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August 2008
Griffin the right choice
It wasn’t an easy choice for Art Briles, but it’s the right one.
He’s going with freshman Robert Griffin Saturday against Northwestern State. Despite his inexperience, Griffin’s talent and potential can’t be denied. There’s no use wasting it on the bench.
I wrote in Monday’s column that Griffin is arguably the most gifted athlete Baylor has ever had at quarterback. He’s got the kind of explosiveness and arm to star at the college level. Plus, he’s a quick study who has grasped Briles’ complicated offensive scheme.
I still think fifth-year senior Kirby Freeman and junior Blake Szymanski will see some time at some point this season. As a true freshman, Griffin is going to take his share of lumps and make some mistakes. But he’s going to pull off some dazzling plays and give Baylor fans hope for the future.
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Baylor-Wake Forest
10:26 p.m. — No, they won’t. The Deacons do the sportsmanlike thing, and kneel out the clock. It’s a Wake Forest rout, with a 41-13 final score.
10:25 p.m. — Or they can run right through the Baylor defense. C.J. Washington breaks loose on a 55-yard run to the Baylor 25. Wake may still get some more points.
10:24 p.m. — Wake intercepts a wounded duck from Freeman in the end zone for the touchback. The Demon Deacons should be able to run out the clock from here.
10:22 p.m. — Baylor is trying to mount one final scoring drive with Freeman at the helm, but he’s under a lot of pressure from the Wake defense.
10:20 p.m. — Kirby Freeman is back in at QB for Baylor, incidentally.
10:18 p.m. — Jake Lamar gets in on the BU highlight tape, bringing back a well set-up kickoff return 44 yards. Excellent blocking on that play by the Bears.
10:14 p.m. — Wake’s Josh Adams coasts into the end zone from 5 yards out. It’s 41-13 with 4:38 to play, and another Baylor fan exodus for the exits begins. It is a school night, after all.
10:11 p.m. — Another turnover for Baylor. This time the Wake Forest punt deflects on Dwain Crawford, setting the Deacons up in prime scoring position at the Baylor 10.
9:58 p.m. — Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry absolutely leveled the Baylor punt returner with a hit that drew “ooos” and moans from the crowd. It drew a 15-yard flag, though it’s unsure if the BU return man signaled for a fair catch. Could be helmet-to-helmet contact.
9:51 p.m. — Robert Griffin caps off a nice 12-play, 76-yard drive with a six-yard scamper up the gut. His speed brings another dimension to the Baylor offense.
9:49 p.m. — Actually, the play stands. White’s knees hit the ground before the ball came loose.
9:47 p.m. — Griffin throws a nice strike to Thomas White at the 1-yard line, but the play is under review and looks as if it might come back. The ball appeared to be coming out as White fell to the turf.
9:42 p.m. — End of the third quarter, Wake leads 34-6. The crowd, which was announced at 30,633, has dwindled to far, far below that now.
9:33 p.m. — The Bears are just not getting to Skinner, and he’s so accurate, he’s making them pay big. He just connected with a wide-open tight end Ben Wooster deep downfield, bringing the score to 34-6, Wake.
9:23 p.m. — It’s getting ugly for Baylor now. The Bears nearly fumbled the kickoff, then put together an atrocious three-and-out to give the ball back to Wake.
9:16 p.m. — With all day to pass, Skinner hits Brinkman for the second TD hook-up between the duo on the evening. The Deacons lead 27-6 with 7:36 remaining in the third.
9:15 p.m. — The Bears suffer their third turnover of the game, as Griffin fumbles on a second-down carry and Wake recovers. This one could prove extra-costly, given that it puts the Deacons in prime scoring position.
9:11 p.m. — Baylor will take over 1st-and-10 from its own 4 after an excellent Wake Forest punt.
9:05 p.m. — Baylor gives it right back, as Jay Finley can’t get a handle on the handoff from Griffin. It almost looked as if Finley didn’t know he was getting the carry.
9:03 p.m. — Great way for Baylor to start the second half, as the BU defense forces a turnover. Antonio Jones recovered the Wake fumble, and the Bears take over at the 32.
8:41 p.m. — After a three-and-out from BU, Wake kneels out the clock and takes a 20-6 lead into the halftime break. Baylor has mixed flashes of brilliance with plenty of mistakes (dropped passes, a middling defensive pass rush). We’ll see if the Bears can make some adjustments and put together a stronger second half.
