The Baylor Bears are writing history, becoming the first team in program history to advance to three consecutive bowl games, after becoming eligible with a 52-45 overtime victory over Texas Tech.
A series of firsts were recorded for Baylor: junior linebacker Eddie Lackey’s first game with a pair of interceptions, one returned for a touchdown and a fumble recovery.
Usually athletes don’t cry after a win, but they do occasionally shed tears after a loss.
Baylor sophomore running back Lache Seastrunk was so overcome with emotion in the waning moments of Baylor’s 52-24 victory over No. 1 Kansas State that he shed a few tears of joy.
“I broke into tears,” Seastrunk said. “Thirty seconds left, I don’t even know. It just came out. So magical to see your dream unfold right before your eyes, what you wanted for two years.”
Seastrunk’s emotion is understandable. After leaving the University of Oregon, where he redshirted as a freshman and did not play, he transferred to Baylor in August of 2011 and had to sit out the entire season due to NCAA transfer rules.
In effect, Seastrunk hasn’t actually played in a football game in nearly two years.
With Baylor’s stunning 52-24 display of dominance over No. 1 Kansas State, one position group stands out from among the rest: the offensive line.
Every game of football is won at the line of scrimmage.
To put it lightly, Baylor dominated the trenches against Kansas State.
The story of the day, aside from David defeating Goliath, was Baylor’s defense playing relatively flawless, something Baylor fans are not used to.
“We had faith in our defense,” junior running back Glasco Martin said, “We knew as an offense that we could potentially score every time we got the ball in our hands. We just jumped on the backs of our defense and they came up with a stop and we took advantage of it.”
With Baylor’s win against Kansas State, the Bears have totaled five wins so far. Baylor has to win at least one of the two remaining games to be bowl eligible.
The difference between five wins and six wins in college football is a lot bigger than just one win. The sixth win, and the opportunity to play in a bowl game, gives a university a lot of exposure and a lot of money.
Beating either Texas Tech or Oklahoma State would give Baylor a lot more than just bragging rights.
Baylor rocked college football and stunned the nation with its 52-24 demolition of the No. 1 team in the nation Saturday evening. The Bears, however, weren’t all that surprised.
“All week we believed we were going to beat them, and we weren’t going to be surprised when it happened,” senior quarterback Nick Florence said.
Belief was the key word for Baylor under the lights, filling the gaps for a football team that has been lack luster all season.
This time last season, Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III had his “Heisman moment” with the 34-yard touchdown pass to defeat No. 5 Oklahoma 45-38.
The Baylor football team got off to a rough start in Big 12 Conference play by losing four consecutive games to West Virginia, Texas Christian, Texas and Iowa State. In its last two games, Baylor has shown marked improvement: a victory over Kansas and a narrow defeat to Oklahoma.
Texas Tech at Oklahoma State: The Red Raiders narrowly survived overtime against Kansas 41-last week and the Cowboys stomped over West Virginia 55-34. There should be plenty of offense in this game as Oklahoma State is third in scoring and Texas Tech is 18th. At the beginning of the season, Texas Tech started guns ablaze but lately they have faltered with losses to Kansas State and Texas plus an ugly win over Kansas. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State has won four of their last five games with their only loss coming to No. 1 Kansas State.
Despite losing 42-34 to the No. 12 Oklahoma Sooners in Norman on Saturday, the Baylor football team is certainly showing signs of improvement.
The offense is displaying multiple facets within the passing and rushing attack.
No. 12 Oklahoma defeated Baylor 42-34 today in Norman.
Baylor won the turnover battle, forcing two and committing none, but couldn’t win the game.
Senior quarterback Nick Florence recorded 12-of-33 for 172 yards.
The Baylor Bears are 0-26 all time on the road against top 25 opponents in the Big 12. This does not bode well for them in their trip to Norman to take on the No. 12 Oklahoma Sooners. The Bears, 4-4 (1-4), won a conference game last week over the Kansas Jayhawks 41-14. This week presents a much tougher task because the Bears will be on the road to face the 6-2 (4-1) Sooners.
The Superdome in New Orleans will be the site of the new marquee bowl matching the Southeastern Conference and Big 12, and the game will still be called the Sugar Bowl. The conferences made the announcement Tuesday. The agreement between the leagues and the bowl is for 12 years, and ESPN will hold the TV rights. The SEC has a long history with the Sugar Bowl. Seventy-one times an SEC team has played in the game, far more than any other league. The very first Sugar Bowl in 1935 matched Tulane, then of the SEC, against Temple.
The Baylor football team put together a complete effort and dominated Kansas in a 41-14 victory on Saturday. The win marked Baylor’s first Big 12 victory this season.
“Getting a ‘W’ finally was a big deal,” senior quarterback Nick Florence said. “I just think we needed to get the ball rolling. We need some more confidence, and this is a big confidence-booster. We know we are a good team and finally we showed it on the field. We played a complete game with no turnovers, the defense got turnovers, they didn’t give up any points in the second half. We won special teams. If we can win all three sides of the ball, we can win any game we play.”
The Baylor football team finally recorded a win in conference play with a 41-14 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks.
