saturday of September, including a 1-1 mark on Sept. 15.
• The Bears are 1-1 all-time on Sept. 8.
• Baylor has forced at least one turnover in 22 of the last 25 games, including 15 games with at least two turnovers forced in that time.
• Baylor's defense has held the opposing offense without a first-quarter touchdown in 15 of the last 24 games, including 12 first-quarter shutouts in that time.
• QB Blake Szymanski has thrown for at least 200 yards in three consecutive games, tied for the third-longest streak in school history. If he throws for 200 yards against Texas State, he would tie Don Trull for the second-longest streak all-time at Baylor.
• Baylor is one of only seven Division I-A schools with a student-athlete who previously played professional baseball. QB Michael Machen played two seasons with the Atlanta Braves organization and one season with the Baltimore Orioles organization. The other schools are Arizona State, Connecticut, Illinois, San Diego State, Temple and Troy.
• 95 of the 116 student-athletes on Baylor's roster hail from Texas. The other 21 players are from 10 other states -- Louisiana (5), California (4), Florida (4), Georgia (2), Alabama (1), Arizona (1), Colorado (1), Kansas (1), New Jersey (1), Oklahoma (1).
• One year after losing 32 seniors, including 24 fifth-year players, Baylor's 2007 roster features 71 underclassmen -- 45 of whom are either true (25) or redshirt (20) freshmen -- and just 17 seniors.
LAST TIME vs. TEXAS STATE
BAYLOR 24, TEXAS STATE 17
Sept. 11, 2004 • Floyd Casey Stadium • Waco, Texas
Justin Crooks forced Texas State QB Chase Wasson to fumble on a sack and Maurice Linguist pounced on the loose ball with 1:33 remaining in the game as the Bears' defense jump-started and then preserved a 24-17 Baylor victory.
The play was the second big play of the night for Crooks, who put the Bears on the board with a 9-yard fumble return early in the first quarter. It was his first career touchdown and his fourth career fumble recovery. Crooks finished with seven tackles. Montez Murphy, who forced the fumble on which Crooks scored, led the Bears with eight tackles, including two behind the line.
Baylor led 21-3 at halftime, but Texas State made a game of it with 14 third-quarter points. Wasson found K.R. Carpenter on a shallow screen and the latter raced the completion 73 yards to paydirt midway through the third. The Bobcats cut Baylor's lead to four points in the waning seconds of the third when Douglas Sherman scored on a 7-yard scamper.
The Bears added insurance with 5:10 remaining when Kenny Webb split the up-rights from 38 yards. Texas State appeared to have an answer, converting on two consecutive third downs on the ensuing drive. However, on third-and-4, Crooks sacked Wasson 14 yards deep and forced the game-saving fumble.
Dane King finished 16-of-30 for 224 yards and two TDs, connecting with Mike Miller and Marques Roberts. King was intercepted twice.
Baylor was led on the ground by Jonathan Golden, who picked up 56 yards on 17 totes.
Roberts' TD catch with 10 seconds left in the half to gave Baylor a 21-3 lead. The score was set up by a 20-yard completion from King to Dominque Zeigler, who had five catches for 80 yards.
BAYLOR-TEXAS STATE CONNECTIONS
• Baylor assistant coach Jason Phillips served as wide receivers coach at Texas State during the 2002 season.
SZYMANSKI SHARES BIG 12 WEEKLY HONOR
QB Blake Szymanski was named Big 12 Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday. Szymanski shared the weekly honor with Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford. Oklahoma's Reggie Smith was named Defensive Player of the Week, while Brandon Foster of Texas and Marcus Herford of Kansas shared special teams' honors.
Szymanski established several school records in Baylor's 42-17 victory over Rice, including single-game marks for passing yards (412) and touchdown passes (six). A redshirt sophomore, Szymanski also set a Baylor record for yards passing in a half with 280 in the first; he also became the first player in school history to throw three touchdown passes in the first quarter.
A product of Rider High School in Wichita Falls, Texas, Szymanski eclipsed his career touchdown total entering the game by two against Rice. He became the first quarterback in school history to record a 400-yard passing game. Szymanski joined Terry Southall (1960 vs. Syracuse) and Larry Isbell (1950 vs. Texas A&M) to record at least four touchdowns in a game without an interception.