8:34 p.m. — Sam Swank makes it 20-6 for Wake Forest, curling in a 42-yard field goal. The 23rd-ranked Deacons have lived up to their preseason billing thus far.
8:26 p.m. — Jacoby Jones takes advantage for the Bears with a 12-yard scamper to paydirt, following a “wow” sideline-navigating run from Griffin. Freshman kicker Ben Parks misses the PAT, but Baylor is on the board, trailing 17-6 with 2:54 to go in the half.
8:24 p.m. — Man, that Alphonso Smith is good. The All-America cornerback made a terrific play to break up a would-be TD pass from Griffin to David Gettis.
8:18 p.m. — Well, another chance for the BU offense, as Dwain Crawford makes an amazing strip and fumble recovery to give the Bears the ball right back.
8:14 p.m. — Baylor’s not able to do anything, as Griffin uncorks a pair of errant throws on third and fourth down. The drive stalls at the 37, where Wake will take over.
8:11 p.m. — Now the Bears are in business. Griffin lofts a short screen out to Finley, who bobbles it before pulling it in, then rumbles downfield for a 26-yard gain.
8:05 p.m. — Baylor fans finally have a real reason to cheer, as safety Jeremy Williams sacks Skinner on a third-down play. The Bears really need to put some points on the board on this ensuing possession.
8:04 p.m. — Yee-owwch! BU linebacker Joe Pawelek nailed Pendergrass with a lickety-split lick. That’s why he’s on the Butkus Award watch list.
8:01 p.m. — Remarkably, we’re an hour into the game and we’ve got our first flag. It had been a penalty-free game up until this block-in-the-back call on Wake.
7:57 p.m. — Dropped passes rear their ugly head again. Mikail Baker dropped Griffin’s first pass of the game, a 3rd-and-4 attempt, and of course Kirby Freeman has a pick on his stat sheet because of a flub by a receiver.
7:55 p.m. — Griffin trots out onto the field. There’s a noticeable cheer.
7:53 p.m. — Kirby Freeman has his helmet off. Robert Griffin has his on. I’m thinking he’s coming in on the next series.
7:51 p.m. — Too easy for Wake right now, as Brandon Pendergrass plows in from three yards out. The Deacons lead, 17-0, with 14:23 to play in the half.
7:49 p.m. — Looking at some first-quarter stats, another area that Wake is hurting Baylor is in third-down conversions. The Deacons have converted 3 of 5 on third down, while Baylor is just 1 of 4.
7:46 p.m. — Baylor’s got to get more of a pass rush on Wake quarterback Riley Skinner, or he’s going to pick the Bears apart. End of the first quarter, Wake leads 10-0, and the Deacons are knocking on the door again, with the ball at the Bears 6.
7:40 p.m. — For the second time in his career, Kirby Freeman has had a pass intercepted by Wake Forest. Alphonso Smith, who led the nation in forced turnovers last year, snagged it as Freeman’s pass bounced in and out of the hands of Jay Finley. Freeman was 1-for-4 with a pick in mop-up duty as a Miami freshman in 2005.
7:37 p.m. — Big cheer goes up, as we’ve got the initial first down of the Art Briles era. Freeman connected with Justin Akers for 13 yards on a third-and-short.
7:33 p.m. — Wake grabs a 10-0 lead, as Demon Deacon QB Riley Skinner connects with tight end Chip Brinkman on a slant for a 12-yard TD.
7:24 p.m. — After Baylor’s second three-and-out, a faint “Robert Griffin! Robert Griffin!” chant arose from a few Baylor fans. We’ll see what Baylor does on its next series, but Freeman hasn’t looked particularly sharp thus far. Nevertheless, it’s still early.
7:20 p.m. — Freeman’s back on the field for Baylor’s second offensive series.
7:16 p.m. — Wake’s Sam Swank nails a 40-yard field goal to put the Deacons up 3-0. But that was certainly a small victory for the Bears holding Wake out of the end zone.
7:12 p.m. — Three-and-out for the Bears. That’s alright, Baylor fans, it’s like Art Briles said in the press conference Tuesday: “It’s not going to matter who plays quarterback those first three plays.”
7:10 p.m. — It’s Freeman at QB for the first series. The reaction from the Baylor faithful is relatively subdued applause.
7:07 p.m. — Perhaps the first clue at a starting QB: Kirby Freeman is extremely busy making warm-up throws.
6:59 p.m. — The Baylor Line is coming in … and coming in … and coming in. Good gosh, the freshmen have multiplied.
