Sept. 29, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

GAME 5

BAYLOR (2-2, 0-0) vs. #1 OKLAHOMA (4-0, 0-0)

Radio: Baylor/ISP Sports Network (ESPN/KRZI 1660AM Waco)
Television: FSN (Complete TV Listing)

Internet Audio:

Internet Video: None
Live Stats:

GAME INFORMATION

Date: Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008

Kickoff: 11:40 a.m. CDT

Location: Waco, Texas

Stadium: Floyd Casey Stadium

Capacity: 50,000

Series: Oklahoma leads 17-0

Waco: Oklahoma leads 8-0

Norman: Oklahoma leads 9-0

Neutral: Never Met

First Meeting: OU 17-6 [Oct. 26, 1901]

Last Meeting: OU 52-21 [Nov. 10, 2007]

BAYLOR BEARS

Record: 2-2, 0-0 Big 12

Ranking: NR/NR

Head Coach: Art Briles

Career Record: 36-30 (6th season)

Baylor Record: 2-2 (1st season)

vs. Oklahoma: 0-1

Statistical Leaders:

Rushing: Robert Griffin [55-334-5]

Passing: Robert Griffin [47-78-0-756-7]

Receiving: Kendall Wright [15-185-1]

Tackles: Joe Pawelek [11-37-48]

OKLAHOMA SOONERS

Record: 4-0, 0-0 Big 12

Ranking: 1st/1st

Head Coach: Bob Stoops

Career Record: 101-22 (10th season)

Oklahoma Record: 101-22 (10th season)

vs. Baylor: 9-0

Statistical Leaders:

Rushing: DeMarco Murray [59-335-3]

Passing: Sam Bradford [83-115-2-1293-16]

Receiving: Manuel Johnson [21-376-4]

Tackles: Travis Lewis [19-14-33]

Baylor returns to action Saturday, Oct. 4, hosting top-ranked Oklahoma in the Big 12 Conference opener for both teams. Kickoff between the Bears and Sooners is scheduled for 11:40 a.m. CDT at Floyd Casey Stadium. Saturday's game will be televised nationally on FSN, Baylor's fourth televised game this season.

The Bears (2-2, 0-0 Big 12) enjoyed one of two open dates on their 2008 schedule last weekend. Baylor has not played since a 31-28 loss Sept. 19 at Connecticut. The Bears are 2-1 at home this season, falling to then-No. 23 Wake Forest and defeating Northwestern State and Washington State.

The Sooners (4-0, 0-0 Big 12) defeated then-No. 24 TCU 35-10 at home last Saturday. Oklahoma also defeated Chattanooga, Cincinnati and Washington this season. The Sooners are 1-0 on the road in 2008, winning 55-14 at Washington three weeks ago. Oklahoma is ranked first nationally in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches' Poll.

All Baylor football games are broadcast live on the Baylor/ISP Sports Radio Network; Waco's 1660 ESPN Radio is the network's flagship station. Saturday's game also will be carried on Sirius Radio 161. Live streaming audio and GameTracker also are available for all Baylor football games online at www.BaylorBears.com, the official website of Baylor Athletics and a member of the CBS College Sports network.

BAYLOR-OKLAHOMA SERIES

This is the 18th meeting between Baylor and Oklahoma; the Sooners have dominated the series, winning each of the first 17 meetings. Oklahoma's 37-30 double-overtime win at Norman in 2005 was the closest game in the series since the Sooners' 24-23 victory at Norman in 1997.

While Oklahoma has won every game in the series, not all have been handily. In fact, the first three meetings as Big 12 foes were decided by a total of 17 points, including scores of 28-24 and 24-23 in the first two meetings.

Baylor and Oklahoma first met Oct. 26, 1901; the Sooners left Waco that day with a 17-6 victory. The teams did not play again until 1973.

