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Baylor-Missouri game blog
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RECAP: Nick Florence threw for 427 yards and three touchdowns to lead Baylor to their first Big 12 victory of the season, a 40-32 upset at Missouri in Columbia.
It was the Bears’ first Big 12 road win since beating Colorado on Oct. 7, 2006.
Missouri led, 27-16, at halftime, but Baylor (4-5, 1-4) held the Tigers (5-4, 1-4) to just five points after the break, two given up by the Bears on a safety.
Kendall Wright caught two touchdowns for BU, his second a 59-yarder in the fourth quarter that gave Baylor a 33-29 lead. Terrance Ganaway extended Baylor’s lead to 40-29 on a 1-yard run, and the Bears held on from there.
4:43 p.m.: It’s over. Baylor surprises Missouri, 40-32, in Columbia.
4:41 p.m.: Pass out of bounds on fourth down! Baylor takes the ball back and should be able to run out the clock.
4:40 p.m.: Third down coming up after two incompletions. 1:14 to play.
4:39 p.m.: Pass interference on Baylor’s Jordan Lake. The ball is at Baylor’s 22 with a 1:37.
4:38 p.m.: Danario Alexander pulls in the reception to the Baylor 37.
4:37 p.m.: The Bears punt, and Mizzou returns it to its 23. 1:48 to play, the Tigers must drive for a touchdown and 2-point conversion to force overtime.
4:35 p.m.: Jarred Salubi is just short of a first down. Decision time for Baylor with 1:57 to play.
4:34 p.m.: Ganaway runs again to about the 28. The Tigers take their final timeout, and Baylor now needs to convert on third-and-four.
4:33 p.m.: Ganaway picks up a short gain on first down. Mizzou takes its second timeout. 2:46 to play.
4:32 p.m.: Baylor is assessed a 15-yard penalty for taunting (and gets five yards back for Mizzou being offsides) and now has the ball at its own 22 with 2:52 to play.
4:26 p.m.: Missouri opts for a 46-yard field goal to cut the lead to eight, 40-32, with 2:55 left. Baylor will have to try and run the clock out now.
4:25 p.m.: Fourth-and-22 for Mizzou now after an incomplete pass.
4:24 p.m.: Big sack for Baylor. Now second-and-22 for Missouri.
4:22 p.m.: Missouri has a first down at the Baylor 16 with 3:46 to play.
4:19 p.m.: Missouri converts a fourth down and has the ball at the Baylor 45.
4:10 p.m.: Ganaway runs for a 1-yard touchdown behind defensive tackles Trey Bryant and Phil Taylor to give the Bears a 40-29 lead with 5:46 left in the game.
Florence has set the Baylor passing record for yards in a game with 417.
4 p.m.: Missouri’s Kenji Jackson drops interception on third-down Florence pass to Gettis.
3:49 p.m.: Florence hits Kendall Wright down the right sideline for a 59-yard touchdown to give Baylor a 33-29 lead with 13:11 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Missouri’s Robert Steeples was called for interference for pushing Wright on the play, but the Baylor receiver caught it anyway.
3:32 p.m.: Missouri’s Dominique Hamilton nails Terrance Ganaway for a safety after Jake Harry’s 51-yard punt rolled dead at the 1. The Tigers lead 29-26 with 4:08 left in the third quarter.
3:25 p.m.: After stopping Missouri, Stone nails a 35-yard field goal for Baylor after Florence hit David Gettis for 40 yards. The Tigers lead 27-26 with 6:12 left in the third quarter.
3:13 p.m.: The Bears drive 67 yards on the opening drive of the second half with Florence hitting Kendall Wright with a 13-yard touchdown pass to cut Missouri’s lead to 27-23.
2:38 p.m.: Gabbert threads the needle to hit Wes Kemp with a 7-yard touchdown pass with 1 second left in the first half to give the Tigers a 27-16 lead. The touchdown ended a 57-yard drive.
2:29 p.m.: Florence hits a wide-open Lanear Sampson for an 8-yard touchdown to cut Missouri’s lead to 20-16 with 1:09 left in the first half.
Terrance Williams returned kickoff 43 yards to start drive.
2:19 p.m.: Danario Alexander catches 84-yard touchdown pass from Gabbert to give Tigers 20-9 lead with 4:16 left in second quarter. The former Marlin star shook off a hit from Baylor’s Jordan Lake at Missouri’s 35 and outran everybody for the score. Alexander has caught 11 passes for 171 yards.
2:04 p.m.: Ressel ties career long field goal by nailing a 46-yarder with 8:36 remaining in second quarter to give Tigers a 13-9 lead.
1:53 p.m.: Grant Ressel hits 33-yard field goal to complete 65-yard drive to give Tigers a 10-7 lead with 13:41 left in the second quarter. Blaine Gabbert has hit 11 of 12 passes for 129 yards.
1:40 p.m.: Nick Florence runs up the middle 8 yards for a touchdown with 2:13 left in the first quarter to end a 72-yard drive.
However, Andrew Gachkar blocks Stone’s PAT attempt as Baylor takes a 9-7 lead.
1:25 p.m.: Dary Stone hits his first career field goal, a 22-yarder to cut Missouri’s lead to 7-3 with 6:18 left in the first quarter. The Bears moved 59 yards on 13 plays before the drive stalled at the 5. It marked the first time Baylor has scored on its opening drive in Big 12 play.
1:12 p.m.: Derrick Washington scored on 1-yard run to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead with 12:27 left in the first quarter. The Tigers moved 64 yards on seven plays on their first drive.
1:07 p.m.: Baylor wins the toss and elects to kick off to Missouri
12:57 p.m.: It’s about 10 minutes before kickoff here at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo. It’s a beautiful day, about 70 degrees and sunny. I walked through a bunch of tailgaters to get to the stadium. They’re really into it here.
The Bears are dressed in all white for the first time since the season opener against Wake Forest. They’re hoping for the same magic as that 24-21 win.
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Baylor/Big 12 football podcast: Nov. 4, 2009
- Can Baylor’s offense get any firepower? … And do fans care anymore?
- Rough year for Big 12 QBs
- Only Texas can stop Texas at this point
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Baylor-Texas set for 11 a.m. Nov. 14
The Baylor football team will face Texas at 11 a.m. on Nov. 14 at Floyd Casey Stadium in a game that will be televised on FSN.
It will mark the fourth straight early start for the Bears. Both the Oklahoma State and Nebraska games started at 11:30 a.m. on Versus, while Saturday’s game at Missouri will start at 1 p.m., but won’t be televised.
Texas will be Baylor’s last home game. Fall football is at its best during the day, so enjoy it.
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Baylor-Nebraska football
2:50 p.m. — And that’s the ball game. Florence couldn’t hit either Gettis or Ernest Smith on passes in the end zone, and time runs out. Nebraska wins 20-10.
2:48 p.m. — Wow. The Bears get a great punt return that included a pair of laterals, and take over at the Nebraska 32.
2:46 p.m. — The Bears stop Nebraska, then the Huskers run the clock down to 57 seconds before calling their own final timeout. The Bears will get another chance to fling the ball downfield following the punt.
2:45 p.m. — Antonio Jones turns back Nebraska’s Lester Ward for a five-yard loss, and the Bears call another quick timeout, their final one. It’ll be 3rd-and-9 with 1:42 to go for the Huskers.
2:43 p.m. — Timeout Baylor, with 1:49 showing and Nebraska facing 2nd-and-4 from the 36. The Bears have one timeout remaining.
2:41 p.m. — Florence overthrows Kendall Wright on fourth down, and the Huskers regain possession at the 20, looking to eat some of the clock with 2:33 left and a 10-point edge.
2:39 p.m. — Nebraska calls timeout with 2:45 on the clock and Baylor facing a 3rd-and-10 from the 20. On second down, the Bears missed a golden chance to score, as Florence aired it out for Jarred Salubi, but the running back was a step slow getting to the ball in the end zone.
2:36 p.m. — Florence finds David Gettis on another long downfield connection, and the Bears have the ball 1st-and-10 at the Husker 20.