It was Szymanski's third consecutive 200-yard passing game, tying for the third-longest streak in Baylor history. Szymanski was 29-of-46 against Rice, tying for the sixth-best single-game completions mark in school history. He also had 10 yards rushing and finished with 422 yards of total offense against Rice, one yard shy of Tom Muecke's school record set against TCU in 1984.
OFFENSE EXPLODES AGAINST RICE
Baylor tallied 521 yards of total offense against Rice, the best single-game total during head coach Guy Morriss' tenure and the most by a Baylor squad since the Bears racked up 546 yards against Samford in 2002. It marked just the fifth time since 1996 that Baylor has eclipsed the 500-yard plateau in total offense:
DATE OPPONENT LOCATION RUSHING PASSING TOTAL RESULT SCORE
Oct. 26, 1996 Iowa State Waco, Texas 397 227 624 W 49-21
Nov. 17, 2001 Oklahoma State Waco, Texas 202 315 517 L 22-38
Nov. 24, 2001 Southern Illinois Waco, Texas 163 344 507 W 56-12
Sept. 7, 2002 Samford Waco, Texas 280 266 546 W 50-12
Sept. 8, 2007 Rice Waco, Texas 98 423 521 W 42-17
BEARS HISTORICALLY SUCCESSFUL IN SEPTEMBER
Baylor is 118-61-2 all-time in September, including a 10-6 mark under head coach Guy Morriss. The Bears have posted an above-.500 record in three of Morriss' first four seasons.
The Bears have played at least one game within the year's ninth month each season since 1933. Baylor's first September game was a 17-5 loss to Trinity College in Dallas during the 1902 season. The Bears won 23 consecutive September games from 1927 to 1946 and 18 conseuctive September contests from 1950 to 1961.
Baylor has played at least three September games and gone winless only twice, going 0-3 in 1978 and going 0-4 in 1999. Interestingly, the Bears' two September ties came in consecutive weeks during the 1975 season -- a 10-10 draw at home against Auburn and a 14-14 dead-heat at ninth-ranked Michigan.
WHITAKER EYES RECEPTIONS MARK
RB Brandon Whitaker enters the Texas State game five receptions shy of cracking Baylor's career receptions top 10 list; he has 71 career catches for 392 yards and two touchdowns.
Whitaker also needs six 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 has recorded 30 receptions in each of the past two seasons. He established career highs with nine receptions for 57 yards at Washington State last season.
BAKER SIDELINED WITH COLLARBONE INJURY
WR Mikail Baker sustained a collarbone fracture during Saturday's game against Rice; he is expected to miss four-to-five weeks. Through two games, Baker has six catches for 87 yards. He also has four kickoff returns for 103 yards (25.8 yard averge).
FAST START RESULTS IN SCHOOL RECORDS
Among the other school records he established last week against Rice, QB Blake Szymanski became the first player in school history to record three first-quarter touchdown passes. He also became the first player in school history to throw four touchdown passes in a half. Jeff Watson had four touchdown passes after halftime against Missouri in 1996 but one came in overtime.
Szymanski also established a Baylor record for yards passing in a half with 280 yards. Tom Muecke previously held the record with 275 first-half yards against TCU in 1984. Shawn Bell set the school mark for second-half passing yardage last season when he tallied 257 yards against Kansas. Here is a list of the Baylor quarterbacks who have thrown for at least 230 yards in a half:
DATE PLAYER OPPONENT LOCATION FIRST SECOND TOTAL
Sept. 8, 2007 Blake Szymanski Rice Waco, Texas 280 132 412
Oct. 27, 1984 Tom Muecke TCU Fort Worth, Texas 275 87 362
Oct. 22, 2006 Shawn Bell Kansas Waco, Texas 137 257 394
Nov. 3, 1973 Neal Jeffrey TCU Waco, Texas 85 251 336
Oct. 5, 2002 Aaron Karas Kansas Waco, Texas 120 239 359
Nov. 19, 1966 Terry Southall SMU Dallas, Texas 117 233 350
Oct. 13, 1973 Neal Jeffrey Arkansas Waco, Texas 230 112 342
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 defensive 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 two games. After holding TCU scoreless in the first quarter in the season opener, Baylor allowed one touchdown in the opening period against Rice.
In 24 games since the 2005 season opener at SMU, Baylor has held the opponent without a first-quarter touchdown 15 times with 12 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 35 games. The Bears have held the opponent without a first-quarter offensive touchdown 19 times and scoreless 14 times in those 35 games.
