A Baylor Bear Dynasty

[boog23]

With the college football season right around the corner, I've decided to fire up bowl bound for another go around. I've always enjoyed this game, and have found that writing a dynasty has been the best way for me to get involved. I've simmed ahead three seasons to get a little history going. I've also decided to pick this up at the end of the season, meaning that my first actions will be with recruiting players, ala Lane Kiffin. So without further adu, here is the Baylor Bear dynasty.

 

Offseason Thoughts

 

 

Baylor has just come off a dismall season in which they went 4-8 under former coach, Art Briles. Briles had a, how can I put this nicely, less then stellar stay in Waco, posting a 13-23 record. We'll have our hands full in the Big 12. This team hasn't finished above last place in the South Division since the inception of this dynasty, so I've definately got some work to do.

 

Taking a look at the roster, I can see that we've got a lot of work to do. The only two players that I've got any sort of confidence in is wide reciever Michael Mcllheney (SR) and offensive guard Michael Drago (SR). We've got a couple of good young players, but they just aren't ready to compete at the Big 12 level yet. I'm gonna have to just go get the best available talent and plug them in where I think they can contribute. I haven't looked at the recruiting report yet. We've actually got a pretty good prestige going for us (46), so I'm kinda optomistic on who we can pull in.

 

As far as my coordinators go, I've decided to keep my offensive coordinator, Cotton Soliday. Although he's not the best at developing prospects, he's a superb game manager and motivator. Last year, with mediocre (and that's being kind) talent, he managed to pump out the 55th ranked offense in the nation. He runs a balanced offense, which isn't my cup of tea, but I guess I can live with it.

 

I've hired a new defensive coordinator. Curtis Randle is new to the game, with absolutely no experience, but I feel like he's got what it takes to eventually get his own head coaching job. He's a master motivator and is solid with game management. His specialty is the secondary, which is good for us considering we'll probably be giving up a lot of yards in the first season or two that we have.

 

Roosevelt Williams is another mainstay from the previous regime' that I feel can help us. Usually, when I come into a situation like this, I feel like it's best to keep some regularity from the previous year so the kids don't stress out with all the change. Williams really didn't have much to work with last year, so I'm gonna give him a chance with the players that I can get him.

 

 

Transfers

 

The pickings were thin, but I found a quarterback that I think can really help us. Mike Lemons was one of the more highly sought after quarterbacks in the Southeast last year, eventually landing at Tennessee. He's thought of as a mobile quarterback, which is something that we'll need with our dismall offensive line. Last year, in two games, he competed 16 of 32 passes for 262 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He'll redshirt this year, and then should come in and be our starting quarterback, barring a big get in recruiting.

 

 

Recruiting

 

We're gonna hit our homestate of Texas hard, and I mean hard. Of coarse, we'll always explore other avenues in terms of talent, but we want to try to keep the best in our homestate at home. We've got some really, really big competition though, with Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and TCU all pulling from the same area. Hell, even schools like Houston and Central Texas are gonna be after some of the same kids that we like. And that's just the in-state schools. I'm sure the major programs, I.E. Oklahoma, LSU and Florida will be trying to invade one of the most talent rich states in the nation.

 

 

Week 1

 

This is basically the scouting week for every school in the nation. Nobody ever signs after just one week. Like I said before, we're hitting the great state of Texas hard. With 15 scholarships available to us, I can't wait to see who we can pull in.

 

--- High Interest in us ---

 

Name: David Holman (FS)

Hometown: Plano, Texas (Plano)

Rank: #178 (#11 Position)

GPA: 3.9

Other Offers: None

 

Holman is a big time prospect that could do some serious things for us. He's got excellent instincts and is one of the hardest workers in the nation. With time, Holman should develope into one of the better tackling safeties in college. He would be a huge get for us.

 

 

Name: Willie Spagnola (RB)

Hometown: Houston, Texas (Lake Region State College, ND)

Rank: #316 (#31 Position)

GPA: 3.6

Other Offers: None

 

Willie is one of the better junior college players coming into the D-1 college ranks this year. Spagnola is one of the better receiving threats coming out of the backfield. He doesn't get huge chunks of yards, but he does score a lot of touchdowns, finishing his sophmore year with 20 on the ground. Willie would help us out right away.

 

 

Name: Victor Bednarik (FS / A)

Hometown: Tom Bean, Texas (Tom Bean)

Rank: #321 (#16 Position)

GPA: 3.5

Other Offers: None

 

Victor is almost the complete opposite of the type of player that Holman is. Victor is more physical while possessing more speed then Holman has. The one knock that I have on Bednarik is that he doesn't have the size that I like my safeties to have. Still, he's got some serious talent so I've offered the young man a spot on our roster.

 

 

Name: Laurence Brown (WR)

Hometown: Houston, Texas (Houston Lutheran Texas)

Rank: #324 (#34 Position)

GPA: 2.1

Other Offers: None

 

Brown has the size and speed to compete right away in the Big 12. Right now, he's probably more a possession reciever, but with his 4.39 forty time, Brown will certainly turn into a true burner with time. He's a true red zone threat, using his 6'6 size frame to his fullest advantage. We need Brown in town.

 

 

Name: Charley Davenport (CB)

Hometown: Chesaning, Michigan (Chesaning Union)

Rank: #429 (#41 Position)

GPA: 2.1

Other Offers: None

 

Davenport is a power house of a corner, standing only 5'9 and weighing in at 172 pounds but is this kid strong. How strong is he? He can bench an amazing 297 pounds. That's just crazy. He's got good instincts on where the ball is gonna be, meaning he's a ball hawk. He didn't produce huge interception numbers in high school, but I feel like he'd be nothing but a plus for him to be in our program.

 

 

Name: Walt Marinaro (WR)

Hometown: Silsbee, Texas (Silsbee)

Rank: #485 (#68 Position)

GPA: 3.6

Other Offers: None

 

It's certainly no secret that I like tall recievers. Walt certainly fits that bill. He's not as tall as Brown, but at 6'3, Marinaro still possesses some serious matchup problems for smaller corners. Right now, he's as raw as they come, but with time, he should become a really good receiver. His route running could use some serious fine tuning but his speed more then makes up for it. Brown is probably the better of the two right now, but Walt has a chance to be something special.

 

 

--- Medium Interest in us ----

 

Name: Jody Davis (FS / A)

Hometown: Knox City, Texas (Knox City)

Rank: #141 (#8 Position)

GPA: 2.5

Other Offers: None

 

Jody Davis is the type of prospect that can turn a program around quite quickly. He's one of the better blitzers from the safety spot that this recruiting class has to offer. He was a tackling machine in high school, and for my money, was even better at rushing the quarterback, gaining six sacks from the FS spot. He's got some solid skills on the offensive end as well, recording 51 catches his senior year. Still, I think FS is probably his best position. Depending on if we get him or not, he could be making a move to SS as well.