6:48 p.m. — Well, it’s a nice, sweltering August evening here in Waco. Why not play a little Baylor football? The fans are starting to pull themselves away from their tailgate parties, and are making their way into the stadium.
There’s already a nice-sized student contingent in attendance, as I’d estimate that section is 75-80 percent full, all decked out in their bright gold T-shirts.
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Debuts haven’t been good for recent BU coaches
Baylor coach Art Briles hopes to match what Chuck Reedy did in his 1993 coaching debut.
Reedy’s Bears knocked off No. 25 Fresno State, 42-39, in a riveting game at Floyd Casey Stadium. If Briles can do the same Thursday night against No. 23 Wake Forest, his program would be off to an incredible start.
The three Baylor coaches who followed Reedy didn’t fare as well in their debuts.
Dave Roberts’ team was buried by Miami, 45-14, in 1997. Kevin Steele’s 1999 team lost to Boston College in overtime on a missed extra point. Guy Morriss’ 2003 team dropped a tight 24-19 decision to UAB in his debut.
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Briles shows sense of humor
Everybody has been asking Baylor coach Art Briles who his starting quarterback is going to be for weeks. But he had some fun with it at Tuesday’s press luncheon.
When asked if he’s close to making a decision, he said: “In all honesty, it’s been decided, but it just hasn’t been announced. So I’d say it’s very close.”
When asked later in the press conference if he’s told the quarterbacks who will start, Briles said: “The decision was made about 2 1/2 minutes ago. It might have changed since then.”
Briles hasn’t seemed that concerned about who will start Thursday against Wake Forest. He plans to play at least two quarterbacks, so it’s not like he has to stick with one guy if he’s having a poor game. It’s not bad to have options, and Briles has three good ones in Robert Griffin, Blake Szymanski and Kirby Freeman.
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BU QBs work equal time
The three Baylor quarterbacks auditioning for the starting job — Robert Griffin, Blake Szymanski and Kirby Freeman — got equal time under center in the final preseason scrimmage Thursday night.
Griffin found Mikail Baker for a 54-yard pass to set up Ray Sims’ one-yard touchdown run. Freeman hit Thomas White with a 24-yard scoring pass while Blake Szymanski found Justin Akers for a seven-yard TD pass.
Baylor coach Art Briles hasn’t yet named a starter, but they’ve all had good moments during preseason workouts.
Another note: Baylor has awarded scholarships for the upcoming year to seven former walk-ons: Joe Bennett, Carter Brunelle, Ty Findley, Chris Greisenbeck, Ryan Roberts, Sam Sledge and Larry Washington.
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Hart: Rumors of coaching Merritt “laughable”
It was a written almost as a throwaway line deep into an Associated Press story by Jenna Fryer, but it certainly caught our attention here at the Trib.
In a story about the burgeoning rivalry between former Baylor great Jeremy Wariner and his U.S. teammate LaShawn Merritt, Fryer wrote, “The two aren’t exactly friends, but do admire each other on the track. They both attend Baylor University, and Merritt recently snapped up coach Clyde Hart after Hart and Wariner ended their longtime partnership over financial terms.”
That statement was news to me. I had been out at the Hart-Patterson Track Complex a handful of times over the summer, and had never seen Merritt. It certainly would have been a surprising development if it were true, given Hart’s long history with Wariner.
So I made a call to Hart in Beijing, and the coach confirmed my suspicions about the inaccuracy in the wire story.
“I’ve never talked to LaShawn about coaching him or coming to Baylor. That’s a total fabrication,” Hart said. “It’s really laughable. I never even would do something like that, not with my relationship with Jeremy. It’s something that’s never been discussed.”
Incidentally, Hart said that Sanya Richards is coping with her tough defeat in the 400 meters about as well as can be expected. Richards, the former University of Texas standout who has trained under Hart for the past three years, was leading in Tuesday’s Olympic final when she slowed up with tightness in her hamstring with about 80 meters to go.
Richards didn’t suffer any major injury and should be able to still compete in the 4x400 relay, Hart said.
The coach also checked in on the goings-on in Waco, including how Robert Griffin — who earned All-American honors in the hurdles for BU’s track program — was faring in the race for Baylor’s starting quarterback position.
Following the Olympics, Hart said he will likely travel to Zurich, Switzerland, for a meet with Richards before returning to Waco.