SERIES NOTES: Oklahoma is the only Big 12 team Baylor has never defeated. In fact, Oklahoma is the only team Baylor has played at least five times without at least one win. ... This is the eighth time in the last nine meetings that Oklahoma has been ranked when playing Baylor and the third time in that span that the Sooners have been ranked No. 1. Oklahoma is the only top-ranked team Baylor has played since the 2000 Nebraska game. ... When Baylor faced top-ranked Oklahoma in 2000, it was the Bears' second game against the nation's top-ranked team in a 15-day span. Two weeks prior, Baylor played then-No. 1 Nebraska. ... Baylor held Oklahoma to 56 yards rushing in the 2003 meeting, a season low for the Sooners and the fewest yards rushing allowed by a Baylor team since 1995. In fact, Oklahoma had negative rushing yards until late in the third quarter. ... In the 1989 season opener for both teams, then-No. 8 Oklahoma ran the ball on 70 of 72 plays en route to a 33-7 victory at Norman. The Sooners were 0-of-2 passing, the fourth and most recent time a Baylor opponent did not complete a pass. ... ... Randy Davis returned a kickoff 93 yards for a TD against the Sooners in 2001. That still stands as the eighth-longest kickoff return in Baylor history. ... Pete Rutter's 81-yard punt against Oklahoma in 1989 still ranks fifth all-time at Baylor.

QUICK NOTES

• The NCAA ranks the Bears' schedule as the nation's third-toughest. Baylor's Division I FBS opponents currently have a 26-9 combined record against Division I FBS opponents.

• Both Baylor losses this season have come against teams currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches' Poll.

• Baylor is 45-42-4 (.516) all-time in conference openers, including a 3-9 mark in Big 12 openers.

• Baylor is 41-153-6 all-time against ranked opponents, including a 0-10-1 mark against top-ranked teams.

• Baylor is 38-75-2 all-time in televised games.

• Baylor is 7-0 in takeaways-turnovers over the last two games.

• Baylor ranks 13th nationally in rushing (224.0 ypg) and 22nd in passing efficiency (152.06).

• Baylor is 26th nationally in total offense (429.8 ypg) and 30th in scoring offense (34.4 ppg).

• Baylor is 13th nationally in net punting (39.4 ypp).

• Baylor is tied for 13th nationally in turnover margin (plus-1.25 tpg).

• Baylor ranks is tied for 14th nationally with 2.75 sacks per game.

• QB Robert Griffin ranks sixth in the Big 12 and 54th nationally in rushing (83.5 ypg). He also ranks 10th nationally and sixth in the Big 12 in passing efficiency (171.29), and he is 27th nationally and eighth in the league in total offense (272.5 ypg).

• RB Jay Finley ranks seventh in the Big 12 and 57th nationally in rushing (79.3 ypg).

• LB Joe Pawelek is tied for fourth nationally and first in the Big 12 in tackles (12.0 tpg). He also is tied for 24th nationally and third in the league in interceptions (0.5 ipg).

• P Derek Epperson ranks 20th nationally and second in the Big 12 in punting (43.5 ypp).

• LB Antonio Jones is tied for ninth in the Big 12 in tackles (7.3 tpg).

• DE Leon Freeman is tied for 18th nationally and fourth in the conference with 1.5 tackles for loss per game.

• Four Bears have started at least 20 consecutive games: RT Dan Gay (26), Pawelek (25), DT Vincent Rhodes (24) and DE Jason Lamb (22).

• Three Baylor true freshmen are listed first at their respective positions: Griffin, PK Ben Parks and WR Kendall Wright.

OKLAHOMA GAME BEGINS TOUGH STRETCH

Beginning with Saturday's game against Oklahoma, four of Baylor's next six games are against teams ranked nationally in this week's polls. In fact, three of the four are against teams ranked in the top 10. After facing No. 1 Oklahoma this week, the Bears host Iowa State before traveling to No. 21/22 Oklahoma State in two weeks. Baylor then travels to Nebraska before hosting No. 4/3 Missouri and traveling to No. 5 Texas.

LAST TIME vs. OKLAHOMA

OKLAHOMA 52, BAYLOR 21

NOV. 10, 2007 • GAYLORD FAMILY OKLAHOMA MEMORIAL STADIUM • NORMAN, OKLA.

Two redzone turnovers and an Oklahoma kickoff return for a touchdown proved fatal for Baylor in a 52-21 loss to the fourth-ranked Sooners.

After the teams traded punts on their first possessions, Baylor drove to the Oklahoma 3 thanks to Brandon Whitaker's 57-yard run. However, Blake Szymanski was intercepted in the end zone on the next play, thwarting Baylor's first scoring chance of the game.