 

 

Name: Aaron Nitschke (DT)

Hometown: Corpus Christi, Texas (F.H. Moody)

Rank: #144 (#8 Position)

GPA: 3.3

Other Offers: Oklahoma State

 

In my honest opinion, I think that Aaron will be a long shot for us. He's got the size and speed to eventually become a dominant force on the defensive line. He's got a knack for being around the ball at all times, forcing an amazing five fumbles last year as a senior. Even more impressive is the way he gets after the quarterback, recording an amazing 12 sacks while compiling 15 tackles for loss. I would love to have Aaron in Waco, but like I said, I think it's gonna be a long shot.

 

 

Name: Doug McDonald (WR)

Hometown: Austin, Texas (North Dakota State College, ND)

Rank: #219 (#13 Position)

GPA: 2.5

Other Offers: Texas Tech, Texas A&M

 

Doug McDonald follows the trend that the other two receivers we are after have in common, they are all tall. McDonald measures in at 6'6 and 213 pounds with a 4.63 forty time. Of the three receivers that we're after, he's easily the most ready to compete now, with his previous two years being spent at the junior college ranks. With both Tech and A&M after him, this one I feel like is gonna be a real battle.

 

 

Name: Stacey Cunningham (CB)

Hometown: Cleburne, Texas (Cleburne)

Rank: #242 (#23 Position)

GPA: 3.3

Other Offers: None

 

Cunningham is probably gonna be the smallest guy that we go after, potentially ever. He's got good height on him, standing 5'11, but he's a bean pole, weighing in at 148 lean pounds. For such a small frame, he's actually very strong, able to bench over 100 pounds his own weight. He's got solid ball skills, recording four interceptions his senior year so we know that he possess good cover skills. Cunningham would be a solid addition for us.

 

 

Name: Jon Herring (DT)

Hometown: Three Rivers, Texas (Three Rivers)

Rank: #387 (#27 Position)

GPA: 2.3

Other Offers: None

 

Herring is easily the most attainable of the two d-tackles that we're after. He's got solid size to plug the middle and has a motor that never stops. Right now, he's slow as mallasus, but my coaching staff feels like he's the type of kid that will give enough effort to fix that small problem. Much like Nitschke, he's a ball hawk that always seems to be in the right place at the right time. We're gonna make a big push for this kid.

 

 

Name: Matt Jensen

Hometown: Farris, Texas (Ferris)

Rank: #224 (#12 Position)

GPA: 2.1

Other Offers: Texas A&M

 

Matt Jensen is the type of prospect that we would love to have at Baylor, yet is probably goona end up at A&M. He's a tackling machine while also adapt at playing at rushing the quarterback with the best of them. For being such a good pass rusher, he also possess some rather good covering skills. He's got good speed and size so he would fit in well with either the 4-3 or 3-4 defense. Jensen is gonna be a battle to the end, in my opinion.

 

 

Name: Marques Schroeder ©

Hometown: Wortham, Texas (Ranger)

Rank: #253 (#10 Position)

GPA: 3.4

Other Offers: Iowa, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M

 

Schroeder is easily one of the most sought after prospects in the entire state of Texas. He has a bit of a weight problem though, currently being listed as 10 pounds over his preferred playing weight. I look at that in a couple of different ways. Either the prospect is lazy, which I don't think is the case, or two, he just needs a good weight program, which we can definately provide. The guy has all the potential in the world. Hopefully, he realizes it while playing in Waco.

 

 

Name: Frank Pleasant (CB)

Hometown: Flower Mound, Texas (Marcus)

Rank: #255 (#25 Position)

GPA: 2.5

Other Offers: None

 

Pleasant is one of those guys that is flying under the radar at the moment. He's got the cover skills to, eventually in my coaches point of view, shut down one whole side of the field. With time and development, he I feel like he will probably become one of the elite corners in whatever league that he's in. That's how high I am on this guy. He's definately on the short side, but he's got a knack for being around the ball. This is one of the few prospects that I really want at Baylor.

 

 

Name: Jeff Nelson (SS)

Hometown: Merkel, Texas (Merkel)

Rank: #269 (#12 Position)

GPA: 2.3

Other Offers: None

 

We continue our run on players for the secondary. Nelson doesn't possess the greatest speed ever seen for a safety, but he more then makes up for it with his never say die attitude. He wasn't a huge interception guy in high school, but he does possess some really good cover skills. He's got an understanding of the game that not many players have. I would love to have Nelson join us at Baylor.

 

 

Those are the fifteen scholarship players that we've offered. I know that we won't get all of them, but in a perfect world, I would love to get 70% of them. Like I said before, we're weak at just about every position on the football field, so getting any of these guys would be a big get for us.

 

 

--- Players Visiting Baylor ---

 

Both Davenport and Marinaro are among a group of five that are coming to see what we have to offer here at Baylor.

[boog23]

Recruiting

 

Week 2

 

Nothing of real note has happened yet. It never does. With the prospects we're after, I don't anticipate a good majority of them to commit for at least another week or two (closer to two). That is except for Marques Schroeder ©. With so many offers, I wouldn't be suprised for him to make a decision next week.

 

I did have some money for this week and went ahead and recruited some "back up" recruits. If the need arises to offer them, which some of them will probably be offered, I'll deal with that then. Until then though, I'm going with who I originally offered.

 

We do have some news on some of the players interests in us. Pretty much the only prospects that aren't high on us are Schroeder and McDonald. Everyone is in the high catagory. Good news for us.

 

 

--- Players Visiting Baylor ---

 

We've got five players that we've offered coming to town this week. Cunningham, Pleasant, Spagnola, Nelson and Bednarik are all coming for a visit.

 

 

 

Week 3

 

We've got some bad news this week. Like I suspected, Schroeder went ahead and committed elsewhere. Here's what happened:

 

Players recruited that committed to other schools

C Marques Schroeder - Oklahoma

 

That really doesn't suprise me. The rich get richer, especially in this case. What's even worse, he went to a team in our conference. And worse yet, in our own damn division. God, that certainly does suck. Oh well, we need to fill that lone scholarship, so I'll get busy doing it now.

 

 

Name: Henry Ferguson (OLB)

Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas (All Saints Episcopal)

Rank: #455 (#35 Position)

GPA: 3.9

Other Offers: None

 

Ferguson is a balanced linebacker, something that we need right now. He tackles well, rushes the quarterback and is good in coverage. He's the type of backer that every coach in the nation loves. He's got good speed and has the frame that he should fill out quite nicely. He does whatever a coach asks for him, something that I absolutely love. The more and more I think about the prospect of having Ferguson in Waco, the more I salivate about the future.

