Browsing: Baylor Football

As the result of an errant autocorrect, junior running back Silas Nacita was dubbed “Salsa Nacho.” Through the popular SB Nation blog “Our Daily Bears,” the hashtag #SalsaNacho received dozens of mentions on Twitter and became a recognizable meme to Baylor fans across the country. A fan was even seen with a “Salsa Nacho” sign at Saturday’s game.

The portion of the Brazos Riverwalk under Interstate 35, which connects downtown to the McLane Stadium, is closed to pedestrians, said Waco Parks and Recreation Director Rusty Black.

McLane Stadium will host its second straight sellout Saturday night as the No. 10 Baylor Bears take on the Northwestern State Demons. After opening the stadium with an overwhelming turnout from the Baylor Nation on Sunday, the Bears are riding a massive wave of support and anticipation for what is to come this season.

Senior receivers Antwan Goodley and Levi Norwood were familiar faces for returning Baylor football fans. However with a wide receiver corps stretched thin due to injury, the receiving rotation remained a question mark heading into Sunday’s game.

No. 10 Baylor football started its season in the brand new McLane Stadium with a convincing 45-0 win over Southern Methodist University on Sunday night. With a sold-out stadium, garbed in response to Baylor’s “Sold Out, Gold Out” social media campaign, Sunday night was about a lot more than just football.

Baylor leads SMU 31-0 after the first half in the 2014 season opener at McLane Stadium. Before a sold-out crowd, the Bears headed into the locker room with 244 total yards compared to the Mustangs’ 39 yards.

Senior offensive tackle Troy Baker and senior quarterback Bryce Petty are just two of many Baylor players that witnessed the tide turn in Waco. They have seen Baylor’s status change from ‘mediocre Big 12 member’ turn into ‘national championship potential.

Almost from the moment he arrived on campus in February of 2008, head coach Art Briles told the administration that he wanted a stadium. Baylor had not qualified for a bowl game since 1994 and finished winless in the Big 12 in 2007, but Briles thought a stadium would be necessary to take the next step toward becoming an elite football program.

Six Baylor football players have been invited to the 2014 NFL Draft Combine from Feb. 22-25 in Indianapolis, Ind. The six hope to join 10 other former Bears currently in the NFL by being selected in May’s 2014 NFL Draft in New York City. Baylor’s graduating class features two All-Americans and five All-Big 12 team members.

Baylor football announced Wednesday its high school Class of 2014 football signing class. Nineteen freshmen and four junior college transfers signed their National Letter of Intent to play at Baylor.

Baylor Stadium or McLane Stadium, the name attached to our new football field should not be the center of a debate on whether to ‘thank’ the McLane family.

As an observer sitting in the Student Senate meeting last Thursday, I was confounded as senior student senator Trenton Garza explained students’ view on this move to be somewhat “controversial” on the part of our university regents. Garza essentially argued that the bill, “thanking” the McLane family for their generous donation by using the McLane moniker on the stadium, should not be passed because the use of his namesake was not a condition of the McLane family’s philanthropic deed.

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.’

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.

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’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.

Baylor football has put together one of the best seasons in school history in 2013. For only the third time ever, Baylor has reached double-digit wins, and that is with a game left to go. The Bears also tied a school record by being ranked third overall in the Associated Press poll for the first time since 1953.

With history behind them, No. 9 Baylor football (10-1, 7-1) will look to match up with No. 25 University of Texas (8-3, 7-1) in the final game at Floyd Casey Stadium. With a win, Baylor can clinch a share of the Big 12 Championship for the first time in school history.

It’s going to be below freezing in stadium stands on Saturday, Baylor officials said, and this raises concern for the safety of Baylor football fans braving the storm.

The Weather Channel predicts a high of 26 degrees with a low of 23 for Waco on Saturday.

After going on sale Monday at 10 a.m., Baylor football gave out their full allotment of student tickets by 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. Student Activities reported selling out of student tickets after distributing a record 6,700 tickets on day one of student ticket sales.

For the fourth week in a row, Baylor faced a first-half deficit and lacked consistent production on offense. Unlike the previous week against Oklahoma State, Baylor’s defense was able to step up and make plays to lead No. 9 Baylor (10-1, 7-1) to a 41-38 victory over Texas Christian University (4-8, 2-7) on Saturday at Amon Carter Stadium in Fort Worth.

The No. 9 Baylor Bears escaped Fort Worth with a 41-38 win over TCU at Amon Carter Stadium on Saturday.

Baylor (10-1, 7-1) were on the ropes late in the fourth quarter with TCU (4-8, 2-7) trailing 41-38 with a chance to tie the Bears or take the lead in the final minute of the game.

From the Baylor 23-yard line, senior TCU quarterback Casey Pachall looked for a receiver near the goal line, but the ball was tipped and intercepted by sophomore safety Terrell Burt in the end zone to seal Baylor’s 41-38 victory and keep Baylor’s dream of a Big 12 championship alive.

The No. 4 Baylor Bears are perfect no more after the No. 10 Oklahoma State Cowboys upended the Bears 49-17 on Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla.

With the score knotted at 0-0 late in the first quarter, the tide of the game swung in Oklahoma State’s direction when Baylor junior quarterback Bryce Petty was racing for what looked like an easy touchdown, instead Petty tripped in the open field and stumbled untouched to the 1-yard line.