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Briles smart not to tip hand
NEW PHOTOS
- gallery: "Meet the Bears" fan event Saturday at Floyd Casey
- gallery: Fall drills
It’s only 12 days away from Baylor’s season opener against Wake Forest, and Baylor coach Art Briles hasn’t yet named a starting quarterback.
That’s a smart move.
Facing a bowl team that should be strong again this year, the Bears need every edge they can get in the Aug. 28 game at Floyd Casey Stadium. The Bears will certainly be the underdogs in the game, so it’s a good idea to keep them guessing on which quarterback will play.
I still wouldn’t be surprised to see Briles alternate freshman Robert Griffin with either Blake Szymanski or Kirby Freeman. I think Griffin is unquestionably the quarterback of the future, but it would be a good idea to let veterans like Szymanski or Freeman help stabilize the Bears.
“I can’t try to read Coach Briles’ mind — it will drive you crazy,” Griffin said Saturday after the Bears’ intrasquad scrimmage. “I think the team will decide who will be the starter because that’s the guy they’ll rally around.”
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Last chance to preview Bears
NEW PHOTOS
The Baylor football team will hold a public scrimmage at 10 a.m. Saturday at Floyd Casey Stadium followed by the annual “Meet the Bears” autograph session.
It will be a good chance for fans to catch a preview of the Bears before the Aug. 28 season opener against Wake Forest. Baylor will close practice next week, so this will be a final shot to see the Bears in the preseason.
Don’t expect the Bears to unveil their entire offense, but fans can see how far they’ve come since opening practice on Aug. 1.
I don’t expect Art Briles to name his starting quarterback until near gametime against Wake Forest. But Robert Griffin, Blake Szymanski and Kirby Freeman have all had their moments in practice, and they’ll all see action in the scrimmage.
“The good thing is that we could play right now,” Briles said. “We’re far enough along to get on the field and play. Will there be a bump or two in the road? Yeah, but there probably will be in October also. We understand that we’re going to make mistakes, but we’re just going to play hard and at full tilt.”
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Bears begin cramming with two-a-days
NEW PHOTOS
For many years, two-a-day workouts were a staple of preseason football drills.
College teams would go through them for several weeks to prepare for their season openers. Coaches used them to test their team’s toughness.
But with new NCAA guidelines that limit two-a-days, they’ve become a rarity. Baylor only has three two-a-days scheduled before the Aug. 28 season opener against Wake Forest. Baylor had its first two-a-day Thursday, and has them scheduled Monday and Wednesday.
The Bears will hold an intrasquad scrimmage at 10 a.m. Saturday at Floyd Casey Stadium. Baylor coach Art Briles is still looking for more consistency from his team as the clock winds down to the opening kickoff.
“It’s a little hard to tell in workout situations,” Briles said. “I think we’ll be able to see a little more during our scrimmage on Saturday. Every play has got to count and it’s got to be productive. From the offensive standpoint, we’ve got to get positive yards. From a defensive standpoint, you’ve got to adjust to the play and stop them and get them into long yardage and predictable situations.”
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Sanders, Wright stand out
SLIDE SHOW
Just back from a vacation on Lake Michigan, I saw my first Baylor practice Tuesday afternoon at Floyd Casey Stadium (Yes, it was stifling hot after a week of cool lake breezes. Give me a few days to acclimate).
Two guys really stuck out as potential playmakers — former Marlin star Jeremy Sanders and freshman receiver Kendall Wright.
Sanders originally signed with Baylor before playing two seasons at quarterback for Navarro College. After playing quarterback in the Bears’ spring drills, he’s playing mostly at tailback now.
The guy looks like he’s put on 20 pounds of muscle since he played at Marlin, and he’s strong and explosive. He made several impressive runs in Tuesday’s scrimmage, dragging defenders with him.
Wright, a freshman from Pittsburg, looks ideal to play receiver for the Bears. He has a knack for finding creases in the defense and has the toughness to make catches over the middle.
I don’t think Baylor fans will have to wait long to see these two newcomers make an impact. They look ready for game action right now.
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Get me a raft, I’m going to practice
SLIDE SHOW
It rained today, which nobody seemed to mind too much. Baylor coach Art Briles even acknowledged that folks need rain around here. The Baylor players got soaked in their shorts and pads and the Baylor coaches got their coaching gear drenched. But everybody seemed to be smiling as they walked off the turf at Floyd Casey Stadium.
In a summer that’s had its share of 100-degree days, a nice cool rain doesn’t hurt that much.