 

 

Aaron Nitschke has picked up an offer from Iowa of the Big 10 and Colorado of the Big 12. The impossible act just got that much more difficult, meaning the signing of Nitschke. Doug McDonald also picked up an offer from the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Outside of those two, there weren't anyone that picked up any other offers.

 

 

We've pitched a good majority of the prospects that we're after. That's good for us. Out of the fifteen prospects we're after, there are only three that are being offered by other schools. I'm feeling confident so far in how recruiting is going for us.

 

 

--- Players Visiting Baylor ---

 

 

Nitschke, Holman, Jensen, Brown and Herring are all coming to town. This is actually a big week for us, considering that the three players that are being offered by other schools are in this bunch. We need a good showing, for sure.

 

 

Week 4

 

Much like last week, we have absolutely no prospects coming to Baylor. But unlike last week, nobody has committed elsewhere, so I'm feeling good about our chances right now.

 

 

Every recruit we're after now is in the "high interest" catagory. That's awesome news for us. I like when prospect that I like have interest. That's usually a good sign.

 

 

We have pitched damn near every prospect we're after. Hopefully, with a little luck, we'll get a little movement next week.

 

--- Players Visiting Baylor ---

 

Davis, Ferguson and McDonald are among the group of five that are coming to Waco this week.

 

 

Week 5

 

Some more bad news came today. We lost out on a couple of prospects that I knew were gonna be tough to get. Here's what happened:

 

Players recruited that committed to other schools

OLB Cory Ladd - Colorado

DT Aaron Nitschke - Oklahoma State

WR Doug McDonald - Texas A&M

 

Losing out on both Nitschke and McDonald hurt, more so Nitschke though. We've got a ton of receivers that are interested in us but we're gonna be kinda scarse on the defensive line. Oh well, you can't fall in love with them until they sign on the dotted line. I've got a little work to do now.

 

 

Name: David Harbaugh (DE / A)

Hometown: Maquoketa, Iowa (Dodge City CC, Kansas)

Rank: #370 (#25 Position)

GPA: 2.4

Other Offers: None

 

For a defensive end, this guy can really motor. He stands 6'1 and weighs 264 pounds while running a 4.62 forty. His athletic ability is what really shines through when you talk about Harbaugh. He's not the biggest guy. His football IQ isn't the best, but they guy can make plays. He's big enough that I would entertain the idea of switching him to defensive tackle if worse comes to worse. But first things first. We've got to get him on campus first.

 

 

Name: Jeff Bailey (WR)

Hometown: Richardson, Texas (Lake Highlands)

Rank: #297 (#30 Position)

GPA: 2.1

Other Offers: UNLV

 

Bailey does one thing really, really well. He catches the ball. He's a big time play maker that can stretch the field with the long ball. He's not a big receiver, standing only 6'0 but he's a real burner with 4.47 forty speed. For his high school team, he was also a pretty good rushing option, carrying a 7 yard average. The dude just needs the ball in his hands. If he were to come to Baylor, I'm sure we could find a few ways to get the ball in his hands.

 

 

--- Players Visiting Baylor ---

 

Nobody that we've offered is coming to visiti this week. We'll just have a bunch of backup prospects in so they can get a look in case we need to offer a couple of them.

[boog23]

Recruiting

 

 

Week 6

 

 

Well, we had a little movement this week. Some good and some bad. Here's what happened:

 

Players committing to Baylor

CB Charley Davenport

 

Players recruited that committed to other schools

OLB Matt Jensen - Texas A&M

DE Na'il Vincent - Texas Christian

 

 

Charley Davenport should help our secondary right away. Losing out on Jensen hurts, but we've still got a scholarship out there for a OLB, so all is not lost. Still, we can't dwell on the past so I'll look to the future and who to give this remaining scholarship to.

 

 

Name: Jeremy Lindsey (OG)

Hometown: Lufkin, Texas (Lufkin)

Rank: #99 (#9 Position)

GPA: 3.3

Other Offers: Iowa, Kansas State, Texas, Texas A&M

 

Lindsey has got all the tools to be a stud offensive lineman in the not so distant future. He's got the technique down pat. He's also got some good quickness off the ball. The one thing that is a knock against him is that he needs to gain some strength, but that will come with time. I see absolutely no reason why Jeremey Lindsey shouldn't eventually be a all whoever performer when all is said and done.

 

 

---- Players Visiting Baylor ---

 

We've got a couple of scholarship players coming in this week. Newly offered offensive guard, Jeremy Lindsey is coming along with wideout Jeff Bailey. The other three are just backup recruits. We need a big week next week though, so hopefully things go well.

 

 

Week 7

 

We finally got a little movement this week. We picked up a really big recruit for us, so I'm pretty excited. Here's what went down:

 

Players committing to Baylor

FS Jody Davis

WR Walt Marinaro

 

Players recruited that committed to other schools

OG Jeremy Lindsay - Kansas State

SS Jeff Nelson - Missouri

WR Michael Ferguson - Iowa State

CB Lloyd Nance - North Carolina

 

 

Jody Davis is the highest prospect that I can remember Baylor ever getting in this dynasty. The guy is a true stud. He'll fit in right away in the secondary in some way or another. Walt Marinaro is gonna provide depth at the wideout position. We lost out on a couple of players, so I've got to get goining on offering them.

 

 

Name: Vince Guliford (OLB)

Hometown: McAllen, Texas (McAllen)

Rank: #366 (#26 Position)

GPA: 3.4

Other Offers: Texas Tech, West Virginia

 

Vince is a ball of fire, no doubt about it. He's always on the go. He's relatively raw when, but his work ethic is second to none. He's got good speed, making him even that more impressive looking. His sideline to sideline speed is outstanding, but right now, he misses a lot of tackles that should be made. Still, with time, I feel like he can become on the the better linebackers in whatever league that he goes in.

 

 

Name: John Covert (SS)

Hometown: Sunray, Texas (Sunray)

Rank: #381 (#20 Position)

GPA: 2.2

Other Offers: None

 

John Covert has been labled a ball hawk for a very good reason. He's always around it. He didn't have any his senior year, but that's because high school teams just wouldn't throw the ball his way. He had 12 pass breakups, so he was a phenominal center fielder for his high school team. His tackling could use a little work, but like most recruits, with time, that should only get better.

 

As I look through our reports, I see that a number of recruits have picked up other offers from schools. David Holman has picked up three more offers, all from Big 12 schools, cornerbacks Stacey Cunningham and Frank Pleasant both have multiple offers, Willie Spagnola has picked up another offer from Missouri and Jon Herring picked up a couple of offers. Recruiting is starting to get real serious for us, so we'll see how the next couple of weeks plays out for us.

