Big 12 Champs - The Baylor Lariat

Big 12 Champs
The Fiesta is just Getting Started


Contents: Big 12 Title Bears Take on UCF Floyd Casey Briles Delivers Petty Leads Baylor Defense Offensive Attack Sparked Run Bowl Game Tickets

Big 12 Title Bears win Big 12 Conference title When asked during Big 12 media day back in July whether Baylor could win a Big 12 Championship, senior safety Ahmad Dixon was quick to respond. “Can God save a hooker?” Well, it seems as though the answer to that question is an emphatic ‘yes.’ Baylor trounced No. 25 University of Texas 30-10 in freezing conditions to win its first Big 12 Championship in the 19-year history of the conference. “If you can get great players, great people, great administration and great fan support, everything can be a reality,” head football coach Art Briles said. “This is a defining moment for our program and it’s one I think we’ll be able to repeat many times…
Bears Take On UCF Bears take on UCF Knights in Fiesta Bowl After winning its first Big 12 Championship on Saturday night, Baylor football earned a bid to play in a BCS bowl game for the first time in the history of the BCS. With their conference championship, the Bears are pegged to go to the 43rd annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. where the Bears will face American Athletic Conference champion No. 15 University of Central Florida Knights. “Baylor Nation and our football program…		Floyd Casey Floyd Casey provides 63 years of winning The phrase “biggest game in Baylor history” has been used to describe many games this season, most notably at home against No. 10 Oklahoma and on the road against No. 10 Oklahoma State in Stillwater. But with Baylor’s Big 12 Championship clincher against No. 25 University of Texas in the final game at Floyd Casey Stadium on Saturday, we have a new titleholder. “It was like a dream,” senior safety Ahmad Dixon said. “All the seniors were up there and we were telling each other, ‘Wow, this really happened.’ Nobody’s seen it happen before we came here and tonight that dream became a reality.” And how fitting it was that the dream became a reality in front of a record 51,728 fans to cap off the final game of the final season at historic…

Briles Delivers Briles delivers new stadium, Big 12 title It has been a season to remember for Baylor head coach Art Briles as he saw his hard work and commitment to Baylor University pay off with the university’s first Big 12 title and first trip to a BCS Bowl. Through a season of ups and downs, Briles came out on top, building a program that was once ridiculed into a national powerhouse. For Briles, winning the Big 12 is much more than just a title. It’s about building a legacy at Baylor. “It means if you get great players, great people, great administration and great fan support, everything can be reality,” Briles said. “If you stay the course and you stay consistent with what you do day in and day out, you have a chance for success at the end. It’s a defining moment for our program and it’s one I think we’ll be able to repeat many times.” Prior to Briles’ arrival, the Bears never had a winning season since entering the Big 12. Baylor struggled in Briles’ first two seasons, but it was expected because of the time it takes to build a program. However, Briles promised two things: to bring Baylor football back on campus and to win a Big 12 Title, and despite the adversity along the way, it was a promise he intended to keep. After six seasons…
Petty Leads Petty rises up to lead Bears to first BCS bowl Good things come to those who wait. It couldn’t have been scripted any better for junior quarterback Bryce Petty. After waiting behind former quarterbacks Robert Griffin III and Nick Florence, Petty relished his opportunity, leading the Baylor Bears to its first Big 12 Title. “I kind of just started crying uncontrollably and I don’t really do that much, but it’s just been a process and it’s the fact that when you put your trust in God and he’s faithful, things work out and it’s a great feeling.” Petty said. Petty came into this season with big shoes to fill, but he…		Offensive Attack Sparked Run Versatile offensive attack sparked Baylor’s Big 12 title run Controlling the clock was not a goal for a Baylor offense that outscored opponents by 32 points per game despite opponents winning the time of possession battle by five minutes per game. Baylor’s ground game was vital to finish out games. Baylor has plenty of depth at the running back position, beginning with the elusive, electrifying, junior running back Lache Seastrunk. Seastrunk led Baylor with 1,060 rushing yards this season. Seastrunk averaged 7.5 yards per carry, averaging 106.0 yards per game, with 11 touchdowns…

	Baylor Defense Baylor defense anchored record 11-1 season Baylor’s hard-nosed, physical defense played up to its potential. After begin the laughingstock of the nation last season, this year’s unit rose up and backed up the hype with smashmouth, aggressive play to propel the team to its first Big 12 Title. After giving up an average of 37.2 points per game last season, the Bears reduced that number significantly — allowing only 21.2 points per game this season. After a dominant showing against Kansas State on Nov. 17, 2012, this defense has turned its play around. “This program has grown so much,” senior cornerback K.J. Morton said. “Even just from the players believing, the faith that we have in our abilities…		Bowl Game Tickets Tickets on sale for bowl game; student bus tour in the works The Baylor Bears are playing in a BCS bowl game for the first time in Glendale, Ariz. at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. They are set to take on the University of Central Florida. How can students and die-hard Baylor fans attend this historic event?…