vs.

8/7 BAYLOR (2-0) vs. NR/NR BUFFALO (1-1) Sept. 12, 2014 | 7:00 p.m. CT Buffalo, N.Y. | UB Stadium (29,013) TV: ESPN

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MEDIA INFORMATION Date Fri., Sept. 12 | 7:00 p.m. CT Location Buffalo, N.Y. | UB Stadium (29,013) TV ESPN Radio ESPN Central Texas | Sirius 91 | XM 91 Online Audio Listen Online Live Stats Gameday Central Gameday Info Ticket Info Purchase Tickets Game Notes Baylor Notes | UB Notes Twitter @BUFootball BAYLOR-UB SERIES Series Baylor leads, 3-0 In Waco Baylor leads, 2-0 In Buffalo Baylor leads, 1-0 First Meeting Sept. 22, 2007 - Baylor, 34-21 Last Meeting Sept. 7, 2013 - Baylor, 70-13 8/7 BAYLOR BEARS Record 2-0, 0-0 Big 12 Ranking 8 (AP), 7 (Coaches) Last Game Sept. 6, 2014 (defeated NW State, 70-6) Head Coach Art Briles (Texas Tech, 1979) Career: 80-60 (12th season) BU Record: 46-32 (7th season) NR/NR BUFFALO BULLS Record 1-1, 0-0 MAC Ranking NR (AP), NR (Coaches) Last Game Sept. 6, 2014 (lost to Army, 47-39) Head Coach Jeff Quinn (Elmhurst, 1984) Career: 18-33 (5th season) UB Record: 18-33 (5th season)

STORYLINES
• Baylor plays its first road game of the year and its 3rd game in 13 days with a trip to New York to face Buffalo at 7 p.m. CT €ˆon Friday, Sept. 12. The contest will be broadcast on ESPN.
• With wins over SMU €ˆand Northwestern State, Baylor has started 2-0 for the 5th consecutive year.
• Baylor has not surrendered a TD this season, outscoring SMU (45-0) and Northwestern St. (70-6), 115-6.
• Baylor has given up its fewest points (6) in back-to-back games since 1980.
• Baylor leads the nation in rushing defense (27.0 ypg) and sacks (6.0 spg), ranks second in total defense (134.5 ypg) and third in scoring defense (3.0 ppg).
• With a win over Buffalo, Baylor would start 4 straight seasons, 3-0, a first in program history.
• Baylor's offensive line has not allowed a single sack through 2 games (75 pass attempts).
• Baylor is 16-4 in September games under Art Briles.
• Baylor is 3-0 all-time vs. Buffalo and 2-0 vs. the Bulls under Briles. BU is 5-0 vs. current MAC members.
• Baylor is 17-2 in its last 19 games. €ˆ
• Baylor is 10-18 in true road games under Briles, but BU €ˆis 4-4 in true road games over the last 2 years.
• Baylor is up two spots in both AP Top 25 (No. 8) and Amway Coaches Poll (No.7).
• Baylor has been ranked in the AP €ˆTop 25 for a school-record 19 straight weeks.
• Baylor has been ranked in Top 10 of 11 of last 12 weekly polls.
• Baylor is playing its first game away from the new on-campus, riverfront $266 million McLane Stadium.
• Baylor is the most successful FBS team in Texas since 2011 with a win percentage of .756 (31-10).
• Baylor has scored 30+ points in 31 of its last 34 games and has scored 40+ points in 27 of those contests.
• Baylor has posted at least 400 yards offense in 41 of 42 games since 2011 -- that mark leads the nation.
• Baylor has gained 500+ yards in 11 of 15 games since 2013, after posting 574 vs. SMU and 720 vs. NSU.
• Baylor has tallied over 700 yards of offense 6 times in the last 15 games. BU had been over 700 yards in its history only twice before last season.
• Baylor returned 48 lettermen and 10 starters (5 o; 4 d; 1 st) from a 2013 squad that won a school-record 11 games, claimed its first Big 12 title and earned its first trip to a BCS-bowl game.
• Baylor is looking to repeat as conference champion for the first time in school history.