 

 

---Players Visiting Baylor ---

 

Harbaugh, the junior college defensive end, is among the group of five that is coming for a visit. Hopefully, he likes what he sees.

 

 

Week 8

 

This was a HUGE weekend for us. Sure, we lost out on a couple of players, but boy, did we hit the motherload. Here's what happened:

 

Players committing to Baylor

FS David Holman

CB Stacey Cunningham

CB Frank Pleasant

FS Victor Bednarik

WR Laurence Brown

DT Jon Herring

RB Willie Spagnola

OLB Henry Ferguson

 

Players recruited that committed to other schools

DT Jim Roderick - Texas A&M

DT Dick Alford - Oklahoma State

OT Muhsin Bouman - Nebraska

DE David Harbaugh - Iowa State

WR Jeff Bailey - Nevada-Las Vegas

OLB Vince Guliford - West Virginia

 

Sure, we lost out on a couple of guys we were high on, but would you look at the hull that we pulled in! Our secondary is set for the next four years in my eyes. We've signed three free safeties so far, with Jody Davis probably gonna get moved to strong safety so that either Holman or Bednarik can move into the FS spot. Still though, we picked up both cornerbacks we were after, a linebacker that we love, the defensive tackle that we needed, Laurence Brown, who will should start right away and Spagnola, who will definately start next year. This was easily the best week of my young tenure here so far. Still, we lost out on three players, so I'll have to fil those scholarships now.

 

 

Name: Jamal Whittingham (DE)

Hometown: Silsbee, Texas (Silsbee)

Rank: #470 (#29 Position)

GPA: 3.9

Other Offers: None

 

Whittingham is someone that I feel is flying under the radar that a year or two down the line, coaches around the nation will be saying, how didn't we know about this guy? Jamal has the combination of speed that strength that every defensive end needs. For such a large guy, Jamal is suprisingly agile that not many his size possess. We need Jamal.

 

 

Name: Gabe Carswell ©

Hometown: Monogahela, Pennsylvania (Alfred State, New York)

Rank: #339 (#15 Position)

GPA: 3.7

Other Offers: None

 

Carswell is the second player from outside the Great Plains that we're after. Gabe right now is as raw as they come. He needs to work on his footwork. He needs to work on his agility. He needs to work on his speed. Coaches around though think that these are all things that are easily corrected, especially for someone that works so hard. The one thing that he does possess is strength. The dude is strong. I would love for him to fine tune those things at Baylor.

 

 

Name: Henry Avery (OG)

Hometown: Harlingen, Texas (Harlingen)

Rank: #912 (#65 Position)

GPA: 2.1

Other Offers: None

 

In no way shape or form is Avery ready to go against the elite defensive lineman that are in the Big 12, but my coaches think that with time, Avery will be able to hold his own. He's got good power right now, but he's a bit slow off the line. He's a better pass protector then run at the moment, but with time, we feel like Avery will be adaquete in both areas. We'll take a flyer on Henry here.

 

 

--- Players Visiting Baylor ----

 

We don't have any scholarship players coming in this week, so we'll just have a bunch of backup players in.

 

 

Week 9

 

Well, damn, that week sucked. We didn't get anyone. Worse yet, we lost out on a couple of prospects. Here's what happened:

 

Players recruited that committed to other schools

FS Shaun Jodat - Iowa

SS John Covert - Nebraska

C Gabe Carswell - Louisiana State

DE Terry Newman - Colorado

OLB Jamar Holston - Kansas

 

The one thing that I can say is that at least Carswell went to a different conference. Covert did go to a rival in the Big 12, so we'll be seeing plenty of that kid. But now, we've got two scholarships to fill so I'll get at it now.

 

 

Name: Woodley Phillips (OT)

Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas (Castleberry)

Rank: #664 (#44 Position)

GPA: 3.8

Other Offers: Kansas State, Texas

 

This one is gonna be a uphill battle. Anytime you have Texas going after a guy, you know your back is up against the wall. Still though, we've been recruiting Phillips for a while now so he knows that we like him. Woodley is a massive mound of a man, standing 6'8 and weighing in at 308 pounds. He's got the speed and agility that has college coaches salivating about. Phillips has what it takes to become a big time player for Baylor. All he has to do is committ.

 

 

Name: Bob Taylor (SS)

Hometown: Eddy, Texas (Bruceville - Eddy)

Rank: #385 (#21 Position)

GPA: 3.6

Other Offers: Texas, Texas A&M

 

You may ask, why another player that lives in the secondary? The way I see it, our defensive line isn't as strong right now, so we'll need all the air support that we can get. Bob is a really, really tall safety, standing at 6'3 but he's got some speed so he won't get blown past by quicker receivers. He's got good hands, picking off three passes his senior year in high school, and is a pretty good pass rusher. With time, coaches feel like he will become a superb pass rusher. Much like Phillips, he's being recruited by more prestiges schools in Texas, so hopefully he'lll want to be apart of a rebuilding process to get Baylor to a prominant level.

 

 

--- Players Visiting Baylor ---

 

Whittington and Taylor highlight the group of players coming for a visit this week. We need a good showing because next week is the final week to try to get a player before National Signing Day.

 

 

Week 10

 

Well, damn, that didn't go very well. I'm not gonna dwell on it so here it is:

 

Players recruited that committed to other schools

WR Anthony Baker - Kansas State

SS Bob Taylor - Texas

OT Woodley Phillips - Texas

OLB Bryan Gedney - Oklahoma State

WR Wayne Oakes - Air Force

 

That certainly sucks. We lost both players to Texas. AHHHH. Oh well, this is the last week so recruit so all is not lost. I'll hurry up and find a couple of players that hopefully want to be in Waco to play for the Bears.

 

 

Name: Joe Smith (WR)

Hometown: Carrollton, Texas (Carrollton Christian Academy)

Rank: #531 (#76 Position)

GPA: 3.3

Other Offers: None

 

Joe is someone that we think can eventually turn into a good number two receiver for us. He's got some size, standing 6'1, and he's got some speed, running a 4.51 forty. He's actually a pretty good run blocker, something that our other committs can't boast right now. His hands aren't where they should be right now, but with time, they should be a assett for us. He just needs a little time to develope, that's all.

 

 

Name: Larry Carter (OLB / A)

Hometown: Bridgeport, Texas (Bridgeport)

Rank: #760 (#58 Position)

GPA: 2.6

Other Offers: None

 

Larry is somewhat of a perfectionist, meaning that he thinks that he can always get better. He's got ideal speed, strength and size that you love your linebackers to have. He's versatile enough to play both inside and outside linebacker, something that we desperately need right now. Right now, he's a pretty good run stopper, but with time, coaches think he's got a chance to be one of the best in that catagory. We really like Larry.