The Bears again forced the Sooners to punt and responded with a five-play, 65-yard scoring drive. Whitaker's 46-yard touchdown run capped the drive.

Baylor's lead was short-lived, though, as Oklahoma marched 72 yards on seven plays and scored in 2:28. DeMarco Murray's first of three touchdown runs ended the drive, this one from 25 yards out.

After the Bears went three-and-out on their ensuing possession, Oklahoma quickly took the lead. Sam Bradford connected with Malcolm Kelly for a 51-yard touchdown pass on the Sooners' first play from scrimmage.

Oklahoma pushed its lead to 21-7 with 10:24 remaining in the second quarter. Baylor got back in the game with a 75-yard Szymanski-to-Thomas White touchdown pass with 60 seconds to play in the quarter. However, the Sooners again answered quickly as Murray returned the ensuing kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown.

The Sooners scored on the first drive of the second half, but Baylor had a chance to answer. The Bears had second-and-goal at the Oklahoma seven; however, a false start cost Baylor five yards, and Szymanski was intercepted on the next play. Bradford recorded his third touchdown pass of the game on the ensuing drive, giving Oklahoma a 42-14 lead.

Szymanski again connected with White for a touchdown pass late in the third quarter, this time from 42 yards out. That was the end of the scoring for Baylor, though. Oklahoma added a 27-yard Garrett Hartley field goal and a Murray 21-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Whitaker finished with 149 yards rushing on 15 carries, the second 100-yard rushing game of his career. At the time, it was Baylor's first 100-yard rushing effort since the 2005 Texas A&M game and the Bears' best rushing performance since Rashad Armstrong's 166-yard tally against Colorado in 2003. Whitaker's rushing total was Baylor's best ever against Oklahoma. He also had 10 receptions for 68 yards, finishing with 217 all-purpose yards.

Szymanski was 25-of-42 for 280 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. During the game, he established Baylor single-season records for total yards, passing yards and passing touchdowns.

BAYLOR IN CONFERENCE OPENERS

Baylor is 45-42-4 (.516) all-time in conference openers. The Bears are 3-9 in Big 12 Conference openers, going 3-2 when opening Big 12 play at home. Baylor won its Big 12 opener in 2002 (def. Kansas 35-32), in 2003 (def. Colorado 42-30) and in 2006 (def. Kansas State 17-3). Baylor has never won a Big 12 opener on the road (1996 at Texas Tech, 1998 at Colorado, 1999 at Oklahoma, 2001 at Iowa State, 2004 at Texas, 2005 at Texas A&M).

This is only the second time Baylor has played Oklahoma in its Big 12 opener; the Bears suffered a 41-10 loss at Norman in 1999. Baylor opened Big 12 play against Colorado, Iowa State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech twice each, and against Kansas, Kansas State and Texas once each.

In 79 seasons as a member of the Southwest Conference, Baylor was 42-33-4 (.557) in league openers. The Bears won six of their last seven, 10 of their last 12 and 14 of their last 17 such SWC games.

BAYLOR vs. RANKED OPPONENTS

Baylor is 41-153-6 all-time against ranked opponents, 26-134-5 when unranked and playing a ranked opponent. The Bears are 2-39 against ranked opponents since the inception of the Big 12 Conference (33-30 vs. 20th-ranked North Carolina State in 1998, and 35-34 in overtime vs. 16th-ranked Texas A&M in 2004). Baylor has lost 13 straight to ranked foes since the 2004 victory over Texas A&M, including a season-opening loss to then-No. 23 Wake Forest.

Since the Associated Press began conducting weekly polls in 1936, Baylor has played at least one ranked opponent every season except 1987. Baylor has played at least one top-10 team every season since 1993.

BAYLOR vs. TOP-RANKED OPPONENTS

Saturday is 12th game against an opponent ranked No. 1 nationally by the Associated Press; the Bears are 0-10-1 in such contests. This is Baylor's first game against a top-ranked opponent since 2003 when the Bears lost 41-3 at Oklahoma despite sacking eventual Heisman Trophy winner Jason White five times (he had been sacked 12 times in 10 games all season entering the game) and holding the Sooners to a season-low 56 yards rushing.