Unless you consider this: In similar weather conditions, 11 of the Big 12 schools would’ve been able to move practice into an indoor training facility. That means that of the entire conference, only Baylor’s options are limited when a thunderstorm crops up at the same time as the start of practice.
Is missing part of one day going to seriously handicap the Bears’ preparation for their season opener against Wake Forest (in 17 days)? No. But what if Waco turns into Seattle for the next fortnight?
Those are questions that should help Baylor raise the money it’s needing to build its own indoor facility.
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Newbies not just BU’s future, but present
SLIDE SHOW
It’s pretty clear that new Baylor coach Art Briles doesn’t just want to win tomorrow. He’d like to win today.
And if that means throwing a few freshmen into the fire, so be it.
Throughout fall practice, Briles and the BU coaches haven’t hesitated to work a number of true freshmen into heavy rotation in the two-deep. In fact, on the first day of practice, the BU coach labeled receiver Kendall Wright and quarterback Robert Griffin as strong candidates to play this fall. Who knows? They may even start.
Receiver Romie Blaylock, kicker Ben Parks and defensive end Gary Mason are other frosh who could potentially end up on the field in their first college seasons. Sure, there are still plenty of newcomers who will end up redshirting, either to grow into their bodies, to acclimate to the college game via the practice squad or because of depth at a certain position. I’d be surprised, for instance, if Waco High’s Jarred Salubi doesn’t redshirt, given that Jeremy Sanders, Ray Sims, Jay Finley and Jacoby Jones are all vying for time at running back.
But if a guy can help immediately, Briles isn’t going to stash him away.
“Players make plays,” Briles said. “If a guy’s a player, we’re not going to look at his birth certificate.”
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Not just a bunch of noise
SLIDE SHOW
- gallery: The Bears continue fall drills
Unless you’re watching a specific player group or specifically charting what the offense does in practice (don’t worry, I’m not), preseason drills can be a bit of a blur.
Therefore, the chatter from the defensive players can be the most entertaining aspect of standing on the sideline during practice. Of course, many of the one-liners issued from the defensive sideline aren’t fit for publication, even on a blog. I’d hate to break it to BU’s more straight-laced alumni that their players sometimes use swear words (wait, I think I just did).
Actually, it’s all in good fun and most of the time it’s clean. And it’s all part of first-year coach Art Briles’ plan.
See, the offense is still thinking its way through many of the plays, but Briles wants to turn up the heat during that process. So if the defensive players constantly make noise, well, all the better.
“I think it inspires us, honestly,” Briles said after practice on Friday. “If you’ve got people hollering at you and they don’t like you, you better be real fast or a good fighter; hopefully we’re both.”
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Oh, they call it mellow yellow
SLIDE SHOW
- gallery: The Bears continue fall drills
Baylor looked good at times at practice Wednesday. But I’m not sure it was because of how the Bears looked, if you catch my drift.
The Bears took the field at Floyd Casey — the practice fields were too wet to use — in Day-Glo yellow uniform pants. As I walked down the ramp to the field and saw the first few players taking the field, I did a double-take and immediately started looking for that quarterback who used to play for the Packers. Oh, you know, what’s his name … Brett Something?
At any rate, it wasn’t the prettiest sight, especially with the combination of gold helmets. One observer labeled Baylor’s pant color “baby-poop yellow,” but I wouldn’t agree with that assessment. I have a baby, and if I saw anything in her diaper resembling that color, I’d be calling Gerber asking why they were selling nuclear baby food.
Ah, but don’t fret too much, you fashion-conscious Baylor fans. Word has it that the yellow pants were an idea of the school’s previous presidential administration, and are now being used only in practice. The school’s traditional green-and-gold color scheme isn’t going anywhere.
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Reason to believe (kind of)
SLIDE SHOW
- gallery: The Bears continue fall drills
When I run into Baylor fans who know I’ve been out watching football practice, the conversation almost always begins thusly:
“So, what do you think?”
I’ve even noticed the question coming up quite a bit from fans who are actually at practice themselves.
Now, while I’ve been working at the Trib for 10 years and have seen my share of Baylor football games and (very bad) Baylor teams, I’m not about to claim that I’m some sort of expert on BU football. (Especially since I’ve spent most of that decade covering Central Texas high school athletics).
That said, here’s what I think — If you’re a Baylor football fan, you have some reasons to be optimistic. Namely:
- More depth — In terms of overall talent, this Baylor team may have the most of it that I’ve seen in my short time in Waco. Give Guy Morriss some of the credit for that, since anyone with a least one letter under his belt would have been a GuyMo recruit. But certainly Art Briles has brought in some talented freshmen who could make an immediate impact.