 

 

--- Players Visiting Baylor ---

 

Henry Avery leads the group of five that is coming to Waco for the final visit of the recruiting cycle. This is it folks. We need all the luck we can get.

 

 

 

National Signing Day

 

Success! We managed to fill all our scholarships. Here's what happened leading up to this day:

 

Players committing to Baylor

WR Joe Smith

DE Jamal Whittington

OLB Larry Carter

OG Henri Avery

 

I think we had a pretty successful class. We made strides by leaps and bounds that I think have us headed in the right direction. Here's a full list of prospects that we were able to get:

 

The following recruits ended up coming to Baylor:

 

FS David Holman, 4-stars

Plano (Plano, TX)

National Rank: 178, Regional: 36, Position: 11

 

RB Willie Spagnola, 4-stars

Lake Region State College (ND), Houston, TX, HS - TX

National Rank: 316, Regional: 70, Position: 31

 

FS Victor Bednarik, 4-stars

Tom Bean (Tom Bean, TX)

National Rank: 321, Regional: 71, Position: 16

 

WR Laurence Brown, 4-stars

Houston Lutheran North (Houston, TX)

National Rank: 324, Regional: 72, Position: 34

 

FS Jody Davis, 4-stars

Knox City (Knox City, TX)

National Rank: 141, Regional: 30, Position: 8

 

CB Stacey Cunningham, 4-stars

Cleburne (Cleburne, TX)

National Rank: 242, Regional: 56, Position: 23

 

DT Jon Herring, 4-stars

Three Rivers (Three Rivers, TX)

National Rank: 387, Regional: 85, Position: 27

 

CB Frank Pleasant, 4-stars

Marcus (Flower Mound, TX)

National Rank: 255, Regional: 58, Position: 25

 

CB Charley Davenport, 3-stars

Chesaning Union (Chesaning, MI)

National Rank: 429, Regional: 81, Position: 41

 

WR Walt Marinaro, 3-stars

Silsbee (Silsbee, TX)

National Rank: 485, Regional: 102, Position: 68

 

WR Joe Smith, 3-stars

Carrollton Christian Academy (Carrollton, TX)

National Rank: 531, Regional: 113, Position: 76

 

OLB Larry Carter, 3-stars

Bridgeport (Bridgeport, TX)

National Rank: 760, Regional: 156, Position: 58

 

OLB Henry Ferguson, 3-stars

All Saints Episcopal (Fort Worth, TX)

National Rank: 455, Regional: 99, Position: 35

 

DE Jamal Whittington, 3-stars

Silsbee (Silsbee, TX)

National Rank: 470, Regional: 101, Position: 29

 

OG Henri Avery, 3-stars

Harlingen (Harlingen, TX)

National Rank: 912, Regional: 189, Position: 65

 

 

To the people in Waco, this is a huge recruiting class for us. In the talent rich state of Texas, we were able to haul in the number 19 and 23 ranked players in the whole state. That's pretty damn good for a program that was 4-8. We finally got some players that I think we can build apon. We got a little bit of everything with this class. The only thing that is kinda bothering me is that we didn't pick up a quarterback. I know we picked up a transfer from Tennessee, but I would have liked to get one here. There just weren't any that I thought could help us. Oh well, we'll go forward with what we have.

 

 

Training Camp

 

I'm letting my coaches handle this aspect.

[boog23]

Preseason Tasks / Depth Chart

 

Word coming into the office is that our class was one of the best in the country. Thirteeth best to be exact. That's how we get the program better on the field. We need to be able to get the players that can compete.

 

We don't have a ton of money, so we'll stick with mainly scouting the Great Plains area. We'll use the National Prep service because, well, we're pretty limited fund wise. Just a quick look on how things are shaping up, it's gonna be another down year with quarterbacks and running backs while the defensive line should be stellar this recruiting season yet again.

 

 

I've talked our offensive and defensive philosophies over with my coordinators and have come to a conclusion. On offense, we're gonna keep it simple and use the Smash Mouth formation. We're really weak at the quarterback position, so keeping it on the ground as much as possible is probably gonna be the best bet for us this year.

 

On defense, we're gonna go a unconfentional way and play with the 3-3-5 defense. With all the secondary players that we picked up in recruiting, it's the best way to get our best players on the field. This will also give us a better chance against the pass. We won't get the best pass rush, but with five defensive backs on the field, we'll be able to match up with other teams.

 

 

Schedule

 

Week 1: @ Akron

Week 2: @ Buffalo

Week 3: @ Central Texas

Week 4: @ Ball State

Week 5: Iowa State

Week 6: #20 Texas A&M

Week 7: @ #5 Oklahoma

Week 8: @ Oklahoma State

Week 9: #17 Texas Tech

Week 10: @ # 2 Texas

Week 11: @ #15 Missour

Week 12: Kansas State

Week 13: Open

Week 14: Open

Week 15: Open

 

I didn't set this schedule. When I looked, I had all 12 games set. I've only got four home games, with two of them against top 25 teams. We need to get off on a good note with our first four games. If we can do that, I feel like we've got a chance to be a .500 club this year.

 

 

Depth Chart

 

 

Quarterback

 

Otis Nelson gets the nod here, only because he has the most experience. Last year, he completed 37.5% of his passes for 1805 yards with 7 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. That's why we're gonna be a running team. Levon Moore will be his backup, and almost certainly see plenty of playing time.

 

 

Halfback

 

Junior college recuit Willie Spagnola is definately gonna get the nod here. He's got good speed and good instincts, so we'll roll with him. Kris Comella will be his primary backup. Comella rushed for 719 yards and two touchdowns last year while getting the majority of the work.

 

 

Fullback

 

Freddie Lane is really our only viable option here. He's actually a pretty solid player, gaining Big 12 first team honors last year. We need him to have another season like that again.

 

 

Wide Receivers

 

Senior wideout Michael Mcllheney is back for his final year after being named third team Big 12. The senior is gonna have to to lead by example because there's a couple of youngsters behind him. Freshman Joe Smith is gonna start the year at flanker while fellow freshman Walt Marinaro will back up both positions. Sophmore Spencer Kriewaldt and freshman Laurence Brown will also see playing time this year.

 

 

Tight End

 

Outside of quarterback, this is easily the weakest position on offense. Senior Greg Garner will be the starter for us. Redshirt Freshman Lee McPhail will be the other tight end if we run a two tight end set. Both will be primarily used as blockers.

 

 

Tackles

 

Senior Gordie Peterson will man the left tackle spot while sophmore Gary Carr will man the right side. Neither were very good last year, but they're the best that we have right now. Redshirt sophmore Chris Sams will be the primary backup to both positions.