2:31 p.m. — Baylor’s defense holds firm again, and the Huskers will punt. It’s a good one by Henery, and the Bears will have to mount a long drive if they want to score, starting at the 22 with 4:16 to go.
2:29 p.m. — Big blow for Baylor, as Ben Parks misses a 24-yard field goal, and the Bears still trail 20-10 with 6:28 to go. That may have killed Baylor’s hopes.
2:22 p.m. — Baylor will talk things over, taking its first timeout of the half at the 7:47 mark, facing a 4th-and-3 from the Husker 25.
2:19 p.m. — But the BU defense continues to give the offense more chances. Nebraska fumbles the ball right back, and Earl Patin recovers for the Bears. Then on first down, Florence hits David Gettis for a 40-yard strike down the field, and the Bears are finally in business.
2:18 p.m. — Baylor’s offense is just not getting it done. Nick Florence fumbles trying to make a handoff, and Nebraska recovers at the BU 23.
2:14 p.m. — Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Baylor’s defense forces another punt. Joe Pawelek, Jason Lamb, Antonio Johnson and the rest of the BU defensive unit have turned in a solid effort here in the second half, keeping the Bears in this game.
2:08 p.m. — Nebraska’s Sean Fisher dumps Nick Florence for a third-down sack, leading to Derek Epperson’s fourth punt of the day.
2:03 p.m. — BU’s defense delivers again, as Byron Landor delivers a perfectly-timed hit on a third-and-long pass downfield to break it up. Following Henery’s punt, the Bears take over at the 18 with 13:37 to play. If Baylor is going to come back and win this game, it must get an offensive touchdown — and pronto.
1:57 p.m. — The third quarter ends, but this game is far from over, believe it or not. Nebraska, which leads 20-10, will start the fourth quarter with a 1st-and-20 from the BU 45.
1:50 p.m. — Baylor’s defense comes up with the play of the game for the Bears thus far, as Clifton Odom picks off a Cody Green pass in the flat and races 45 yards to paydirt. Following the PAT, it’s now 20-10 Nebraska with 3:27 remaining in the third.
1:43 p.m. — Baylor fails to pull any closer. On 4th-and-10 from the Husker 40, the Bears line up as if they’re going to go for it, but instead Nick Florence angles a directional punt toward the sideline. Nebraska will take over at the 18, up 20-3 with 5:07 to play in the third.
1:33 p.m. — Baylor’s defense is fired up, as Joe-Paw and Chris Francis stop Dontrayevous Robinson on a short third-down pass over the middle, forcing a second straight three-and-out. The Bears take over at the 38 following the punt.
1:28 p.m. — And the Bears are on the board. Ben Parks nails a 41-yard field goal to bring the score to 20-3 with 9:22 left in the third. But Baylor still has to be kicking itself for not getting more out of that drive, which seemed to be clicking until the Bears reversed course with penalties.
1:21 p.m. — Baylor’s defense starts off nicely, forcing a three-and-out by the Huskers. Then Krys Buerck breaks off a solid return on the ensuing punt, and the Bears will start offensively at the Nebraska 42.
1:09 p.m. — Here’s a glance at the halftime numbers:
FIRST DOWNS: NU 7, BU 9 RUSHES-YDS: NU 19-84; BU 17-36 PASSING: NU 6-9-0; BU 9-17-2 PASSING YARDS: NU 85; BU 67 TOTAL OFFENSE: NU 169; BU 103 TIME OF POSSESSION: NU 13:40; BU 16:20 PENALTIES-YARDS: NU 3-35; BU 1-10 THIRD-DOWN CONVERSIONS: NU 4 of 7; BU 4 of 9
12:57 p.m. — And that’s just what the Huskers do, take a knee and a 20-0 lead into the break. I’ll offer up the always-exciting halftime stats in a little while.
12:56 p.m. — Baylor’s march peters out near midfield, leading to another punt for the ever-busy Derek Epperson. Nebraska takes over at the 17 with 34 seconds to play, probably content to run out the clock.
12:49 p.m. — Baylor takes a timeout, with a 3rd-and-2 from its own 15. The Bears have 3:38 left in the half with which to get something going.
12:46 p.m. — The Baylor fans finally have something to cheer for, as the 1999 BU baseball team, the first Super Regional team in school history, is introduced as special guests during a stoppage in play. (For the record, 1999 was the first year the NCAA had Super Regionals).
12:44 p.m. — BU’s defense forces a three-and-out, and the Bears will get the ball at their own 7 after a nice directional punt.
12:42 p.m. — Nick Florence is intercepted for the second time this half, this time by Prince Amukamara. Florence has also had a crick in his neck for much of the half, in the way of Huskers defensive tackle Jared Crick.
12:35 p.m. — Dontrayevous Robinson goes up and over the top for the 1-yard TD dive, pushing Nebraska’s lead to 20-0 with 9:28 to play in the half. It’s officially a Husker laugher.
12:33 p.m. — And — bam! — just like that, the Huskers are knocking on the door again. On first down, Cody Green lofts a long pass to Niles Paul, who beat Tim Atchison for a 45-yard gain to the BU 1.
12:29 p.m. — Florence throws behind Kendall Wright on a crossing pattern, leading to yet another Baylor punt. After a 17-yard return from Nebraska’s Niles Paul, the Huskers will start with great field position, at the BU 46.
12:23 p.m. — Nebraska’s Henery connects on a short 22-yard field goal, capping on a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive for the Huskers. Baylor now trails 13-0 with 12:16 remaining in the opening half. The Bears have now been outscored 58-10 in the opening halves of their Big 12 games.
12:15 p.m. — Nebraska’s offense starts to gain some steam, and the Huskers will open the second quarter with a 1st-and-10 at the BU 24, leading 10-0 and looking for more.
12:12 p.m. — Nick Florence burns himself with a freshman mistake, throwing into double coverage on a pass intended for Kendall Wright in the end zone. Only Nebraska’s Dejon Gomes is the guy who comes down with the ball instead. Huskers take over at the 20 after the turnover.
12:08 p.m. — Baylor takes a timeout, facing 3rd-and-4 from the Nebraska 44. The Bears have managed to pick up a couple of first downs on this drive so far.
12:02 p.m. — The Huskers extend their lead to 10-0 on a 45-yard field goal from Alex Henery. Baylor was able to force a field goal attempt thanks to back-to-back tackles from defensive stopper Joe Pawelek.
11:53 p.m. — Nebraska takes its first timeout, facing 2nd-and-7 from the 46. Cody Green, a true freshman from Dayton, Texas, is starting at QB for the Huskers. Dayton, as my colleague John Werner was so kind as to point out, is the hometown of former BU basketball player Henry Dugat.
11:49 p.m. — Epperson’s punt is a little shaky, but he gets it off. Nebraska’s offense will get its first possession at its own 28, with 10:46 to go in the first quarter.
11:46 p.m. — Baylor’s drive stalls at its own 38 when Florence can’t hook up with Willie Jefferson on a high-arcing pass to the sideline. Another BU punt is forthcoming, and one would expect Nebraska to come after Epperson again.
11:35 p.m. — Kendall Wright drops a pass from Nick Florence on 3rd-and-6, forcing a Baylor punt. That doesn’t go so well for the Bears, as Nebraska’s Eric Martin busts through the line and blocks the kick, and the ball is scooped up by the Huskers’ Justin Blanchard, who zips into the end zone. Huskers lead, 7-0, at the 13:31 mark of the opening quarter.
11:29 p.m. — Nebraska won the coin toss, and deferred to the second half. The Bears will get the ball to start the game, looking for a better start than usual.
11:21 a.m. — Greetings from lovely South Omaha—er, excuse me, Waco. I got a little confused here, because the red from the Nebraska loyalists far outnumbers the green of the Baylor supporters. It’s truly a pathetic BU “crowd” today, though maybe it’ll fill out.
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Baylor/Big 12 football podcast: Oct. 28, 2009
- Has Art Briles’ rebuilding process taken a step backward?
- Nebraska looks vulnerable … can Baylor pull off an upset?