In 2000, Baylor played the nation's top-ranked team twice in a three-game span, falling first at Nebraska and then at home to Oklahoma two weeks later. Prior to that, Baylor had not faced a No. 1 team since a 29-7 loss at Texas in 1977.

Baylor's first game against a No. 1 team was in 1941, a 7-7 tie against Texas that was voted the biggest upset in the history of the Southwest Conference by a panel of sportswriters in 1950. Only once has a ranked Baylor team faced a top-ranked opponent; the 20th-ranked Bears lost 20-6 at top-ranked Maryland in 1955.

The highest-ranked team ever defeated by Baylor was Tennessee; the Bears defeated the then-No. 2 Volunteers 13-7 at the 1957 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, La.

BAYLOR IN TELEVISED GAMES

Saturday's game is the 116th televised game in Baylor football history; the Bears are 38-75-2 all-time in televised games. Baylor snapped a 16-game losing streak in televised games with its 45-17 victory over Washington State earlier this season.

This is Baylor's fourth televised game this season; the Bears are 1-2 in the previous three games. Baylor has played at least four nationally televised games each of the last four seasons.

Baylor is 3-27 all-time on FSN, including its subsidiaries Fox College Sports and FSN-PayPerView. The Bears are 1-1 on FSN this season, falling to Wake Forest and defeating Washington State.

RUSHING GAME VASTLY IMPROVED

Through four games this season, Baylor has rushed for 896 yards. That is just 38 yards shy of the Bears' 2007 12-game season total. Furthermore, Baylor has 11 rushing touchdowns this season, already eclipsing last year's season total (5).

Baylor rushed for 426 yards on 42 carries against Washington State. It was Baylor's third 400-yard rushing game ever and its first since the Bears rushed for a school-record 482 yards at SMU in 1993, a game in which Baylor did not throw a pass. The Bears rushed for 207 yards against Northwestern State the previous week. It marked the first time Baylor had rushed for 200-plus yards in consecutive games since 1997 (Texas, Texas A&M and Missouri). In fact, it was the first back-to-back 100-yard rushing games for Baylor since 2005 (Texas Tech, Texas).

The Bears continued the rushing success in their next game at Connecticut, gaining 169 yards on 43 carries. It marked Baylor's first three consecutive 100-yard rushing games since a five-game span to open the 2005 season.

The Bears' five rushing touchdowns against Washington State were their most in a game since scoring five against Samford in 2002. It was Baylor's most rushing touchdowns against a Division I FBS opponent since a five-touchdown game against SMU in 1995.

GRIFFIN MAKES NAME FOR HIMSELF

Attention on Baylor freshman QB Robert Griffin has not been confined to Central Texas or even the Central U.S. ESPN.com columnist Bruce Feldman called Griffin the nation's sixth-biggest surprise through the first third of the season.

Griffin is the only true freshman starting quarterback in the nation, and his 7-to-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio is best nationally among quarterbacks with at least 75 pass attempts. In fact, Griffin and 2008 Heisman Trophy Winner Tim Tebow (six touchdown passes) of Florida are the only quarterbacks in the nation to have thrown at least five touchdown passes this season without throwing an interception.

Furthermore, Griffin is one of only 10 quarterbacks nationally who leads his team in both passing yardage and rushing yardage. He was named Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week following his performance against Washington State.

PAWELEK CRACKS TACKLES LIST

With 10 tackle assists against Connecticut, LB Joe Pawelek cracked Baylor's career list in that category. He now has 136 career tackle assists, tying James Francis (1986-89) for ninth on Baylor's all-time list.

Further ascention up the list should come quickly for Pawelek. He needs two tackle assists to move into sole possession of seventh place, nine to move into sixth place, 10 to move into fifth place, 11 to move into fourth place, 14 to move into third place and 31 to move into second place. However, the school record still is distant; Mike Singletary (1977-80) tallied 311 in his career.

BEARS MAKE GOOD USE OF COMPLETIONS

Baylor has completed 56 passes this season, 38 of which have resulted in first downs (67.9 percent). Two weeks ago at Connecticut, 12 of the Bears' 14 completions moved the chains (85.7 percent). Last season, Baylor established a school record with 280 completions; however, only 148 resulted in first downs (52.9 percent).