 

 

Guards

 

Senior Ron Dragon will be leaned apon pretty heavily to help anchor this inexpierenced line that we have. He started all 12 games last year, letting up only one sack. We need another season like that from him. Freshman Henri Avery will man the other side. He's raw right now, but we don't have anyone else. Tony Lake will be the primary backup.

 

 

Center

 

We have absolutely no expierence coming back, so senior Pat Grantham is gonna get the nod. He's not good, but then again, neither is any of our other options.

 

 

Defensive End

 

Senior Derrick Johnston is back and ready to go. He started 10 games last year and finished the year with three sacks. True freshman Jamal Whittington will get the chance to play on the left side of the line. James Wise will be the primary backup to both, which is pretty good. Wise started 11 games last year and actually had more sacks then Derrick Johnston (4). I actually like our depth here.

 

 

Defensive Tackle

 

True freshman Jon Herring will get the nod here. He's a big guy, at 291 pounds, so I think he'll be able to stand up pretty good to double teams. Junior Chris Schmidt will be the primary backup. Schmidt finished last year with two sacks in only six games. We need big things out of Herring though.

 

 

Inside Linebacker

 

Sophmore John Reed will start the year at the inside backer spot. Last years starter, Max Banks will see a lot of time as well. Reed gets the nod over backs because of his coverage skills and his pass rushing skills. Still though, I'm not very comfortable with either.

 

 

Outside Linebackers

 

Senior Stephon Brinson will get the nod at weakside backer. He started all 12 games last year, finishing with 57 tackles and one sack. True freshman Henry Ferguson will get the spot at the strongside, so he'll have to battle through other teams tight ends. Junior David James will be the primary backup for both spots.

 

 

Cornerbacks

 

Redshirt sophmore Larry Mirse is back for another go around. Last year, he started all 12 games and finished the year with two picks. Freshman Stacey Cunningham gets the nod on the other side of the field. Fellow freshman Frank Pleasant will see plenty of time as well.

 

 

Free Safety

 

Freshman David Holman gets the nod here. Fellow freshman Jody Davis and Victor Bednarik will also see time here. We are very, very young here so this could be a long year for us.

 

 

Strong Safety

 

Third team Big 12 SS last year, Leonard Wilkerson is back for another year. The dude was crazy last year, finishing with with 110 tackles last year in all 12 games. Outside of him, we have absolutely nobody to back him up.

 

 

Nickleback

 

Freshman Jody Davis will get the nod here, just so we can get him on the field. [v]Victor Bednarik[/b] will be his backup. We need big play from both Davis and Bednarik this year for us to have any kind of success.

 

 

Kicker

 

J.D. Beasley is gonna get the nod. He's a solid kicker, making 15-19 field goals last year.

 

 

Punter

 

D'Wayne Benjamin will be the man. He didn't kick last year, so we're kinda going into the one blind.

[boog23]

Week 1

 

 

Baylor 38 , Akron 13

 

This was a good first win for us. Well actually, any win is a good win for us these days.

 

Stat wise, we should have gotten blown out. We gave up 454 yards to our 296. They had 22 first downs to our 17. They ran more plays then we did, thus controlling the ball more. What we had going for us though was we were able to make the big play when we needed to.

 

We were bit hard on the injury front this game, especially at the quarterback position. Our third string quarterback, Scott Torgeson, had to take the helm for us today. He was as good as I could have ever hoped, completing 12 of 24 passes for 218 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Otis Smith threw one pass, which was picked off. What a surprise. Maybe we need to give the other two guys a look.

 

Our running game really didn't show up. Willie Spagnola was just ok against mediocer competition. 75 yards on 22 carries really isn't much to be proud of. He did have a good game receiving though, catching three passes for 53 yards and a touchdown. Now that I think about it, that's a pretty good debut.

 

Michael Mcllhaney was solid for us, catching four catches for 98 yards and a touchdown. Spencer Kriewaldt had a solid game, catching three passes for 54 yards. Tight end Greg Garner chipped in with two catches for 13 yards, but he had the final touchdown.

 

We had a couple of big plays on defense. Cornerback Larry Mirse picked off a pass and took it back 70 yards for a score. Later in the game, he also picked up a fumble and returned it 25 yards to set up one of our touchdowns. The other big play came from freshman linebacker Henry Ferguson. Akron was close to scoring and had marched it all the way down to our two yard line when Ferguson picked up a fumble and returned it all the way for a touchdown. For the record, that was a 98 yard return. He finished the game with 10 tackles and also had a interception. A pretty good debut if you ask me.

 

Victor Bednacik had a huge game, recording 12 tackles and two pass deflections. Larry Wilkerson had a big game as well, recording eight tackles and one caused fumble. David Holman also caused a fumble to go along with eight tackles. Jamal Whittington had his first collegiant sack in this one as well.

 

This was a good first win for us. I mean, it was ugly, but then again, a win is a win. We need to continue to build apon this and look to the future.

 

 

Week 2

 

 

Baylor 17 , Buffalo 14

 

Boy, it's gonna be a long year. We just barely squeaked out this one. If it weren't for a massive third quarter by Spencer Kriewaldt, we would have surely lost this one.

 

Scott Torgeson went the whole way for us, completing 14 of 35 passes for a very impressive 314 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. The 314 yards are very impressive, but he's got to cut down on the picks for us to be successful.

 

Our rushing game was virtually non existant, which is kinda frustrating considering we're suppose to be a running team this year. Willie Spagnola really has been a little bit of a let down. This game, he only gained 79 yards on 32 attempts which is 2.47 yards per attempt. That's got to improve for us to have a chance this year.

 

Spencer Kriewaldt made all the plays for us today. He finished the day with only four catches, but had 99 yards with two touchdown catches. Walt Marinaro was even more impressive, catching four passes for 133 yards. Willie Spagnola had two catches for 47 yards, so at least he's producing as a threat out of the backfield.

 

Leonard Wilkerson was a beast in this one, finishing with eight tackles and four run stuffs. Fellow safety Victor Bedancik had almost an equally good game, finishing with eight tackles and two run stuffs. Freshman linebacker Henry Ferguson chipped in with six tackles and two run stuffs. David James, the other outside linebacker, had a pick in this one to go along with two tackles.

 

We had a real tough time in this one. We've got two more games that we need to come away with some wins so we can head into Big 12 play with a little momentum. Up next is Central Texas, who we should beat but you never know. Should be fun to see though.

[boog23]

Week 3

 

 

Baylor 23 , Central Texas 10

 

This was a good game all the way around for us. We were dominate in almost every way that you can, offense, defense and special teams. We had more passing yards, more rushing yards, held them to 3 of 15 on third down attempts. The score may not reflect it, but we were pretty dominant in this one.