- Texas vs. Oklahoma State — who’s got the edge?
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Baylor-Oklahoma State football
2:32 p.m. — And that’ll do it, as Oklahoma State wins it, 34-7. The 14th-ranked Cowboys improve to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the Big 12, while Baylor drops to 3-4 and 0-3.
2:27 p.m. — Baylor stops the clock with a timeout, as OSU punts on 4th-and-long. Following the touchback kick, the Bears take over with 1:40 remaining to try to get one more score before this one mercifully ends. Incidentally, former Marlin standout Travis Miller got a couple of carries for the Cowboys on that last possession.
2:17 p.m. — And the Baylor fans who have stuck around have finally been rewarded with a touchdown, as Nick Florence floats a 17-yard TD pass to David Gettis, who makes a well-timed jumping catch. It’s now 34-7, OSU, with 7:17 remaining.
2:07 p.m. — Keith Toston punches in another OSU touchdown, from a yard out, extending the Cowboy gap to 34-0 with 9:39 to play. The crowd, which was announced at 38,117, has obviously dwindled significantly. I’d be stunned if the Bears draw a legitimate 30,000 the rest of the season. Certainly not if they play like this.
1:54 p.m. — Stop me if you’ve heard this before. Three-and-out for the Bears, Epperson to punt. The only real news to report on that quick possession is that Szymanski appeared to re-injure his shoulder after being slung down for a sack on second down. Florence replaced the senior on the next play, and I’d be surprised if Szymanski’s day isn’t done.
1:48 p.m. — OSU kicker Dan Bailey drills a 33-yard field goal as the third quarter gun pops, extending the Cowboy edge to 27-0. Bailey foiled Baylor’s attempt to make him kick into the mild breeze that is blowing, as Art Briles and the Bears called timeout just before the quarter ended.
1:43 p.m. — Blake Szymanski enters at quarterback for Baylor, but the Bears’ fortunes don’t change. Jay Finley is stuffed on a 4th-and-4 run, and OSU will take over in great field position, at the BU 35.
1:38 p.m. — Baylor’s defense dials up the pressure on Zac Robinson, forcing just the second punt of the afternoon for the Cowboys. The Bears take over at the 28, desperately needing a spark before this homecoming crowd starts making its early exits.
1:31 p.m. — Nick Florence throws just out of the reach of Ernest Smith on a deep third-down pass, and the ever-busy Derek Epperson gets another chance to punt. Baylor’s offense, which didn’t score a touchdown last week until nine seconds remained, is having another dismal day.
1:21 p.m. — The Cowboy stampede continues, with Zac Robinson connecting with another tight end, Cooper Bassett, on a 19-yard TD strike. That capped an 11-play, 87-yard drive for OSU, which now leads 24-0 with 9:38 left in the third.
1:04 p.m. — Here’s the statistical breakdown:
FIRST DOWNS: OSU 14, BU 8 RUSHES-YARDS: OSU 21-111; BU 12-41 COMP-ATT-INT: OSU 12-15-0; BU 10-18-1 PASSING YARDS: OSU 132, BU 109 PENALITES-YARDS: OSU 1-5; BU 4-29 THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS: OSU 3 of 6; BU 2 of 6 RED-ZONE SCORES-CHANCES: OSU 2-2; BU 0-0
12:52 p.m. — Nick Florence’s desperation heave to end the first half falls in and out of the hands of Brad Taylor, and Oklahoma State takes a very comfortable 17-0 advantage into the halftime break. I’ll bring you some halftime numbers in a bit, though I’m not sure you’re going to want to read them if you’re a Baylor fan.
12:49 p.m. — Baylor’s defense holds, and Art Briles uses his timeouts to preserve some time for his offense just before the half. Following the punt, the Bears take over at the 23 with 44 ticks remaining.
12:44 p.m. — Baylor excites the crowd briefly thanks to a 35-yard connection downfield from Nick Florence to David Gettis, but the Bears can’t turn the drive into any points. Ben Parks misses wide left on a 41-yard field goal try, and the score remains 17-0.
12:37 p.m. — It’s all Oklahoma State here at a rather subdued Floyd Casey Stadium. Zac Robinson pump-fakes to his left, then rolls to his right and zips a 16-yard TD pass between two Baylor defenders to Dameron Fooks in the end zone. It’s now 17-0 in favor of OSU with 5:12 left in the half. OSU has outgained the overmatched Bears, 228-64.
12:28 p.m. — The Bears cross just over midfield, but once again can’t convert a 3rd-and-long. OSU will get the ball at the 20 after Derek Epperson’s punt bounces into the end zone.
12:24 p.m. — Hubert Anyiam can’t hang on to Robinson’s fourth down pass, and the Bears will take over after the defensive stand.
12:20 p.m. — Baylor safety Byron Landor chases down Zac Robinson for a sack on third down, then the Cowboys call timeout after initially setting up to go for it on 4th-and-9 from the BU 29.
12:12 p.m. — It’s hard to say what’s been worse for the Bears so far — offense or defense. OSU is averaging 7.3 yards per play, while Baylor is mustering only 2.8.
12:10 p.m. — The first quarter comes to an end on a Zac Robinson incomplete pass under heavy pressure from BU defensive end Zac Scotton. The Cowboys will open the second quarter with a 3rd-and-5 at their 47.
12:04 p.m. — Instead of picking up a first down on 3rd-and-long, Baylor picks up a penalty instead. Another punt attempt from Derek Epperson is on the way, and the Cowboys will get a chance to build to their lead.
12:01 p.m. — Baylor seemed to finally have a little something going offensively before a flag for an illegal crack-back block backed the Bears up. They’re now facing 2nd-and-25 from their own 30.
11:51 p.m. — Zac Robinson fires a 22-yard laser to tight end Wilson Youman for the first touchdown of the game, and the PAT makes it a 10-0 OSU lead with 6:18 to go in the first quarter. Baylor is still looking for its initial first down.
11:46 p.m. — Instead, the Bears give the ball over to the Cowboys, as Florence is intercepted by OSU linebacker Donald Booker on a first-down throw over the middle.
11:44 p.m. — Terrance Williams busts a 44-yard return after hauling in the kickoff at the goal line. Florence and the Bears will take over there.
11:42 p.m. — The Cowboys briskly move down the field, but can’t punch the ball into the end zone, thanks to nice pass defense from Antonio Johnson on third down. Dan Bailey does give OSU the lead, however, connecting on a 24-yard field goal. It’s 3-0 Oklahoma State at the 9:43 mark of the opening quarter.
11:35 p.m. — Terrence Ganaway is stopped for a one-yard gain on a 3rd-and-4, and the Bears have to punt. OSU takes over at its own 42, in pretty good field position.
11:33 p.m. — After a touchback on the opening kick, Baylor starts at the 20 with Nick Florence trotting out onto the field as the starting QB.
11:28 p.m. — Remember that line from Ponyboy in The Outsiders, where he says you’ve got to “Stay Gold?” That’s what the Bears are doing today, as they are sporting all gold uniforms — pants, jerseys and helmets. For the second straight year on homecoming, the Baylor players also made their way to the field through the stands, kind of a neat new tradition under Art Briles. And, yes, I did pull out an old-school 1980s movie reference to start this blog.
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Baylor gets props in Texas Football 50th anniversary edition
I just got a copy of former Tribune-Herald sports editor Dave Campbell’s special 50th anniversary edition of Texas Football Magazine.
It’s got a bunch of 50 most memorable lists, including what we love about Texas football, coaches, players, teams and games. High school, college and pros are included on each list.
Baylor gets its share of props on all the lists.
On the top 50 things we love about Texas football, Baylor’s 1974 Miracle on the Brazos win over Texas ranks No. 37 on the list.
All-American linebacker Mike Singletary ranks No. 7 among the 50 most memorable players, while wide receiver Lawrence Elkins ranks 13th, Robert Strait No. 27, and Jerod Douglas No. 47.
On the coaches list, Grant Teaff ranks No. 10 and Art Briles is 13th. On the most memorable teams list, the 1974 Bears are 4th and the 1980 Bears are 44th.
