Game Notes 

GAME 1
BAYLOR vs. ABILENE CHRISTIAN
Sept. 1 | 7:00 p.m. CT | McLane Stadium | Waco, Texas
TV: FS1 
Game Notes: Baylor | Big 12
 
MEDIA INFORMATION
TV: FSN / Fox Sports Go App 
Talent: Brendan Burke (pxp), David Anderson (analyst) CT Steckel (sideline)
Radio: Baylor IMG Sports Network / ESPN Central Texas
Talent: John Morris (pxp), J.J. Joe (analyst), Ricky Thompson (sideline)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 98/ XM 200/ Internet 954
Twitter: @BUFootball | #SicACU 
 
MATCHUP
BAYLOR
0-0, 0-0 Big 12
Ranking: NR - AP, NR - Coaches
Head Coach: Matt Rhule (Penn State, '97)
Career Record: 29-34 (6th season)
BU Record: 1-11 (2nd season)
vs. ACU: 0-0

ABILENE CHRISTIAN
0-0, 0-0 Big 12
Ranking: NR - AP, NR - Coaches
Head Coach: Adam Dorrel (NW Missouri St., '98)
Career Record: 78-17 (8th season)
ACU Record: 2-9 (2nd season)
vs. BU: 0-0

STORY LINES
• Baylor opens the 2018 season and year two under Matt Rhule with a 7 pm CT matchup with Abilene Christian. Saturday's game is the first-ever meeting between the Bears and ACU.
• Baylor is 76-36-4 all-time in season openers, including a 12-10 mark in the Big 12 era (since 1996).
• Head coach Matt Rhule is 2-3 in his career in season openers.
• According to SB Nation, Baylor returns 93 percent (2nd nationally) of its offensive production from 2017.
• Denzel Mims racked up 1,087 receiving yards in 2017 to give Baylor a 1,000 yard receiver for the seventh-straight season. BU is the only program in FBS to accomplish the feat from 2011-17.
• Baylor has 14 graduates on its 2018 roster, the most in the Big 12 and fifth-largest total nationally.
• QB Charlie Brewer returns for his sophomore season after throwing for 1,562 yards with 11 touchdowns,   posting a BU frosh record 68.1 completion percentage & earning Big 12 Co-Offensive Freshman of the Year.
• BU returns 39 players that started at least one game in 2017, including 21 on defense and 18 on offense.
• Baylor running backs had 58 receptions in 2017, after catching only 40 passes from 2013-16 combined, and 52 of those catches return in 2018.
• Baylor's 27 first-time starters in 2017, including 11 true freshmen, were each the third largest totals in FBS.
• The Bears tied for the national lead with seven plays of 70 or more yards in 2017, including four by senior wide receiver Chris Platt in only four games.
• The Baylor coaching staff owns 23 combined years of NFL experience, sixth-best in college football.
• BU had 19 lettermen on NFL rosters during the 2018 preseason, including 13 different teams.
• Baylor is 69-14 since 2008 when scoring 30 or more points in a game.
• BU offensive linemen Blake Blackmar and Pat Lawrence have started 25 & 24 straight games, respectfully.
• Under Matt Rhule, Baylor football has signed 37 players from the state of Texas over the last recruiting cycles, more than any Big 12 or Power 5 team in the country.
• Baylor is playing its 117th season of football. BU holds a 589-568-44 (.509) record all-time.
• Baylor has scored in a school-record 137 straight games — the previous school record was 89 games from Dec. 31, 1979 - Oct. 23, 1987.

ABILENE CHRISTIAN SERIES HISTORY
• Baylor has never faced Abilene Christian on the gridiron. The Bears are 16-1 all-time against four members (Lamar, Northwestern State, Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston State) of the Southland Conference. The Bears are scheduled to face Stephen F. Austin in 2019 and Incarnate Word in 2020.
• BU's last meeting with a member of the Southland Conference was a 55-7 victory over Northwestern State in the 2016 season opener at McLane Stadium.
• The Bears hold a 370-229-31 all-time record against current Division I schools in the state of Texas.

2018 ROSTER FEATURES 14 GRADUATES 
• Preparing Champions for Life is not just a slogan at Baylor and coach Matt Rhule's team is proving it. The 2018 Baylor roster features 14 college graduates including three graduate transfers. 
• The list of graduates are as follows: JaMycal Hasty, Jamie Jacobs, Lenoy Jones, Jr., Xavier Jones, Ira Lewis, Josh Malin, Ross Matiscik, Jalan McClendon, Chris Platt, Greg Roberts, Owen Rogers, Derrek Thomas, Verkedric Vaughns, Trevor White.

MULTIPLE TURNOVERS EQUALS WINS 
• Matt Rhule defenses have forced two or more turnovers in 26 of 62 (41.9%) career games. 
• His teams own a 18-8 record with 2 turnovers forced, and have won 13 of the last 17 when doing so. 
• Rhule's teams are 7-0 when forcing 4 turnovers and 9-3 when creating 3 . 
• His teams are 20-4 in games where they have a positive turnover margin.

BEARS AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS IN RETURNING PRODUCTION
• Baylor ranks fourth overall among the national FBS leaders in returning production according to SB Nation. 
• Senior The Bears return 93 percent (2nd nationally) of their offensive production from a season ago including 1,000-yard receiver Denzel Mims, top two rushers John Lovett and JaMycal Hasty and presumptive starting quarterback Charlie Brewer. 
• Senior Baylor also returns 88 percent of its defensive leaders from 2017 which ranks 17th nationally, including 16 of its top 20 tacklers.