 

Scott Torgeson was solid in his third straight game for us, completing 16 of 31 for 199 yards with two touchdowns and one pick. The dude has been as steady as I could have ever hoped, especially since he wasn't even in the top two of our preseason depth chart.

 

Willie Spagnola really struggled in this one (like he hasn't all season long), gaining only 57 yards on 33 attempts. I don't know what his problem is. He gets all the oppurtunites in the world, yet just can seem to break through. Backup Kris Comella had a big game for us, rushing for 67 yards on only six attempts. That's what we need. If Spagnola is gonna struggle, Comella needs to step up.

 

Freshman Joe Smith had his best game of his young career, hauling in his first two passes of his career for 69 yards and a touchdown. Senior Michael Mcllheney had a solid game, making five catches for 41 yards. Freshman Walt Marinaro had a good game as well, hauling in two passes for 41 yards with a score. Spagnola chipped in with four catches for 25 yards.

 

Henry Ferguson lead us on defense yet again, racking up eight tackles and two run stuffs. Freshman safety David Hollman had a big game for us as well, recording five tackles, forcing two fumbles and had two pass deflections. David James had his second big game in a row, registering seven tackles and a sack. Freshman cornerback Frank Pleasant had his best game of his young career, finishing with five tackles and two pass deflections.

 

I usually don't talk about special teams, but kicker J.D. Beasley was really, really big in this one for us. The junior kicker was perfect for the day, hitting all three of his field goal attempts, with a long of 40 yards, while hitting both extra point attempts. His 11 points were huge for us.

 

Although I know that a win over Central Texas isn't anything to get excited about, I think that this win has us going in the right direction. I knew coming into the league that we would struggle offensively, but I had no idea that our defense would be this good. The young guys are coming to play every week. I love what I'm seeing out of them. The future is looking bright at Baylor.

 

 

Week 4

 

 

Baylor 20, Ball State 3

 

Willie Spagnola finally had the game that I knew he was capable of doing. We won this one because of his play, period. Our defense was good. We got "OK" quarterback play, but if it weren't for our junior halfback, we would have been in deep do do.

 

Scott Torgeson did enough to just squeak out the win, completing 16 of 31 passes for 192 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. That's not great play, but compared with last year, that's a 100% turn around, so in that aspect, I couldn't be happier.

 

Now onto the man of the game, Willie Spagnola. We recuited him to be a every down back, which we've been giving him the oppurtunity to do. Well, he finally broke out with a game we knew he was capable of doing, rushing for 146 yards on 31 rushing attempts, equivilant of a 4.71 average. Backup Kris Comella was big once again. He didn't have a huge game yardage wise, only gaining 21 yards on seven attempts, but he did have the lone rushing touchdown. This was a good game for the halfbacks.

 

Not only was Spagnola huge in the running game, but he also had a huge game receiving, catching four passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. The dude was huge for us today. Little used redshirt freshman tight end Lee McPhail had six catches for 67 yards. Joe Smith had his second game with two receptions, totaling 30 yards.

 

We had a good mixture of players shake it up on defense for us. Derrick Johnston, our senior defensive end, recorded three tackles and two sacks. Henry Ferguson had six tackles and a sack. David Holman also finished with six tackles but he had a pick in this one. Freshman defensive end Jamal Whittington had maybe his best game of his career, recording two tackles, one sack and a forced fumble. Fellow freshman Jon Herring recorded his first collegiate sack in this one as well.

 

We finished the non conference season with a perfect 4-0 record, which is all I could have ever asked from the guys. Now, onto the brutal rigors of probably the most competitive league in the nation, the Big 12. I'm a realistic man, knowing that we're probably gonna finish last in the conference, but hopefully we'll be able to sneak up on a few teams.

[boog23]

Week 5

 

 

Baylor: 30 , Iowa State: 25

 

Big, big win for us today! I know that Iowa State is at the bottom of the totum pole when it comes to Big 12 play, but anytime you open up conference play with a win, you've got to like it. Our play wasn't the greatest, and that's being kind, but when we needed a big play, we got it.

 

Scott Torgeson was solid for us, yet again. He completed 17 of 30 for 208 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. I know I complain about the picks from time to time, but at this point in the season, he's actually got more touchdown passes then interceptions, so he's doing pretty good for a redshirt freshman.

 

Our rushing attack was held in check, except for one play that I'll talk about in a minute. Our feature back, Willie Spagnola, came crashing down to earth after his monster game against Ball State, finishing with 39 yards on 21 carries. Our one big play didn't come from a running back, but from a true freshman receiver. Walt Marinaro had his first career rushing attempt turn into a 37 yard touchdown. Marinaro wasn't done there though, as you'll find out.

 

Marinaro then came out and had an outstanding game receiving, hauling in five catches for 106 yards and a touchdown. We won this one because of him. Possession receiver Spencer Kriewaldt returned from a one game suspension and produced like usual, finishing with six catches for 58 yards. Michael Mcllheney was like a rock yet again, finishing with five catches for 51 yards. Lee McPhail made a impact for the second game in a row, catching a three yard touchdown pass, his only catch of the game.

 

Corner Larry Madise had a big day, recording three tackles, three pass deflections and intercepting a pass, that he took back 61 yards for a score. That's his second returned interception for a touchdown this year. Victor Bednarik walked away with the player of the game honor, recording a game high 11 tackles, two run stuffs and a interception. Henry Ferguson was equally impressive, recording nine tackles and a sack while his counterpart at outside linebacker, David James, wasn't far behind with eight tackles and a sack. Jamel Whittington had a huge game for us as well, finishing with four tackles and two sacks.

 

I can't stress how important this win was for us. This brings us to five wins already, more then last year's mark of four. If we can somehow sneak up on just one more opponent, we'll be bowl eligable with our sixth win of the year, but it's not gonna be easy. The rest of the schedule is pretty much a murders row of power houses. We'll have to be on our "A" game from here on out.