On the most memorable games, the Miracle on the Brazos is fourth, and Texas A&M’s 31-30 win over Baylor in 1986 is ninth.
It’s great reading. You should pick up a copy.
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McLaughlin leaves but BU still solid at guard
Baylor coach Scott Drew announced late Wednesday night that freshman guard Mark McLaughlin has left the men’s basketball team for personal reasons.
McLaughlin was a Top 100 national recruit, a 6-6 guard who could play several positions in the backcourt. He originally signed with Nevada in 2008, but attended prep school in New Hampshire last season, and got out of his letter of intent in April to attend Baylor.
Though the Bears may not be as deep and experienced at guard as in past seasons, they’ve still got guys like Tweety Carter, LaceDarius Dunn, Nolan Dennis and A.J. Walton. They could use sophomores Anthony Jones and Fred Ellis, and freshman Givon Crump at the 3 position.
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One big dude
Baylor basketball held its media day Monday, and it was hard not to notice 7-foot freshman Dragan Sekelja.
The big man from Croatia weighs 275 pounds, and he can really shoot. I watched him drain a bunch of outside shots during the early part of practice.
I don’t know how much he’ll play this year since he has to get adjusted to the American style of basketball after playing in Europe. But this guy looks like he could be a great addition at some point.
I also talked to him a little, and he said he didn’t speak a lot of English growing up. But I had no problem conversing with him.
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Baylor/Big 12 football podcast: Oct. 21, 2009
- Well, the Bears are 3-3 — nothing short of a miracle will get them to 6-6
- Baylor still lacks depth to overcome injuries
- Speaking of injuries, lots of QBs are down in the Big 12
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Baylor-Iowa State football
RECAP: Baylor’s hopes of ending a 15-year bowl drought took a devastating blow today as Iowa State defeated the Bears, 24-10, in Ames.
Baylor (3-3, 0-2) still needs three wins to become bowl-eligible, a seemingly unrealistic goal with a remaining schedule of Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Missouri, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
Baylor actually led 3-0 in the first quarter, but Iowa State took a 14-3 lead at halftime and extended its advantage to 24-3 going to the fourth quarter.
Baylor scored its lone touchdown with just seconds to play on a 3-yard pass from Jerod Monk to Justin Akers.
Baylor hosts Oklahoma State for homecoming next week at 11:30 a.m. The game will be televised on VERSUS.
9:07 p.m. — It’s over. Iowa State kneels out the clock on a 24-10 victory, a crushing defeat for the Bears that realistically ends their hopes of ending their bowl drought this season.
9:04 p.m. — Baylor gets that positive play as freshman Jerod Monk hits Justin Akers for the touchdown after Willie Jefferson set Baylor up first-and-goal with a long catch from Florence. 24-10 Iowa State with just nine seconds to play.
9:01 p.m. — Another Baylor timeout. Bears are apparently trying to finish with some kind of positive play.
9:00 p.m. — Baylor takes a timeout with 36 seconds left.
8:54 p.m. — Nick Florence is getting mop-up duty at quarterback for Baylor.
8:52 p.m. — Iowa State misses a 30-yard field goal. Still 24-3 Cyclones, just under two minutes to play.
8:37 p.m. — Nothing’s going right for the Bears, as Szymanski is picked off for a third straight possession on a pass where it looked as if he should have a free play. The Iowa State nose guard was clearly offsides, but it wasn’t called, much to Art Briles’ chagrin.
8:32 p.m. — Mahoney fails on a chance to extend Iowa State’s lead, missing on a 35-yard field goal attempt. Baylor takes over at the 20.
8:26 p.m. — And an ugly third quarter (from Baylor’s perspective) ends with Garrin picking off Szymanski yet again, then returning the ball 21 yards to midfield. Baylor is going to need a miracle fourth-quarter rally to keep its bowl hopes — yes, that’s what is riding on this game — alive.
8:20 p.m. — Iowa State calls timeout, with Baylor setting up for a 3rd-and-3 from its own 28. Time is ticking away on the Bears, with just 2:10 left in the third quarter.
8:16 p.m. — Baylor’s defense forces a punt, and the Bears will take over at the 20 after a touchback. Szymanski remains at QB for Baylor.
8:10 p.m. — Iowa State’s Fred Garrin picks off an errant Szymanski pass and returns to the Cyclone 39. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Nick Florence on the next possession. Outside of that pass, Szymanski hasn’t been terrible, but Baylor needs something — anything — to rally around.
8:04 p.m. — Iowa State backup quarterback Jerome Tiller breaks off a 20-yard touchdown run on a quarterback draw, and the Cyclones clearly have Baylor on the ropes, with a 24-3 lead at the 7:43 mark of the third quarter. Tiller replaced Austen Arnaud on that drive, though it’s not entirely clear why.
7:59 p.m. — Baylor fails to convert a first down yet again, then things turn worse when Iowa State’s Zac Sandvig blocks Derek Epperson’s punt, and the Cyclones take over at the Baylor 32, looking to build on their 14-point lead.
7:54 p.m. — ISU’s Grant Mahoney drills a 45-yard field goal to push the Cyclone lead to 17-3 at the 12:30 mark of the third quarter.
7:52 p.m. — Bad start for Baylor, as Szymanski is stuffed a half-yard short of a first down on a 4th-and-1. The Cyclones take over on downs at the Baylor 32.
7:48 p.m. — Kind of a “nutty” way to start the second half, as on the kickoff a squirrel somehow gets loose and races down the field. Baylor will start at its own 23. The squirrel, meanwhile, made it to the end zone.
7:33 p.m. — Here’s a look at the numbers:
FIRST DOWNS: BU 3, ISU 14 RUSHING: BU 9-21; ISU 24-114 PASSING: BU 11-19-0, 151 yards; ISU 18-27-1, 166 yards THIRD-DOWN CONVERSIONS: BU 0-for-5, ISU 9-for-11
Alexander Robinson, after seemingly being held in check for a while, leads the Cyclones with 16 carries for 73 yards. Ernest Smith has been the main source of offense for Baylor, catching four balls for 101 yards. He’s the first BU receiver to top 100 yards in a half since Dominique Zeigler had 166 against Texas A&M in 2006.
7:27 p.m. — From the not-a-good-sign-for-the-Bears department: Baylor has lost 20 in a row when trailing at the half. I’ll bring you some halftime stats in a bit.
7:25 p.m. — Szymanski can’t connect with Lanear Sampson on 3rd-and-long, and the Bears have to punt it away. Iowa State then takes a knee and a comfortable 14-3 lead into the halftime break.
7:22 p.m. — Szymanski throws a backwards pass to Wright, who’s dumped for a loss of 6 trying to cut his way back to the other side of the field. The Bears have to burn their second timeout, now facing 2nd-and-16 at their 45 with 28 seconds left.
7:21 p.m. — Szymanski hits on a couple of passes to Ernest Smith and Kendall Wright, and the Bears call for timeout with 36 ticks left in the half and the ball at the ISU 49. Baylor could really, really use a score before the break.
7:16 p.m.— The Bears finally come up with a defensive spark, as Tim Atchison intercepts Arnaud in the end zone and then breaks off a nice return, though much of it comes back due to a hold. Incidentally, Iowa State has converted seven straight third downs, and 9 of 11 for the game. Baylor takes over at its 11 with 1:08 to go in the half.
7:13 p.m. — Baylor’s defense couldn’t possibly be playing any worse right now, as Iowa State picks up its second straight third-down conversion on a play where the Bears look like they’re running in mud. ISU has the ball at the Baylor 43.
7:06 p.m. — Baylor is forced to punt for the second straight possession, as Szymanski is dropped for a loss by the ISU defense on third down. The Cyclones will start at their own 4. Baylor desperately needs a spark, perhaps a turnover or something.
6:59 p.m. — Arnaud and the Cyclones carved up the Baylor defense like a jack-o-lantern, zipping downfield on a quick 80-yard scoring drive. Arnaud connects with his tight end to Derrick Catlett on a 4-yard pass for the TD. It’s now 14-3, Iowa State, which is close to the first-down discrepancy as well, as the Cyclones lead 14-4 in that category. There’s 9:01 left in the half.
