The lovefest started when Baylor President Ken Starr hugged Robert Griffin as he got off the team bus.

It continued when Griffin whipped a career-long 68-yard touchdown pass to Brad Taylor early in the first quarter.

It was in full bloom when Griffin turned on the jets for a 30-yard touchdown run less than eight minutes into the game.

Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin scores a touchdown on a 30-yard run in the first quarter.
Jerry Larson/Waco Tribune-Herald

With Griffin back in the lineup, the excitement is back in Baylor football.

Fired up by a raucous season-opening crowd of 42,821, Griffin threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns as the Bears romped to a 34-3 win over Sam Houston State on Saturday night at Floyd Casey Stadium.

Responding to Baylor’s “Rise Up” campaign, the crowd was the third largest for a season opener in school history behind the 1973 opener against Oklahoma and the 1975 game against Mississippi.

“It was an outstanding crowd, and the way it should be in college football,” Baylor coach Art Briles said. “A lot of people are pulling for us, and we want to return the favor. We could see a lot of people had our backs.”

After playing spectacularly during preseason camp, Griffin looked sharp coming out of the tunnel in his first game since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament against Northwestern State on Sept. 26, 2009.

Bulked up to 220 pounds, Griffin’s arm looked stronger than ever and he showed some explosiveness despite wearing a brace around his right knee.

Some fans were even wearing “Griffin for President” T-shirts.

Griffin hit five of his first six passes before finishing 19-of-36. With 59 yards rushing on just six carries, Griffin piled up 301 yards total offense. His statistics would have looked even better if not for a pair of dropped touchdown passes and a scoring run that was called back because of a penalty.

“I was on early in the game, but I got off a little in the second quarter,” Griffin said. “We weren’t clicking on all cylinders all the time. But things happen when you have new guys out there. We still put up 34 points, but when we start clicking we’ll put up more points.”

While Briles thought Griffin played well, he said the Bears could have executed better.

“Robert came out playing with emotion and energy,” Briles said. “I thought he played real well overall when you consider that he had been out for almost a year. He sparked us early in the game, but we left some things on the table.”

Baylor tight end Brad Taylor races to a first-quarter touchdown on a 68-yard reception with Sam Houston State’s Darius Taylor (53) in pursuit.
Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald

Strong defense

While Griffin’s return was clearly the story of the night, Baylor’s defense played superbly as it held the Bearkats to 195 yards total offense.

With the Bears delivering solid pressure, Sam Houston State quarterback Bryan Randolph hit 12 of 23 passes for 102 yards. The Bears held the Bearkats to just 88 yards rushing on 39 carries.

“We had been working all summer to get ready and we wanted to beat them as bad as we could,” Baylor linebacker Elliot Coffey said. “Our defensive line couldn’t be stopped, and that made it easy for the linebackers. We’ve got speed on defense, and everybody could see it.”

The fans showed their support from the start as they began a new tradition with “March of the Bears.”

More than two hours before the game, a big throng created a path to lead the Baylor players into the stadium. Heading them was Starr, who hugged several players as they got off the bus including Griffin.

“The March of the Bears was very inspirational, and it made our players feel a sense of responsibility,” Briles said.

Just before kickoff, a large Baylor Line freshman contingent welcomed the Bears from their locker room to the field. Leading the way for the Bears was Griffin.

“It felt good to run out of the tunnel, not walk,” Griffin said. “I soaked in the moment.”

After receiving the opening kickoff, Griffin hit five of his first six passes for 51 yards as the Bears moved to the Bearkats’ 23. But the drive stalled when Darius Taylor and E.J. Nduka nailed Jay Finley for no gain on a fourth-and-two play.

Baylor’s next drive was much shorter and sweeter.

Facing third-and-seven, Griffin fired a quick pass over the middle to Taylor, who saw nothing but daylight and ran 68 yards for the game’s first touchdown with 9:53 left in the first quarter.

Baylor opened the 2010 football season with a new tradition Saturday: the “March of the Bears” through fans at Floyd Casey Stadium before the game.
Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald

“They were putting a lot of people in the box and dared us to throw the ball,” Griffin said. “I told Jay Finley that they came here to stop you. So we ended up going with an air raid on them. They sent everybody and I got the ball to Brad on that play.”

After the Bears stopped a Sam Houston State drive, Griffin went back to work again as he led a six-play, 70-yard drive for the second touchdown.

Griffin made his first run of the night when he broke loose for 15 yards to kick off the drive before taking a hit from Jarvis Pippins. The fans roared when Griffin quickly popped back up.

“Getting that first hit took the anxiousness out of it,” Griffin said.

The Bears picked up another first down when Griffin hit Jarred Salubi for 23 yards down the left sideline to Sam Houston State’s 30.

Facing third-and-10, Griffin escaped a strong Bearkats’ rush and broke loose down the left sideline for a 30-yard touchdown to give the Bears a 14-0 lead with 4:52 left in the first quarter.

“Those defensive linemen were really coming after me,” Griffin said. “Luckily, I still have my wheels.”

After Salubi fumbled a punt at Baylor’s 23, the Bears averted disaster when redshirt freshman defensive end Terrance Lloyd stripped the ball from Randolph.

Finley breaks loose

Baylor got the ball at its own 31, but the drive stalled. By the end of the first quarter, Griffin hit nine of 13 passes for 154 yards while rushing twice for 45 yards.

The Bears put together another impressive drive when they moved 70 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.

The drive nearly ended when Kendall Wright was stopped a yard short of a first down at Baylor’s 39. But the Bearkats were called for offsides and a personal foul to give the Bears new life at Sam Houston State’s 44.

After Terrance Ganaway broke loose for 12 yards to the 18, freshman Tevin Reese couldn’t hang on to Griffin’s pass in the end zone.

But Griffin found Terrance Williams gliding behind Darnell Taylor for a 23-yard touchdown to give the Bears a 21-0 lead with 7:52 left in the second quarter.

Plagued by ankle problems since last season, Finley showed his old explosiveness early in the third quarter as he broke loose for a 44-yard touchdown run behind guard Robert T. Griffin to push Baylor’s lead to 28-0.

Quarterback Robert Griffin acknowledges the fans as he runs onto the field. Griffin, returning from last season’s knee injury, accounted for three touchdowns in Baylor’s 34-3 victory over Sam Houston State.
Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald

“It was tough to run because they had so many people on the line,” Finley said. “But Robert T. Griffin said just to run behind him, and I hit the hole hard. He did a great job of clearing a path.”

Following a personal foul against Baylor, Sam Houston State kicker Miguel Antonio missed a 46-yard field goal.

On their next possession, the Bearkats moved 31 yards to Baylor’s 25. But Antonio missed a 42-yard field goal with 5:08 left in the third quarter.

The Bears missed another chance to score when Aaron Jones couldn’t nail a 48-yard field goal late in the third quarter.

The Bearkats finally broke through with their only score when Antonio nailed a 27-yard field goal with 10:35 left in the game.

Griffin ran for a 9-yard touchdown, but it was called back due to a holding penalty. Jones responded with a 29-yard field goal for the Bears with 6:37 remaining.

jwerner@wacotrib.com

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