- Options at quarterback — This deserves a separate category from the previous notation about general team depth. I think Briles recognizes that quarterback is easily the most important position on the field, and one where having plenty of reliable options is paramount. With Blake Syzmanski, Jeremy Sanders, Robert Griffin and Kirby Freeman all vying for time, Baylor has four guys with varying strengths who could legitimately fight for playing time at any school in the quarterback-plentiful Big 12.
Plus, throughout this first week of fall practice, Briles has shown that he’s willing to utilize his quarterbacks’ assets in many different ways. One such example — Sanders has gotten more than a few carries on draw plays, lined up essentially as a running back. - Recruiting inroads — It’s been said before, but Briles’ bond with Texas high school coaches is strong. You talk to prep coaches around the state, and they have high praise for him. I don’t know whether it’s because he used to be one of them or what, but it certainly can’t hurt when those same coaches are guiding their top prospects through the recruiting process.
So, Bear backers, obviously there’s reason to be optimistic. However, you’ve also got to be realistic. Is Baylor going to suddenly morph into an every-year Big 12 title contender under Briles? I wouldn’t bet on it.
It’s like a Baylor fan told me at practice today, “They look a lot better, but when I look at the schedule, it’s hard for me to find much more than four wins. And three is more likely.” And he’s right. Even playing five of their first six games at home, the Bears are running against the wind with their schedule (and always will be in the Big 12 South).
But can Baylor possibly get to the point where it can make a bowl game every two or three seasons? Where a 6-win season is an attainable goal? Certainly.
And I’m guessing that most Baylor fans would take that at this point.
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Not afraid to shake things up
SLIDE SHOW
Personally, I like a little razzle with my dazzle. But that’s not the only reason I couldn’t help but smile at Baylor’s third preseason practice Monday when the Bears more than a few times brought out the “trickeration.”
It’s because too often over my decade in Waco I’ve seen Baylor stubbornly play things close to the vest offensively.
That hasn’t been the case under Art Briles. At times on Monday, Baylor lined up receivers in the backfield. One such play ended with a wide receiver pass from true freshman Kendall Wright. Other times, Baylor lined up with two quarterbacks, with, say, Robert Griffin whipping a lateral to the sideline to Jeremy Sanders, who then heaved a deep ball downfield.
Then there was a crazy — yet effective — variation of a hook-and-ladder in which the Bears threw a pass to the inside slot receiver, who then made a pitch to the running back curling around the outside to the sideline.
This isn’t Briles’ way of keeping things fun or loose in practice, either. He runs these plays because he believes they might help Baylor win a ball game.
“We don’t consider those unconventional, honestly,” Briles said. “We just consider those opportunites for guys to make plays to win football games, and that’s all we’re thinking about. We’re not trying to be cute or different or anything like that. What we’re trying to do is give our team a chance to win.”
I say it’s a sound strategy. Baylor will likely never be able to match the athletes of the Texases or Oklahomas — or at least not match the proliferation of them at those schools — so wouldn’t it make a little sense to go nonsensical at times? I’m not saying the Bears should run the ol’ flea flicker chicanery every other series or anything, but those so-called “gadget plays” do serve a needed purpose of keeping things unpredictable. Isn’t the whole idea to keep the defense off guard?
And, Baylor fans, if you’re still not sold, I’ve got just two words for you:
Boise State.
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It’s a good day to stay inside
SLIDE SHOW
Although I believe it was just a principle of scheduling in Baylor’s preseason plans — to take Sundays off — it seems like a prudent move today.
I just heard temperatures are expected to climb as high as 107 this afternoon. I’m planning to stay in my air-conditioned home, happy not to be patrolling the sidelines at the Baylor practice field today. And if I don’t want to walk across the turf, stand and basically just take up space, I can imagine the relief of the players who would be running and colliding with one another.
Yesterday at the second workout of the preseason, the heat must’ve reached 100 or more — though I admit I didn’t have a thermometer on me. I’m guessing that the temperature under the helmets of the players might have climbed to maybe 115 to 120.
All that to say, those kids are tougher than me. Not a revelation. Just stating the obvious. Not only that, they were enthusiastic. But hey, they’re getting prepared for the college football season and that’s big-time motivation.
Heat and cramps, which there were quite a few of on Saturday, will fade. But even one-shining moment in the fall will more than make up for the grueling days of August.