6:50 p.m. — Penalties killed Baylor’s chances of doing anything on that possession, as the Bears moved backwards instead. Fellow scribe Jerry Hill used the word “flagfest” to describe the action just now. Iowa State takes over at its 20 following the punt, and a holding penalty against the Cyclones.
6:43 p.m. — Arnaud caps off a 12-play, 73-yard scoring drive with a 1-yard sneak up the gut for the touchdown. It’s 7-3 Iowa State with 13:38 remaining until halftime. Arnaud does pick up an unsportsmanlike penalty on the score, meaning the Cyclones will kick off from their own 15.
6:37 p.m. — The first quarter ends with the Cyclones on the march, as they’ll start the second quarter with a 1st-and-10 at the Baylor 15. Iowa State is moving the ball pretty efficiently on the BU defense. Baylor has done a respectable job shutting down Alexander Robinson, but Austen Arnaud has picked the Bears apart with his running and passing.
6:30 p.m. — Ben Parks curls a 38-yard field goal inside the right upright, giving Baylor a 3-0 lead with 2:47 left in the first quarter. The big play on that scoring drive was a 54-yard connection between Szymanski and Ernest Smith on a deep sideline route.
6:24 p.m. — Baylor catches a break when ISU’s strong-legged Grant Mahoney pushes a 50-yard field goal attempt wide right. The kick certainly had the distance, though. The Bears take over at their 33, with the score still 0-0 at the 4:52 mark of the first quarter.
6:16 p.m. — Iowa State calls timeout with a 1st-and-10 at its 30. Baylor has surrendered back-to-back first downs, the latest when the Bears lost containment on an option pitch from ISU quarterback Austen Arnaud to Alexander Robinson. It’s still scoreless with 8:40 remaining in the first.
6:11 p.m. — After several sweet runs from Jarred Salubi to help move the Bears into Cyclone territory, the drive stalls with a holding call on 4th down. Following a well-placed Derek Epperson punt, Iowa State will take over at its own 8.
6:02 p.m. — The Bears stuff ISU’s talented tailback Alexander Robinson on a 3rd-and-short, and the Cyclones are forced to punt. Baylor takes over at the 19 after a fair catch from Krys Buerck. Blake Szymanski takes the field at QB for the Bears.
5:58 p.m. — Iowa State won the toss, and will receive to start the game.
5:51 p.m. — It’s a brisk 46 degrees outside the press box windows, which is just about perfect football weather. The Iowa State crowd is still filing in, as the Cyclones have some of the more impressive bands of tailgaters I’ve seen across the conference.
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It’s chilly, but good football weather
I’m sitting here at the press box at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, looking out at a massive tailgate before the Baylor-Iowa State game.
This is definitely tailgating country.
It’s 46 degrees, but it feels colder because of the clouds and wind. But I think it will be nice, crisp football weather.
I’m thinking back to a game when it was really cold: Baylor-Arkansas on Nov. 2, 1991, in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks were exiting the Southwest Conference, so it was Baylor’s last game against against them.
It was about 17 degrees for the game, and the wind chill had to be in the low single digits. It was so cold in the press box that we went back to our hotel to write our game stories.
Despite the cold, the Bears pulled off a 9-5 win. Needless to say, it was a defensive struggle. It was also a struggle to stay warm.
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Lake takes rare shot
Baylor safety Jordan Lake has spent the last four years laying incredible hits against anybody who comes in his path.
There isn’t a harder hitter in the Big 12.
But in last week’s game against Oklahoma, DeMarco Murray plowed into Lake so hard that it sent him flying backwards near the goal line.
“That was the worst hit I’ve ever taken,” Lake said. “It was embarrassing. But I’ve given out more of those than I’ve taken.”
My guess is that hit won’t make Lake timid. He’s just not built that way.
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Baylor/Big 12 football podcast: Oct. 13, 2009
- Robert Griffin decides to have surgery
- We pick our favorite in the UT-OU matchup
- Baylor was victim of rinky-dink roughing-the-QB calls vs. Sooners
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Baylor-Oklahoma football
FINAL: It’s over. No. 19 Oklahoma defeats Baylor, 33-7, today in Norman.
The Bears trailed just 14-7 at halftime, but got very little going on offense in the second half.
Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford returned from a shoulder injury to throw for 389 yards and a touchdown for the Sooners.
Freshman Nick Florence started again at quarterback for Baylor, throwing for 221 yards and a touchdown with an interception.
Baylor was held to only five yards rushing.
5:43 p.m. — Sam Bradford hits Adron Terrell in the back of the end zone on a 3-yard TD pass. It’s 33-7 with 4:03 left on the clock. Baylor’s defense has been on the field a ton in the second half, and it’s beginning to show.
5:34 p.m. — Baylor’s offensive woes continue, as Ernest Smith can’t come up with a low throw from a pressured Florence on third down. The Bears have exactly one first down in the second half. OU’s defense is good, but Baylor’s offense must get better if the Bears want to move forward on its bowl berth goal.
5:28 p.m. — Jimmy Stevens has to be like, “Dude, thanks for the easy kicks to pad my stats.” Stevens connects on a 24-yard field goal to push OU’s lead to 26-7 with 10:05 to play. Kudos to BU’s defense, which again holds the Sooners out of the end zone. Remember, OU’s only two TDs were helped along by some iffy penalties.
5:10 p.m. — And that’s the end of the third quarter, as Florence can’t connect deep downfield with Wright. OU’s secondary has been pretty solid on Baylor’s deep routes.
5:07 p.m. — Stevens knocks in another short field goal, this one from 21 yards. It’s 23-7 Oklahoma with 50 seconds left in the third. OU has three field goals this half, but you’ve got to give Baylor’s defense credit for playing a bend-but-don’t-break game. They’ve been put in some bad field-position situations the last couple of OU drives. It’s time for Baylor’s offense to do something.
5:03 p.m.— Baylor’s offensive production has hit a stall, as the Bears punt it away again. Florence tried to hit Kendall Wright on a deep third-down pass over the middle, but the ball sailed out of Wright’s grasp. The Baylor coaches wanted a flag for pass-interference on the play, but on the replay it appeared to be a good no-call.
4:59 p.m. — Stevens hits a chip-shot 25-yard field goal for the Sooners, extending the lead to 20-7 with 4:47 to play in the third. Baylor’s defense, however, has nothing to hang its helmets about there, holding OU to a field goal. On third down, Joe Pawelek, spying on Bradford, knocked down the QB’s pass to keep the Sooners out of the end zone.
4:55 p.m. — The Sooners come up with the first turnover of the day, as Jarred Salubi bobbles a third-down pass over the middle, and the ball sails up into the air before being picked off by OU linebacker Keenan Clayton.
4:53 p.m. — BU’s defense holds on third down and forces another Oklahoma punt, which bounces into the end zone for the touchback. There’s 6:18 left in the third.
4:47 p.m. — However, Smith is stopped a yard shy of the first down on a 4th-and-7 pass. Baylor coach Art Briles has shown a go-for-broke mentality today in going for it on fourth down.
4:44 p.m. — Ernest Smith makes a nice catch-and-run for a 35-yard gain on third down, moving the ball into Oklahoma territory. Smith ran out of a couple of OU arm tackles on the play.
4:37 p.m. — Sooners kicker Jimmy Stevens punches a 35-yard field goal through the uprights to give the Sooners a 17-7 lead with 9:25 left in the third. Baylor’s Clifton Odom made a nice defensive play in coverage on third down to force the field goal attempt. Odom somewhat made up for getting beat in coverage a few plays earlier.
4:32 p.m. — The Bears can’t convert a first down, and Derek Epperson will come out for his fifth punt of the afternoon.
4:28 p.m. — Despite giving up a couple of carries for first downs from DeMarco Murray, BU’s defense holds firm, and the Sooners are forced to punt on their first possession of the second half. Baylor will start at the 20 after the touchback punt.