Furthermore, Baylor completions have resulted in touchdowns 14.3 percent of the time this season (8-of-56). Last season, only 7.5 percent the Bears' completions resulted in touchdowns (21-of-280).

SCHEDULE AMONG NATION'S TOUGHEST

Baylor's 2008 schedule ranks as the nation's third-most difficult by the NCAA as the Bears face eight opponents who participated in bowl games last season. The Bears' schedule ranks as the nation's fifth-toughest, according to ESPN.com, and Phil Steele's College Football Preview magazine ranks the Bears' schedule as the nation's seventh-toughest. Both outlets have Baylor's slate as the Big 12 Conference's toughest.

In fact, Baylor is one of only three schools from BCS conferences to play at least three non-conference games against other teams from BCS conferences. Coincidentally, the Bears play both of the other such teams -- Connecticut and Wake Forest (Washington State is the Bears' other BCS non-conference opponent).

Five of Baylor's 12 opponents were ranked nationally to start the season: Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, Texas Tech and Wake Forest; two others -- Connecticut and Oklahoma State -- have since joined that quintet in the national rankings. Baylor has not played more than four opponents ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 at time of game in one season since facing five such teams in 1998.

Baylor's 2008 opponents currently tout a 26-9 (.743) combined record against Division I FBS competition. That ranks as the third-toughest schedule nationally behind only Kansas (25-7, .781) and Georgia (29-9, .763).

QUICK-STRIKE OFFENSE

Baylor has eight touchdown drives of five plays or less this season, tied for 11th nationally. Oklahoma State, Oregon and Tulsa leads all teams with 11 such drives each, while Missouri has 10. Meanwhile, the Bears have seven touchdown drives of less than two minutes, tied for 19th nationally. Oregon leads all teams with 16 such drives, followed by Tulsa (15), Missouri (14) and Rice (11).

Baylor enjoyed four plays of 50-plus yards in the Washington State game -- three runs (57, 58, 58) and one pass (61). The Bears had five plays of 50-plus yards in 12 games last season. In fact, the four such plays in the Washington State game were more than Baylor had in 2003 (three), 2004 (two) or 2005 (three). Baylor had seven such plays in 2006.

NOTES FROM THE CONNECTICUT GAME

• The loss snapped Baylor's five-game winning streak in non-conference games against unranked opponents.

• Baylor has rushed for 100-plus yards in three straight games for the first time since a five-game run to open the 2005 season.

• LG John Jones made his first career start.

• QB Robert Griffin tied his career high with three touchdown passes.

• Griffin tied his career high with four total touchdowns (three passing, one rushing).

• LB Joe Pawelek posted the ninth double-digit tackle game of his career; he has accomplished the feat in all four games this season.

• WR Kendall Wright established career highs with six receptions and 114 receiving yards. He also recorded his first career touchdown reception.

• TE Justin Akers caught two touchdown passes for the second time in his career (Rice, 2007).

• LB Antonio Johnson established a career high with nine tackles.

• S Jeremy Williams tied his career high with eight tackles.

• CB Antareis Bryan's third-quarter interception was the second of his career.

WHITE CRACKS TOUCHDOWN RECPTION CHART

WR Thomas White's third-quarter touchdown reception against Northwestern State earlier this season was the 11th of his career. He moved into a an eighth-place tie on Baylor's career chart, matching Stanley Williams (1949-51), George Cheshire (1965-67) and Marques Roberts (2001-04). Seven of White's touchdown receptions have come in his last seven games.

White needs two touchdown receptions to tie Bruce Davis (1980-83) and Dominique Zeigler (2003-06) for sixth all-time at Baylor. Lawrence Elkins (1962-64) and Melvin Bonner (1989-92) hold Baylor's career record; each had 19 touchdown receptions.

MILESTONE WATCH

• WR Thomas White needs two touchdown receptions to move into a sixth-place tie on Baylor's career chart.

• White also needs 81 yards to become Baylor's 24th 1,000-yard receiver.

• WR David Gettis needs one kickoff returns and 24 kickoff return yards to crack Baylor's career top 10 lists in those categories.

• QB Blake Szymanski needs 16 pass attempts to move into eighth place on Baylor's career list.

• With his next touchdown pass, Szymanski will move into a seventh-place tie on Baylor&rsqu