TEAM QUICK €ˆHITS
OFFENSE
• Baylor's No. 1 in the Big 12 in total offense averaging 647 ypg. That mark is 4th nationally.
• Baylor also leads the conference in scoring offense (57.5, 4th nationally), passing offense (384.0, 6th nationally) and rushing offense (263.0, 19th nationally).
• Baylor is tied for 10th in the NCAA €ˆwith 87.5 plays per game.
• Baylor is tied for 2nd nationally with 31.5 first downs per game.
• Baylor set an NCAA record in scoring in 2013 with 681 points in 13 games. BU's 52.4 points/game were tied for fourth-most all-time. Currently, the Bears are on pace to score 747 points in a 13-game season.
• Baylor returned 5 of its top 6 WRs from 2013 €ˆ(only loss was Tevin Reese to San Diego Chargers).
• However, 4 of those 5 top returners have missed time during the season's first two games due to injury.
• Baylor is 28-2 over the last 4 seasons when leading at halftime

DEFENSE
• 10 members of Baylor's defense have recorded at least half a sack in 2014, while three have 2.0 sacks apiece.
• Baylor's D has 3 or more turnovers in 7 games since 2013 & has won 20 straight with 3+ takeaways.
• Baylor tied a school record with nine sacks vs. SMU as 9 different players record at least half a sack.
• Phil Bennett's defense has forced 2 or more turnovers in 16 of its last 22 games (18-4 record in span).
• Baylor's opening-day shut out of SMU was its first in a season-opener since 1963, a 27-0 win over Houston.
• Baylor gave up only 67 yards vs. SMU, its fewest since 1988 win over UNLV (50 yards).
• Baylor held SMU €ˆto [-24] yards rushing, its fewest allowed since the school-record effort -36 vs. TTU €ˆin 1980.
• Baylor is second in the NCAA in yards per play (2.17). BU led the Big 12 allowing only 4.75 yards per play in 2013.
• Baylor led the nation in forcing 3-and-outs, tallying 6.38 per contest last season.

SPECIAL €ˆTEAMS
• Baylor leads the Big 12 and is second nationally with 16 made PATs.
• Baylor ranked 30th nationally in net punting in 2013 (38.3) after ranking 67th and 118th in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

INDIVIDUAL QUICK €ˆHITS
OFFENSE
• WR KD €ˆCannon is 6th nationally and leads the Big 12 with 141.0 receiving ypg. Cannon's 223 yards in 2nd game are 2nd-best in NCAA for single game in 2014 and is 2nd-most in BU €ˆhistory. His 4 TD €ˆgrabs are 2nd nationally.
• Reigning Big 12 Player of the Week, QB €ˆSeth Russell, is tied for 7th nationally and leads the Big 12 with 21.0 points responsible for per game. His passing efficiency of 277.168 during NSU game is best performance in NCAA this year.
• QB €ˆBryce Petty broke Robert Griffin III's BU record by throwing a TD €ˆin 14th straight game vs. SMU. He has 2 or more TD passes in all 14 career starts.
• 2014 marks the first time in three seasons that Baylor has a returning starter at quarterback (Heisman candidate Petty).

DEFENSE
• CB Xavien Howard is tied for 4th nationally with 1.0 INTs per game. He has had one in each of the first 2 games.
• NT €ˆAndrew Billings is tied for 17th in the NCAA with 2.0 TFLs per contest.
• MLB Bryce Hager, an All-America candidate, led the Big 12 in tackles in 2012 (124, 9.5/game) & €ˆtotaled 71 (7.9) in injury-shortened 2013 season.
• 3 starters (Beau Blackshear, Andrew Billings & Orion Stewart) are Waco natives.

SPECIAL TEAMS
• PR €ˆLevi Norwood leads the Big 12 and is 6th nationally with 24.5 yards per punt return.
• Norwood had BU-record 2 punt return TDs in 2013.
• Punter Spencer Roth led the Big 12 with a 45.8 average in 2013 and was named honorable mention All-American by SI.com.