4:14 p.m. — Here’s a glance at some of the first-half numbers:
RUSHING: BU 11-2; OU 15-25
PASSING: BU 16-23-0, 164 yards; OU 14-25-0, 227 yards
PENALTIES: BU 9-68; OU 4-40
TIME OF POSSESSION: BU 18:21; OU 11:39
THIRD-DOWN CONVERSIONS: BU 2-of-8, OU 2-of-6
FOURTH-DOWN CONVERSIONS: BU 2-of-2; OU 1-of-3
4:03 p.m. — And that’s the end of the half, with Baylor very much in the game, trailing just 14-7. I’ll bring you some first-half stats in a bit.
4:02 p.m. — OU’s hurry-up drive stalls at the Baylor 32 with 25 seconds left in the half. The Sooners have been hurt by a case of the dropsies from their receivers today.
3:55 p.m. — And the Bears strike back with a big touchdown, as Nick Florence finds Crawford’s own Andrew Judy on a three-yard TD pass. Nice drive by Baylor, which might’ve been fired up after the penalties on defense. That’s the first career touchdown for the fullback Judy, who plays mostly on special teams and as a blocker.
3:44 p.m. — Chris Brown darts into the end zone on a four-yard TD run, but right now the Baylor coaches have to be livid over a second straight OU scoring drive which benefited from a seemingly nit-picky roughing-the-penalty call on the Baylor defense. This time the victim was Joe Pawelek. Could it be the officials are instituting the “Bradford Rules?”
3:36 p.m. — The Bears can’t convert on 3rd-and-short, as Lanear Sampson is dumped for a loss on a pass into the flat. The Sooners will start at its own 20 following the punt.
3:30 p.m. — Chris Brown puts the first points on the board, diving into the end zone from one yard out on fourth down. That drive had a “let’s quit jacking around” air to it for the Sooners, although it was also helped along by a questionable roughing-the-passer penalty against Trey Bryant on 3rd-and-goal that gave the Sooners a fresh set of downs. It’s 7-0, Sooners, with 8:26 remaining in the half.
3:18 p.m. — Baylor appeared poised to pick up another fourth down on a Florence-to-Terrance Williams connection, but the Bears instead were flagged for a false start penalty with the play clock winding down. The Sooners will take over at their 20 after Derek Epperson’s punt bounces into the end zone. Incidentally, Baylor is dominating the time-of-possession war right now, holding the ball for more than 14 minutes to OU’s 3:57.
3:13 p.m. — And the Bears make a bold move to go for it on fourth down, and Terrance Ganaway picks it up. Oddly, Baylor brought in Blake Szymanski on that play to make the handoff, though Florence returned for BU’s next snap.
3:10 p.m. — And that’s the end of a scoreless first quarter. Baylor will likely be setting up to punt, facing a 4th-and-1 at its own 40. The Bears tried to catch OU napping with a quick-snap sneak from Florence, but the Sooner defense stuffed the QB for little to no gain. The Bears have really only tried to run the ball three times, with minus-five yards to show for it.
3:06 p.m. — Baylor catches a break when OU’s Cameron Kenney can’t haul in a perfectly-tossed third-down pass from Bradford. The Bears will start at the 20 after the punt sails into the end zone for a touchback.
3:04 p.m. — And there goes Baylor’s last timeout, as the Bears are forced to burn it rather than risk a penalty for 12 men on the field. The Sooners have the ball 2nd-and-10 at the Baylor 45.
2:59 p.m. — Florence’s long third-down toss to Kendall Wright is well-defended by OU’s Brian Jackson, and the Bears are forced to punt. So far, Baylor has milked every possible second of the play clock, keeping OU’s offense off the field. The Sooners take over at their own 25 with 5:30 to play in the first quarter.
2:55 p.m. — The Bears burn their second timeout of the half, facing 2nd-and-24 following a personal foul penalty from Danny Watkins. (Not sure what Watkins did to warrant the flag). If Baylor somehow keeps this game close for a half, those lack of timeouts could prove costly.
2:54 p.m. — Florence hits Ernest Smith for a first down on a 4th-and-7 play, keeping the drive alive.
2:50 p.m. — Baylor takes a timeout, with a 2nd-and-8 from the Sooner 41. So far, Nick Florence has been sharp in BU’s short-passing attack, with only one incompletion.
2:43 p.m. — The Sooners turn the ball over on downs, as Bradford throws behind his intended receiver on a 4th-and-4 play. Baylor takes over at its own 35.
2:40 p.m. — Baylor’s initial possession stalls at the 50, as Florence overthrows Ernest Smith on a third-and-long. Willie Jefferson’s 22-yard leaping snag on BU’s second play helped the Bears reach that far. However, OU will still start in great field position, at the Baylor 42 after a 50-yard punt return from Dominique Franks.
2:29 p.m. — Yeah, I’d say that Sooner fans are happy to have Bradford back in the fold. As the offensive starters were announced on the scoreboard, Bradford’s name was greeted by a raucous roar.
2:25 — After renditions of “Oklahoma,” “Boomer Sooner,” and “That Grand Old Flag” we’ve now sung the national anthem and are ready for some football here at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. It’s another typically massive OU crowd on hand to witness Sam Bradford’s return against Nick Florence and the visiting Baylor Bears.
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Long way to go to catch Francis
As you’ll (hopefully) read in the Trib or here on WacoTrib.com tomorrow, Baylor has shown some proficiency in blocking kicks thus far this season, with four in four games.
However, both Phil Taylor and Jason Lamb, who each have a pair of blocks to their credit, have some work to do if they want to set a school record. That’s because BU defensive legend James Francis swatted away eight kicks back in his All-American season of 1989.
Incidentally, my colleague John Werner voted Francis No. 3 on his Heisman ballot that year. “He was amazing,” John said.
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Baylor/Big 12 football podcast: Oct. 6, 2009
- What did we learn from the Kent St. game?
- Does Baylor have any chance against the Sooners?
- Which Big 12 underdog can pull off an upset?
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Baylor vs. Kent State football
9:41: And that’s going to do it. The Bears move to 3-1 going into Big 12 play, while Kent State falls to 2-3. Look for a full story and complete stats in tomorrow’s Trib. Good night from Floyd Casey Stadium.
9:40: The Kent State coaches aren’t using their two timeouts, and the clock is under a minute to go.
9:39: KSU hits a big play on the first of its drive, but four straight incompletions after that give the ball back to Baylor with 1:56 to go. Time is definitely on Baylor’s side.
9:36: KSU will start at its own 23 with 2:33 remaining.
9:32: Baylor’s Ben Parks knocks a 26-yard field goal through the uprights, and it’s 31-15 Bears with 2:39 to go. It’s not over yet, but things are looking better every second for Baylor to go to 3-1 entering Big 12 play.
9:30: The Bears have something going here, having moved to the KSU 13. But they’re called for a false start, temporarily slowing down their momentum. The big thing for Baylor is there’s only 4:30 left.
9:25: Baylor’s just trying to drain the clock. Salubi is stopped short on a third-and-4, but for the second time tonight, KSU is called for roughing the kicker. It’s a huge break for Baylor, as it’s a first down at the KSU 44.
9:22: Another KSU player down, and a correction. Baylor has turned the ball over once on a fumble.
9:20: Baylor gets the ball back. Terry catches a Keith pass but is stripped by Clifton Odom and Antonio Jones came up with the loose ball at the Baylor 34. There’s 8:20 on the running fourth-quarter clock, and the Bears are looking to drain it as much as they possibly can. By the way, that’s four turnovers for KSU now. The Bears haven’t turned it over.
9:18: KSU returns the free kick to its own 39, and will set up shop there.
9:14: OK, so it was an interception by Baylor’s Chance Casey. That’s actually a bad break for Baylor as it puts the ball at the 1. And it hurts. Terrance Ganaway is buried in the end zone for a safety. KSU just keeps hanging around, down 28-15 with 9:17 left. The Golden Flashes will also get the ball back here.