BAYLOR HAS 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 14-11 when scoring at least 20 points and 2-21 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 6-29 when allowing 20 or more points in that time.
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 two-plus seasons it has reversed that trend. The Bears' defense has forced 59 turnovers (33 interceptions, 26 fumble recoveries) since the start of the 2005 season to rank second in the Big 12 and tied for 15th nationally among Division I-A teams in that span. Baylor has come up with at least one turnover in 22 of 25 games since the start of the 2005 season, including 15 with two or more.
Baylor forced 34 turnovers over 23 games in Guy Morriss' first two seasons, compared to the 59 it has totaled over the last 25 outings. Here's a look at teams nationally with the most turnovers forced over the last three seasons:
TURNOVERS GAINED 2005 2006 2007 TOTAL
1. TCU 40 26 6 72
2. Louisiana Tech 31 29 9 69
3. Boston College 18 37 11 66
4. Texas 27 32 5 64
5. Florida 31 29 2 62
Louisiana-Monroe 26 34 2 62
Southern Mississippi 34 25 3 62
Western Michigan 25 34 3 62
9. Boise State 26 31 4 61
Nevada 23 37 1 61
Southern California 38 22 1 61
12. Oregon 32 22 8 62
South Florida 30 25 7 62
14. Georgia 29 30 1 60
15. Baylor 29 27 3 59
Oklahoma 23 32 4 59
West Virginia 31 24 4 59
Miami (Ohio) 35 22 2 59
Missouri 24 28 7 59
NOTES FROM THE RICE GAME
• Baylor has won four consecutive meetings, the third-longest streak in the series. Rice has never won more than three straight against Baylor, which also has enjoyed streaks of seven and five games in the series.
• Baylor scored three touchdowns in the first quarter for the first time since Sept. 21, 2002.
• Baylor's 21 points tied for the third-highest scoring first quarter in Baylor football history.
• It tied for the 14th-highest scoring quarter (any period) in Baylor history.
• It was the ninth time in school history that Baylor scored at least 21 points in a first quarter.
• It was the sixth time in school history that Baylor has scored at least three offensive touchdowns in a first quarter.
• It was the first time Baylor has ever recorded three TD passes in a first quarter.
• The last time Baylor had three touchdowns in any quarter was last season against Kansas (fourth quarter ... Shawn Bell three touchdown passes).
• Baylor established single-game school records for yards passing and touchdown passes.
• Baylor finished with 521 yards of total offense, the most during head coach Guy Morriss' tenure and the most by any Baylor team since the Bears had 546 yards against Samford in 2002.
• Three different Baylor players recorded their first career touchdown receptions: IR Justin Akers, IR Brad Taylor and WR Ernest Smith. Taylor established career highs for receptions and yards receiving.
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
Baylor has recorded 14 non-offensive scores in 48 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)
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.
2007 CAPTAINS ANNOUNCED
Senior RB Brandon Whitaker, senior DS Jonathan Weeks and sophomore LB Joe Pawelek were elected 2007 Baylor football team captains. The trio was elected by their teammates.
A three-year letterman and the team's offensive captain, Whitaker will enter his senior season 317 yards shy of becoming the 28th Bear to rush for 1,000 or more career yards. He was Baylor's third-leading receiver in 2006 with 30 receptions for 192 yards and one touchdown.
Baylor's 2007 special teams captain is another senior, Weeks, who joined the program as a walk-on long snapper in 2004 and has gone on to handle those chores for the Bears in 30 of the last 34 games. He was rewarded for his special teams work with a scholarship by the Baylor staff in January 2005.
Pawelek will captain the Bears' defense as a sophomore after earning freshman All-America honors in 2006. He led the Bears in tackles with 86 stops (46 solos), while playing in every game with 10 starts as a rookie en route to 2006 Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors from multiple media outlets.
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.
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 (16) and in Big 12 play (seven) in four years than the Bears registered in the six previous years (13 overall/three 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 16-32 record in four-plus seasons at Baylor and is 25-46 in six-plus seasons as a head coach overall.
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.
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 plays its final non-Big 12 Conference game of the 2007 regular season Saturday, Sept. 22, traveling to Buffalo, N.Y., to face the University at Buffalo Bulls. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. CDT at UB Stadium on the Buffalo campus. This is the first-ever meeting between Baylor and Buffalo.