BAYLOR IS AMERICA'S TOP OFFENSE
Baylor returns a nation's-best 6,319 yards from its 2013 totals [see chart below] amassed by the nation's most powerful offense. BU's offense €ˆhas finished among the top two stat leaders each of the previous three seasons [see listing below] and shattered numerous NCAA, Big 12 and school records. By averaging 647.0 yards of offense in its first two games, the 2014 Bears currently rank fourth in the NCAA and lead the Big 12.

MOST (2013) YARDS RETURNING, 2014 €ˆ(per Phil Steele)
1. Baylor - 6,319
2. Oregon - 5,702
3. Auburn - 5,537

BAYLOR'S DISRUPTIVE DEFENSE
Baylor's defensive impact has steadily improved under fourth-year defensive coordinator Phil Bennett. The Bears' takeaways have remained steady from year-to-year, but the chart below shows the increase in sacks and tackles-for-loss during Baylor's 2013 Big 12 championship run. Baylor also intercepted or broke up 82 passes in 13 games last year, the most of any major conference team and fifth in all of FBS.

BAYLOR'S CRAZY-FAST, POWERFUL OFFENSE
BU €ˆhas seven TD €ˆdrives in under a minute through the first two games of 2014. The Bears are averaging 16.97 seconds per play in first halves this season. Baylor's 2013 offense led the nation in TD drives of one minute or less (29, next closest was Ohio €ˆState's 21), TD drives of two minutes or less €ˆ(60, next Oregon's 49) and most plays of 40 yards or more (37, next Indiana's 27). The Bears 19.8 seconds per-play ranked behind BYU and Texas Tech's 19.5, but in first halves (with BU starters playing) BU led the FBS at 16.7 seconds per-play. [all stats via ESPN Stats & Info]

BAYLOR'S RETURN TO PROMINENCE UNDER BRILES
It's no secret that Art Briles has completely rebuilt Baylor's football program back to national prominence, but most impressive is how speedy and pronounced the transformation has been (Briles is fourth on the BU €ˆcareer wins list and three victories away from moving into the third spot).

OPPORTUNISTIC €ˆDEFENSE
Baylor's defense under coordinator Phil Bennett has demonstrated a knack for making big plays at key moments to contribute to the Bears winning ways over the past three seasons. In three-plus years under Bennett, Baylor's D has recorded at least one takeaway in 36 of 41 games - a total of 87 takeaways (55 interceptions, 32 fumbles recovered). Overall under Bennett, Baylor is 25-3 when recording two or more takeaways.

SUBS €ˆSHINE €ˆIN €ˆSEASON'S SECOND €ˆGAME
With injuries plaguing many of Baylor's offensive stars, Saturday's game gave young talent an opportunity to play key roles. A bevy of Bears passed their first starting test with flying colors. QB Seth Russell, a redshirt sophomore, filled in for Bryce Petty with 438 passing yards and five touchdown passes. Meanwhile, freshman KD €ˆCannon helped ease the loss of injured receivers Corey Coleman, Clay Fuller, Antwan Goodley and Levi Norwood, as he caught 3 TD passes and had 223 yards receiving.

RUSSELL €ˆNAMED €ˆBIG €ˆ12 PLAYER €ˆOF €ˆTHE €ˆWEEK
Sophomore QB Seth Russell was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Saturday's 70-6 win over Northwestern State. In the first start of his career, the Garland, Texas, product racked up 438 yards passing and was responsible for six touchdowns in only one half of action. He tallied TD passes of 82, 50, 42, 61 and 57 yards as well as adding a three-yard scoring scamper. His passing yards and passing touchdowns are both BU records for a half. Russell completed16-of-25 passes and his NCAA passer efficiency rating of 277.168 is the best performance in the NCAA this season. Russell's six TDs responsible for tied the Baylor record and his 438 passing yards were third-most in a game in BU history.