“This is the first time I’ve felt good in a month,” head coach Art Briles said. “I wish I was being funny.”
It was a coming out party for sophomore running back Lache Seastrunk had 105 yards on the ground and 95 yards through the air.
Baylor leads the Kansas Jayhawks 20-14 at the half at Floyd Casey Stadium.
Senior quarterback Nick Florence was 20-of-31 for 232 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also rushed for 32 yards.
Sophomore running back Lache Seastrunk lit up the field in the first half with 44 yards on the ground and 89 yards through the air and a touchdown.
Seven games into the season, the Baylor Bears (3-4, 0-4) are still looking for their first Big 12 Conference win.
Luckily, the football schedule brings the Kansas Jayhawks (1-7, 0-5) to Waco for homecoming. The Jayhawks, like Baylor, are also looking for their first Big 12 Conference win.
The Bears are in a rut, but with five games left to play, there’s still plenty of time for the Bears to find their identity and play their best football down the stretch.
Sure, Baylor has had a tough time in conference to date, but there’s still plenty of football to be played this season.
While the football team is busy trying to scrape a win out of the goose egg in the conference win column, the women’s basketball team is protecting its 40-game win streak.
What’s the difference between the two besides the obvious?
After four Big 12 contests, the Baylor Bears are still winless in the conference after Iowa State defeated the Bears 35-21 on Saturday. Now is the time for Baylor football to either sink or swim.
Seven games into the season, with a 3-4 record, some trends have become disturbing with this Baylor team. In all four of Baylor’s losses, the Bears are a combined minus-11 in turnover ratio. Aside from just the turnover ratio, the Bears have also failed to capitalize on golden opportunities and make the crucial plays down the stretch that generate victories.
Four turnovers cost Baylor on the road at Iowa State, falling 35-21 to the Cyclones.
Iowa State quarterback, senior Steele Jantz, finished the game with 381 yards for five touchdowns and an interception.
Sophomore receiver Jarvis West also had a career night with a trio of touchdowns and 99 yards.
Saturday is do or die for the Baylor Bears as they travel to Ames, Iowa, to take on the Iowa State Cyclones at 6 p.m. for their homecoming in 40-degree weather.
“We’ve had our first half of the season, and now we’re going into our second half,” head coach Art Briles said. “I don’t know if it’s a good analogy or not, but I use why divorces happen – there’s a variety of reasons, but sometimes it’s because you hear things, you see things, you do things, and sometimes it amounts over time. Then it goes to a point to where you think you can get away from it. What we’re trying to do is start cleaning. We have six games left, and those six games will determine our football season.”
Texas at Kansas: The Longhorns are still ranked in No. 23 in the latest BCS standings and face arguably the worst team in the Big 12, the Kansas Jayhawks. The rushing attack and physicality of Texas should overpower the Jayhawks. Texas is favored by 21 points and the rushing attack led by Joe Bergeron should power to Texas to a comfortable victory. It is Kansas’ homecoming so they should play with added spirit. Prediction: Texas 31, Kansas 21
By Krista Pirtle Sports Editor What looked like a successful start for the Baylor defense against SMU on Sept. 2…
There is no doubt that Baylor’s defense is the Achilles heel of the team. But why is the defense so awful? It sounds strange, but Baylor’s offense might be one reason the Bears have never had a vaunted defense. Is head coach Art Briles’ offensive philosophy hurtful to his defense? Baylor possesses a high-octane prolific scoring offense that any team in college football would be jealous of. But the quick-strike ability of the offense might be crippling the defense.
The old adage “defense wins championships” has held true throughout time. In the BCS top 15, 11 teams have a top 15-ranked defense. Last year, Alabama won the national title on the back of its defense, and it might win another this year. The Bears’ defense currently ranks dead last in points against, total defense, first down defense and third down defense.
Baylor and Texas came into Saturday night’s game in a minor state of panic. Both teams started the year strong, but each has lost its last two games. The Bears fell to the Longhorns 50-56, 106 points and 1,132 points later.
Senior quarterback Nick Florence finished the game 30-of-41 with 352 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
“I was really proud of the team and how they fought,” head coach Art Briles said. “We challenged them this week to be tough physically and mentally, to have a tough man’s mentality.”
By Daniel Hill Sports Writer The Baylor football team is at a pivotal moment in its season. A three game…
Both Baylor and Texas came into Saturday night’s game in a minor state of panic. Both teams started the year strong, but each has lost its last two games. 106 points and 1,132 points later, the Bears fell to the Longhorns 50-56.
West Virginia: 12 of 15, 80 percent
TCU: 14 of 19, 73.68 percent
Big 12 Conference: 26 of 34, 76 percent
So far in Big 12 Conference games the Baylor defense has allowed its opponents to convert on third downs more than 76 percent of the time (26 of 34).
Before Baylor enters the tunnel to run out onto the field at Floyd Casey Stadium, the team hits a sign above the doorway that says “Finish Strong.”
“We aren’t going to put our heads down and throw in the towel,” senior quarterback Nick Florence said. “We still have seven more games left. There is still a lot of football to be played. When it comes to bowls, you are defined by how you finish. We’re going to keep fighting until the end.”
