By Andrew Miner
Guest Contributor
As the athletic competition moves from the gridiron to the hardwood to start 2012, I wanted to rank the top moments from the Baylor football season.
5- Missouri: The Bears failed against the SEC-bound Aggies and once again they had an opportunity to display why the Big 12 is superior. Emotions were running high, as it had been almost a month since the Bears played at home. The game was essentially a must-win for a team coming off a two-game slide. Junior quarterback Robert Griffin III and company used their home-field advantage and won 42-39. They would not lose for the rest of the season.
4- TCU: On Sept. 2, all eyes were on Waco. The Bears were playing the defending Rose Bowl Champion and No. 14 TCU Horned Frogs. After surrendering 25 unanswered points in the second half and blowing a 24-point lead, Baylor got the ball back for one last drive.
Head coach Art Briles called for a double pass on 3rd-and-10. Senior receiver Kendall Wright caught the lateral and threw back over the middle to Griffin, who was sandwiched by two defenders but hung on for 15 yards and a first down. Sophomore kicker Aaron Jones kicked a 37-yard go-ahead field goal and 64 seconds later the students were on the field. That was only the beginning.
3- The Heisman: On the “unbelievably believable” night of Dec. 10 in New York City, his attire was different but he was the same RG3 that we knew and loved. He looked as confident as ever, even when he revealed to the entire world his Superman socks complete with capes. After tearing his ACL in 2009, he fulfilled Briles’ prophecy and then some by winning the Heisman and bringing national glory to Waco.
2- Remembering the Alamo: Going in to the bowl game, the Vegas over/under line on points was 79.5 and the Bears and Huskies did not disappoint. With 14 minutes left in the third quarter Baylor found itself in an 18-point hole and resorted to pounding the ball down Washington’s throat.
It worked as MVP running back Terrance Ganaway rushed for 200 yards and five touchdowns to help contribute to the Bears’ 482 rushing yards. Instantly a classic was born, as 12 bowl records were set and Baylor finished strong, winning 67-56. It was Baylor’s first 10-win season since 1980.
1- Oklahoma: Nothing beats the upset of the No. 5 Sooners in a weekend when all hell broke loose in college football.
In the friendly confines of Floyd Casey, however, the Bears had a swagger that suggested that this game was not going to be like the twenty previous losses to the Sooners. No, this night was to be different. There was a belief and it was captured perfectly on a sign that simply said, “We Are Going To Win.”
A Griffin pass deflected off sophomore receiver Tevin Reese’s hands, and was seemingly suspended in midair for eternity before finally floating safely into the waiting arms of a Wright, who then sprinted into the endzone from midfield.
With the game tied, RG3 heaved a deep pass to junior receiver Terrance Williams in the back corner of the end zone. Afterward, the students stormed the field and celebrated around their beloved Bears.