SCORING €ˆBECOMING €ˆHISTORIC
Baylor has scored in 89 straight games, tied for the longest streak in school history. The Bears also scored 89 consecutive games from Dec. 31, 1979 thru Oct. 23, 1987. In the current streak, the Bears have scored 29 or more points 60 times, compared to just 31 times in previous run.

HOME WINNING STREAK AMONG NATION'S BEST
Baylor's 12-game home win streak is a school record and is tied for the nation's second-longest active string:

NCAA FBS ACTIVE HOME WINNING STREAKS
Fresno State - 13
Baylor - 12
Northern Illinois - 12

HOME-COOKING KIND €ˆTO €ˆBEARS
• Baylor is 21-1 €ˆin Waco since 2011 and 25-3 at home since 2010.
• Baylor's last loss in Waco was Oct. 13, 2012, vs. TCU.
• Baylor has scored 70 or more points in five of its last nine home games.
• Baylor has had 500 or more yards of total in eight of the last nine homes game
• Baylor has allowed only 3 TDs over its last five games.

WIDE RECEIVER U
Baylor's talented and deep receiving corps returned five of its top six producers from 2013. Wide Receiver U, now recognized for its excellence and production, has been named the nation's top receiving unit in 2014 by ESPN.com, Lindy's and Phil Steele. Baylor has produced five NFL Draftees over the last five years (tied with USC as nation's highest total).

Wide Receivers drafted in the NFL Draft* 2010-2014
• 5 - Baylor, Southern Cal
• 4 - Arkansas, Illinois

BAYLOR WRs DRAFTED:
David Gettis (2010 Panthers, 6th round)
Kendall Wright (2012 Titans, 1st round)
Josh Gordon (2012 Browns, 2nd round*)
Terrance Williams (2013 Cowboys, 3rd round)
Tevin Reese (2014 Chargers, 7th round)
*including supplemental draft

BU €ˆPICKED SECOND IN LEAGUE BY MEDIA
Baylor garnered its highest-ever preseason placing by being picked second in the 2014 Big 12 Football Preseason Poll. BU tallied 508 points and nine first-place votes to finish as the projected runner-up to Oklahoma. The ranking is the Bears' best since the league switched to the 10-team format in 2011. BU was picked sixth in 2011, seventh in 2012 and fifth last year.

BEARS €ˆLEAD €ˆLEAGUE €ˆWITH €ˆSEVEN €ˆALL-BIG 12 SELECTIONS
Highlighted by preseason Offensive Player of the Year Bryce Petty, the Bears placed a conference-best seven players on the 2014 Preseason All-Big 12 Team. Media representatives who cover the league chose a school-record four offensive players, one defensive player and two specialists from Baylor's squad for the 26-man conference preseason team. [complete list of preseason honors on pages 5 & 6

UNSUNG RUSHING ATTACK AMONG NATION'S BEST
Baylor's underrated rushing attack is frequently overshadowed by the Bears' passing game. The Bears have led the Big 12 in rushing the last two seasons and finished second in 2011 - and have ranked among the top 15 nationally in each of the last three seasons (13th at 259.7 ypg in 2013, 14th at 231.7 in 2012 and 10th at 235.6 in 2011). The Bears' punishing rushing game has produced 1,000-yard rushers in four straight seasons: Jay Finley in 2010 (1,218), Terrance Ganaway in 2011 (school-record 1,547), Lache Seastrunk in 2012 (1,012) and 2013 (1,060).

NATION'S TOP €ˆQB-WR €ˆCOMBO? €ˆPETTY-TO-GOODLEY
Senior All-Americans Bryce Petty and Antwan Goodley are the nation's top returning quarterback-wide receiver combo, accounting for 1,339 yards in 2013, according to STATS. The duo connected 71 times last season, including 13 times for a score.

GREAT €ˆTIME €ˆTO €ˆBE €ˆA BAYLOR €ˆBEAR
Over the last four years, the Baylor football program has reached never-before-seen heights.
• Baylor tallied 7+ wins in 2013 for the 4th straight season for the first time in program history.
• Baylor played in a bowl game (Fiesta Bowl) for the 4th year in a row in 2013, a first in program history.
• Baylor's 36 wins over the last 4 seasons (7 in 2010, 10 in 2011, 8 in 2012 & 11 in 2013) are the most in program history over a 4-year span.