9:12: We’ve got another review. I guess they’re checking to see if it was a catch. Even if it was, it’ll still be BU’s ball, just at its own 1 instead of the 8.
9:11: Keith misses a receiver on a quick slant at the goal line on third down. On fourth, the ball skips off the turf to a receiver at the 1. Baylor has held again and will take over at its own 8. There’s 9:21 left.
9:10: KSU is back inside the Baylor 10, but the Golden Flashes have had their trouble when they’ve found the red zone tonight. Let’s see what happens here. It’s third-and-goal from the BU 8.
9:07: A pass interference call gives KSU the ball at the Bears 45, and Keith then throws a strike Muldrow to the Baylor 21. It’s first-and-10 there.
9:03: The Bears go backwards and punt again. Epperson’s kick goes out of bounds at the KSU 40. It’s a 46-yard boot. The Golden Flashes take over with 11:49 left in the game.
9:00: Everybody in the building knew that was coming. KSU had the ball at the 10, facing a fourth-and-2. The Golden Flashes lined up for a field goal, but it was a fake. The holder took the snap and took off through a hole in the middle of the line, but Baylor’s Joe Pawelek closed it in a hurry and the Bears held. It’s now their ball after a first-down pass of 14 yards to Kendall Wright at the KSU 23.
8:56: After three quarters, the stats look like this.
First downs: KSU 15, BU 16 Rushes-yards: KSU 21-160; BU 35-150 Passing, yards: KSU 19-31-1, 174; BU 14-19-0, 165 Total yards: KSU 334; BU 315 Turnovers: KSU 2; BU 0
Kendall Wright has 103 yards on six catches for Baylor.
8:52: OK, so now we’re being told that there was no block on the field goal. It sounded like somebody touched it, but apparently not. KSU has a drive going, with the ball at the Bears’ 18-yard line after a 15-yard run by Jacquis Terry as the third quarter comes to a close. It’s 28-13 Baylor. Terry now has 109 yards on 12 carries.
8:51: Epperson hits an ugly-but-effective 50-yard punt, giving KSU the ball back its own 36. There’s 1:46 to go in the third.
8:50: Change the partially blocked kick to Jason Lamb. It’s his second field goal block of the game. But Baylor goes nowhere, as the pocket crashes down on Florence on third down. The Bears will punt.
8:48: Freddy Cortez’s 38-yard field goal attempt is no good. Phil Taylor partially blocked it, and the kick missed wide left. Baylor takes over at its own 20.
8:44: KSU can’t get its kicking team settled on a field-goal attempt and calls timeout with 3:45 left in the third. Both teams have been balanced yardage-wise tonight. Baylor has 156 yards rushing and 165 passing, while KSU has 149 through the air and 139 on the ground.
8:41: KSU gambles and wins on fourth down, keeping its drive alive with a short run on a quarterback sneak by Keith. It’s first-and-10 at the KSU 48.
8:36: Spencer Keith is still KSU’s quarterback. He did appear to be the better passer of the two signal-callers the Golden Flashes used in the first half, so it makes sense that he’d be in there with them trailing.
8:33: Baylor can’t get anything going on its drive and punts it back to KSU. Epperson’s 49-yard effort rolls dead at the Golden Flashes 27. That’s where KSU will take over with 8:58 left in the third quarter.
8:26: That answer didn’t take long, as Jacquise Terry bursts through a huge hole up the middle and goes 61 yards on the first play of the drive. Baylor’s Phil Taylor blocks the extra point, so it’s 28-13 Bears with 10:34 left in the third.
For the record, the penalties stand like this. KSU, 10-81; BU 8-66. I bring it up because Baylor was just called for a personal foul after the extra point, so KSU will kick off from its own 45-yard line.
8:25: KSU returns the kickoff out the the 39 and will have the ball there for its first possession of the second half.
8:23: Florence continues to impress with a 29-yard scamper to the end zone, his second rushing TD of the game, to cap a nine-play, 80-yard drive. It’s 28-7 Bears with 10:52 on the third-quarter clock.
8:22: The Bears have methodically moved the ball into KSU territory, mostly with short passes and runs by Florence. Baylor’s got its offense moving more up-tempo now with a first-and-10 at the KSU 33.
8:16: So apparently it was a 15-yard penalty on Baylor, not sure what it was for. Anyway, KSU rekicked and put it through the end zone. First-and-10 for Baylor at its own 20 with eight seconds gone by in the third quarter.
8:13: And we’re back, with Baylor receiving the second-half kickoff. There’s a flag on the play, but that’s nothing new. It seems as if there’s been one on every kickoff tonight. This one’s taking awhile to sort out.
7:57: Here are some halftime numbers.
Total yards: KSU 174; BU 230 Rushes-yards: KSU 15-69; BU 25-92 Passing: KSU 10-18-1, 105; BU 10-14-0, 138 Turnovers: KSU 2; BU 0
Individual stats: Rushing: KSU: Dri Archer 2-28; BU Jarred Salubi 10-58, TD; Terrance Ganaway 7-24 Passing: KSU: Spencer Keith 6-11-0, 52; BU Nick Florence 10-14-0, 138 Receiving: KSU: Jameson Konz 2-38, TD; BU Kendall Wright 4-90
7:52: The Golden Flashes get a first down on a running play, but that’s going to do it for the first half. It’s 21-7, Baylor. I’ll be back in a few minutes with some stats.
7:50: KSU will get one more chance, as Kendall Wright is stopped for a 2-yard loss. After yet another great punt by Epperson of 55 yards, the Golden Flashes will take over at their own 40. There’s only nine seconds left before halftime.
7:49: Baylor ran on the first two plays, and KSU took timeouts both times, the latter of which was its third and final one of the half. There’s 1:08 left in the half, with the Bears facing third-and-9 from their own 6.
7:46: Baylor again stands tall on defense, and KSU punts it back to the Bears. Krys Buerck fair catches the punt at the 5-yard line with 1:23 left before halftime. Let’s see if Baylor tries to do anything or if tis’ content to go into the break with the 21-7 lead.
7:43: BU gets out of the shadow of its own goal line, but stalls at the KSU 25. Epperson launches a punt just out of the reach of an oncoming rusher. The punt travels 49 yards and is fair caught at the KSU 26 with 2:51 left in the half.
7:38: Now it’s Wright causing the fans to gasp. He took a quick pass from Florence on third-and-9 from the Baylor 5 for 14 yards and a first down. A KSU defender came up and put his helmet right on the ball, and it popped out, but Baylor’s Krys Buerck pounced on it. There’s a KSU player down on the field. It’ll be first-and-10 for the Bears at the 19 when play resumes.
7:36: Salubi just caused a panic in the stadium, running backward into the end zone, where he was tripped up but managed to sneak out to the 5-yard line. Timeout, KSU with 4:26 remaining before halftime.
7:32: KSU lines up like it’s going to go for it on fourth down, but Keith takes the snap and punts it. It turns out great for the Golden Flashes, as the ball rolls out of bounds at the Baylor 4. First-and-10 for the Bears with 5:12 left in the first half.
7:31: Spencer Keith is back in the game at QB for the Golden Flashes. I wonder if at some point their coaches are going to go with whoever’s playing better between Keith and Giorgio Morgan or if they’re going to keep rotating the entire game.
7:27: Random observation: TV timeouts are long. Baylor kicks off but is called for illegal formation (umm, OK). On the second try, the Golden Flashes return it to midfield, where they will scrimmage at the 6:42 mark of the second quarter.
7:24: Salubi shows off some speed and some outstanding moves and goes 45 yards for a touchdown. It also helped that he had some great down-field blocking to make it 21-7 with 6:48 left in the first half. The Bears offensive line is controlling this game.
7:19: The KSU offense gets nothing going, and Baylor gets the ball again. It’s first-and-10 for the Bears at their 37 with 7:47 left in the first half.
7:16: The KSU defense makes a huge play, as it forces a Florence fumble, recovered by the Golden Flashes at their own 8 with 9:31 left in the first half.