BAYLOR €ˆBECOMES €ˆREGULAR €ˆIN €ˆRANKINGS
After a 2-0 start to the season, Baylor moved up two spots in both the AP €ˆTop 25 and the Amway USA €ˆToday Coaches Poll. BU €ˆnow sits at No. 8 and No. 7, respectively. The Bears have now been in 19 straight AP €ˆTop 25 polls, a school record. Baylor opened the 2014 season ranked 10th in both AP & Coaches (Amway) preseason polls. It was the first time the Bears have been ranked in preseason by the coaches since 1991 when they were 25th and the first in the AP €ˆpoll since 1986 (12th). The No. 10 preseason ranking in the AP €ˆTop 25 is the highest since 1957 when the Bears were seventh.

MCLANE €ˆSTADIUM €ˆPATICULARS
All the feedback has been positive through two games at Baylor's McLane Stadium.
In what Director of Athletics Ian McCaw coined as a "monumental occasion" and "one of the biggest things to happen in the history of Baylor University," the Baylor Board of Regents voted on July 19, 2012, to move forward with the construction of the $266 million riverfront stadium.
McLane Stadium is built on a 93-acre site at the intersection of Interstate 35, one of the nation's busiest highways, and the Brazos River, the longest waterway in the state of Texas. The stadium holds 45,140 spectators, with the flexibility to expand to 55,000, and features a bridge crossing the Brazos connecting the stadium to the campus.
The 15-story McLane Stadium project is expected to help stimulate riverfront development, revitalize downtown Waco and bring jobs and economic development to the region.
The vote by Baylor Regents followed very favorable discussion and enthusiastic public comment at a meeting of the Waco City Council. At that meeting, the Council voted unanimously in support of a $35 million public contribution which was endorsed without dissent earlier this month by the downtown Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Zone board. The TIF funds covered a portion of public infrastructure around the stadium.
The contractor for the McLane Stadium project was a partnership between Austin Commercial-Flintco LLC. The companies have worked on such Big 12 football facilities as Oklahoma's Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium and TCU's Amon G. Carter Stadium. The architect for the project was Kansas City, Mo.-based Populous, which has designed several stadiums, including Yankee Stadium and the football stadium at the University of Minnesota.

• In the season opener, Baylor played its 1st game on campus since Nov. 9, 1935.
• Sophomore Shock Linwood had the first rush and touchdown (4-yard run)
• Freshman Chris Callahan scored the first points with a 23-yard field goal.

WHAT €ˆTHEY'RE €ˆSAYING...
Richard Justice, Sports On Earth
"They'd created one of the most beautiful settings in college football....McLane Stadium is a work of art in every way, beginning with its location: tucked into a corner of sorts created by the Brazos River and one of its lagoons. With an array of boats in the water for tailgating and general people-watching, and with the campus outlined on the other side of the river, its backdrop rivals almost any in sports. It's one of those times when every last touch seems perfect."

Laken Litman, USA Today
"This is a different Baylor. The moment $266 million McLane Stadium comes into view confirms that things aren't the same. Waco used to be a pit stop between Dallas and Austin. Now, there are food trucks, running and biking trails, and museums. It smacks you in the face."

Andy Staples, SI.com
"This was unthinkable 10 years ago. The Bears opened a jewel of a stadium in front of a capacity crowd. All the tickets are sold for the entire season."

David Ubben, FOX Sports Southwest
"Baylor's cozy perch on the river gives it a picturesque backdrop only Washington and Tennessee can duplicate. Sunday, it easily surpassed TCU as the Big 12's nicest stadium."

Brandon Chatmon, ESPN.com
"Few college football cathedrals can match McLane. Fans can arrive by boat and tailgate on the Brazos river before entering one of the most innovative venues in the nation, one which also features an in-game app that can be downloaded to enhance the game-day experience."