7:12: BU can’t take advantage of the turnover, as KSU’s defense holds for a three-and-out. But on the punt, the Golden Flashes make a huge mistake, roughing Epperson. It’s a 15-yard penalty and a first down for Baylor at the KSU 28.
7:09: KSU gets the ball at its own 28 after the Bears kick off. On the first play of the drive, Baylor’s Elliot Coffey steps in front of a KSU receiver on the sidelines to pick off a Giorgio Morgan pass at the Golden Flashes’ 38. Baylor’s ball with 12:48 left in the second quarter.
7:06: On second down, Florence drops back and has immediate pressure. He’s able to escape and takes off to the end zone and leaps in head first with the ball extended for his first career rushing touchdown. That caps an impressive 89-yard drive that took nine plays and gives Baylor a 14-7 lead with 13:02 left in the first quarter.
7:03: We’re under another review, and again I can’t tell exactly why. Anyway, Florence hit Kendall Wright on a wide receiver screen, and Wright takes it 44 yards to the KSU 16, where he was dragged down by the facemask. That moved it half the distance to the goal and made it first-and-goal at the 8.
7:01: OK, here we go with some first-quarter numbers.
First downs: KSU 5; BU 4 Rushes-yards: KSU 9-47; BU 10-22 Passing yards: KSU: 74; BU 46 Total yards: KSU 121; BU 68
6:57: That’s the end of the first quarter. It’s 7-7, and Baylor has the ball at its own 33, second-and-1. Florence looks pretty sharp so far, considering it’s his first career start and the conditions are less than ideal. Actually, he’s 4-for-4 passing. Hope to have some first-quarter stats soon.
6:54: Oops, BU got the ball at the KSU 11 and immediately went backward on a presnap penalty. Florence makes a nice throw to David Gettis to make it third-and-2, where Florence was intercepted but KSU was offsides to give the Bears a first down at their own 24.
6:51: KSU misses a chance to score, as KSU kicker Freddy Cortez’s 26-yard field goal attempt is stuffed back in his face by Baylor’s Jason Lamb. The Bears take over at their own 16 with :59 left in the first quarter.
6:49: KSU scored a TD, but the run was brought back on a penalty. The Golden Flashes have the ball at the BU 14-yard line, first-and-goal.
6:44: Great field position for the Golden Flashes, as Muldrow returns a Derek Epperson punt to the Baylor 30. New QB for KSU, and it’s Spencer Keith.
6:41: Briles is using all kinds of players at quarterback. Kendall Wright took a direct snap on second down. Florence is sacked at his own 1-yard line on third down, and Baylor is forced to punt from deep in its own end zone.
6:40: Baylor’s defense forces a three-and-out, and KSU does punt this time. Baylor’s Krys Buerck caught the punt and was immediately blasted at the 16. I don’t know how he held onto the ball, but he did, so the Bears get the ball at their own 16.
6:37: Kent State returns the kickoff out to the 26, and that’s where it will begin its next drive. By the way, the Baylor march went 55 yards in eight plays. Waco High product Jarred Salubi popped a 28-yard run to put the Bears on the doorstep at the KSU 2. There’s 8:15 left in the first quarter.
6:36: Monk is in this time on a quarterback (backup tight end?) sneak. So with 9:08 left in the first quarter, it’s 7-7. My guess is that Monk’s in the game because Szymanski was hurt on a quarterback sneak near the goal line last week, and coach Art Briles doesn’t want to take any chance of getting Florence hurt.
6:34: I think the referees are reviewing something, but I’m not sure what. I guess they’re checking to see if Jarod Monk, a backup tight end who was just in the game taking a direct snap, got into the end zone. He didn’t, but the Bears have the ball second-and-goal at the KSU 1.
6:30: A Kent State player is down, so there’s a timeout on the field. Baylor has the ball, third-and-7 on the Golden Flashes 40. There’s 10:16 showing on the first-quarter clock.
6:25: Kent State is called for offsides on its kickoff. Baylor makes the Golden Flashes kick it again. The second one goes out of bounds, so Baylor gets the ball at its own 45.
6:20: Kent State goes to the double pass, with Laneric Muldrow throwing to a wide-open Jameson Konz for a 35-yard touchdown. The entire Baylor defense swarmed to Muldrow, leaving nobody in the secondary running with Muldrow and he could’ve walked into the end zone. It’s 7-0 Golden Flashes with 11:32 left in the first quarter. The drive went 64 yards in nine plays.
6:15: Baylor’s defense stands strong on the first possession, but on fourth-and-1 at the Kent State 45, the Golden Flashes elect for a fake punt, and punter Matt Rinehart runs 9 yards for a first down at the Baylor 46.
6:11: It didn’t take long for the wet ball to make an impact. On the opening kickoff, KSU’s Anthony Bowman fumbled. But the ball went out of bounds, so the Golden Flashes will keep possession. Baylor was called off being offsides on the kickoff, so KSU will scrimmage from its own 36.
6:08: We’re getting close to kickoff now, as the Bears come through the tunnel and the band plays the fight song. Baylor won the toss and elected to defer, so Kent State will have the ball first as the rain just keeps pouring down. My colleagues Brice Cherry and John Werner are joking about needing some windshield wipers for the press box windows. It actually wouldn’t be a bad idea.
5:51: Welcome to a rainy Floyd Casey Stadium for tonight’s game between the Baylor Bears (2-1) and the Kent State Golden Flashes (2-2).
Baylor freshman Nick Florence will make his first career start, as Blake Szymanski is unable to go with a right shoulder injury.
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Kolb to visit Briles
With the Philadelphia Eagles having a bye week, quarterback Kevin Kolb is planning to attend Saturday’s Baylor-Kent State game at Floyd Casey Stadium.
Kolb played for Briles at the University of Houston, passing for 12,964 yards and leading the team to three bowl appearances from 2003-06. The Eagles drafted Kolb in 2007, and he’s moved into the starting quarterback role with Donovan McNabb out with an injury.
Kolb grew up in Stephenville where Briles coached from 1988-99, and they’ve continued to stay in touch since their University of Houston days.
“Kevin is a friend of the family, and it’s neat that he’s going to come around to see us,” Briles said.
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Baylor/Big 12 football podcast: Sept. 30, 2009
- Without Griffin, is a bowl possible for somber Bears?
- Is Blake Szymasnki the most important Baylor player now?
- Are we witnessing an Aggie uprising?
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BU volleyball up to 19th in poll; Barnes honored
Baylor’s volleyball team moved up five spots to No. 19 in this week’s American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, tying for the highest ranking in school history. Baylor also reached No. 19 for one week in 2000.
After wins over Iowa State and Kansas last week, Baylor maintains a 14-1 record, its best through 15 matches in school history. The Bears’ only loss came to second-ranked Texas on the road.
Also Monday, BU senior Taylor Barnes was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week. Barnes recorded her third career triple-double in BU’s sweep of Iowa State, racking up 10 kills, 11 digs and 38 assists. Then against Kansas, the setter netted 34 assists, five kills, five digs and a pair of blocks.
Baylor will shoot for its fourth straight win when it hosts Missouri 7 p.m. Wednesday.
The Trib's Todd Nafe shows how to pitch a tent, catch fish, build a campfire.
Latest comments
It’s a sad day when folks celebrate a win over Missouri….Wait until next Saturday.
Do you “Baylor backers” have any idea what is coming into town???
It’s really sad when your own newspaper calls you out for
... read the full comment by Stephen | Comment on Baylor-Missouri game blog Read Baylor-Missouri game blog
Where did all the naysayers go? Are they all still in a state of shock?
... read the full comment by Robert | Comment on Baylor-Missouri game blog Read Baylor-Missouri game blog
Did I fall asleep last night and wake up in an alternate universe?
Well, anyway, good job Bears. Good to see there is still fight and life left in them this late in the season, after the hardships they have faced. Hopefully this isn’t just
... read the full comment by Dropped Jaw | Comment on Baylor-Missouri game blog Read Baylor-Missouri game blog
looks like ALL white might be the dress code for the rest of the season!
... read the full comment by Big Ron | Comment on Baylor-Missouri game blog Read Baylor-Missouri game blog