 

 

Season Stats Through Week 5

 

 

Passing

 

Scott Torgeson: 5 games / 75 - 151 (49.7%) / 10 TD / 9 INT

 

 

Rushing

 

Willie Spagnola: 5 games / 139 attempts / 396 yards / 79.2 yards a game / 0 TD

Kris Comella: 5 games / 27 attempts / 134 yards / 26.8 yards a game / 1 TD

Fred Lang: 5 games / 5 attempts / 35 yards / 7 yards a game / 0 TD

 

 

Receiving

 

Willie Spagnola: 5 games / 15 catches / 223 yards / 44.6 yards per game / 2 TD

Spencer Kriewaldt: 4 games / 15 catches / 219 yards / 54.8 yards per game / 2 TD

Michael Mcllheney: 4 games / 15 catches / 197 yards / 49.2 yards per game / 1 TD

Walt Marinaro: 4 games / 11 catches / 280 yards / 70 yards per game / 2 TD

Lee McPhail: 5 games / 9 catches / 64 yards / 7.1 yards per game / 1 TD

Joe Smith: 3 games / 4 catches / 99 yards / 24.8 yards / 1 TD

Greg Garner: 2 games / 4 catches / 31 yards / 15.5 yards per game / 1 TD

 

 

Kicking

 

J.D. Beasley: 5 games / 14-15 extra points made / 8 of 10 FG made (Long of 42)

 

 

Defense

 

Henry Ferguson: 5 games / 39 tackles / 2 sacks / 5 run stuffs / 1 forced fumble / 1 interception / 1 TD

Victor Bednarik: 5 games / 37 tackles / 7 run stuffs / 2 pass deflections / 1 interception

Leonard Wilkerson: 5 games / 33 tackles / 8 run stuffs / 2 forced fumbles / 3 pass deflections

David Holman: 5 games / 27 tackles / 2 run stuffs / 3 forced fumbles / 3 pass deflections / 2 interceptions

John Reed: 5 games / 26 tackles / 6 run stuffs

David James: 5 games / 18 tackles / 2 sacks / 1 interception

Frank Pleasant: 5 games / 14 tackles / 6 pass deflections

Larry Madise: 5 games / 11 tackles / 1 forced fumble / 7 pass deflections / 2 interceptions / 2 TD

Jody Davis: 3 games / 9 tackles / 2 run stuffs

Jamel Whittington: 5 games / 8 tackles / 4 sacks / 2 run stuffs / 1 forced fumble

Derrick Johnston: 5 games / 7 tackles / 2 sacks / 1 run stuff

Jon Herring: 5 games / 4 tackles / 1 sack

[boog23]

Week 6

 

 

Baylor: 27 , Texas A&M (#9): 16

 

Folks, that is not a misprint. Yes, we actually won our sixth in a row, making us bowl eligable. Did I think that we would be bowl eligable in my very first year? Not in a million years. The stars must be aligned just right because with the talent that we have on the roster right now, there's no way that we should be beating a team like A&M. I'm not complaining though. We'll definately take it.

 

In my opinoin, Scott Torgeson had his best game of his young career, completing 16 of 30 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown. Usually I have to write at least one interception, but this game, he was virtually perfect. Scott is progressing along rather nicely.

 

Willie Spagnola had a "so so" game, carrying the ball 28 times for 82 yards and a touchdown. It wouldn't have been that good, except his touchdown run he broke for 48 yards, more then half his total for the day. For whatever reason, our running game just hasn't been where I want it to be, yet we keep doing just enough to keep defenses honest.

 

Michael Mcllheney finally had the breakout game that we knew he was capable of, catching seven passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. He was really our only receiving threat today. Lee McPhail had two catches for 42 yards while Joe Smith finished with three for 26 yards. Thank god for Mcllheney.

 

I know I usually don't talk about special teams much, but freshman cornerback Frank Pleasant did something pretty exciting today, returning a punt 80 yards for a touchdown. We don't really get much help out of the special teams, so this is nice to see.

 

Leonard Wilkerson was flying around the ball today, recording eight tackles, a run stuff and a forced fumble. Freshman free safety Jody Davis had the best game of his career with seven tackles, a sack and a interception. Both Victor Bednarik and John Reed recorded six tackles and a run stuff while Henry Ferguson did them one better with seven tackles and a run stuff. Jon Herring and David James each had a sack in this one as well.

 

This was easily the biggest win of my young coaching career. What's even more exciting is that this win catapolted us into the national spotlight, earning us the #16 ranked team in the nation. Who would have thought that at the beginning of the year? Certainly not me. But these are the type of games that we need to win to get a little exposure. More exposure equals better players, something that I think will definately be coming now.

 

 

Week 7

 

 

#19 Oklahoma: 24 , #16 Baylor: 3

 

Well, the fairytale season had to come to an end at some point. We put up a good fight, but in the end, it just wasn't to be. Oklahoma just has to much firepower for our young team to really have a fighting chance with. Couple that with the rourous crowd that was in Norman, we really never had much of a fighting chance.

 

Scott Torgeson had about as good a game as I could have hoped for, completing 15 of 30 passes for 217 yards but he did have a interception. He's a redshirt freshman, so in my opinion, he did pretty well for his first trip to the Sooners.

 

Our running game actually game through today. Willie Spagnola had as solid a game as we could have hoped for, rushing the ball 22 times for 111 yards. This is easily his best game of his career here at Baylor, just because he did it against elite competition.

 

We basically had two players make a impact in the receiving game. Michael Mcllheney had his second huge game in a row, finishing with eight catches for 144 yards. Joe Smith was the other player that showed up, catching the ball four times for 48 yards. That's really the only two that showed up for us as far as the wideouts go. That's a little disappointing, actually.

 

Leonard Wilkerson is really start to come into his own, recoding nine tackles and a interception in this one. Victor Bednacik had a good game, finishing with 10 tackles and a run stuff while Henry Ferguson was equally impressive with 10 tackles. David Holman was solid again, getting eight tackles and forcing a fumble. Jamel Whittington recorded a sack in this one.

 

I knew that we were trying to do the near impossible, trying to beat two top 25 teams back to back on the road. We gave it a mighty effort, but it just wasn't to be. Still, I'm proud of the way the guys have been playing.

[boog23]

Week 8

 

 

#21 Baylor: 32 , Oklahoma State: 31

 

The dream season continues to go for us. I said at the beginning of the yaer, I thought best case scenario would be a possible .500 season, but here we sit at 7-1 and 3-1 in the conference. By all accounts, we shoudl be 4-3, but we just keep finding ways to pull out close games. This one was no different. We had to score 12 fourth quarter points just to squeak out the win. We'll take it though, definately take it.

 

Our regular starter, Scott Torgusen, didn't play today because of a little academic difficulty, so our starter at the beginning of the year, Otis Nelson got the majority of the snaps. Nelson was actually pretty solid, completing 10 of 17 for 201 yards and a touchdown. Levon Moore, who has been delegated to the third string QB, played "OK" in this one, completing 7 of 13 for 104 yards but he did have a pick. What's worse, Nelson is questionable for the next 3-5 weeks because of a bum ankle.

 

Willie Spagnola was pretty good in this one. He didn't have huge numbers, carrying the ball 29 times for 77 yards, but he had two HUGE touchdown runs, one of which was with six minutes in the game to pull us within 31-28. The biggest run of the day though went to little used QB Levon Moore, who scrambled for a 13 yard touchdown for the winning score with just over three minutes left. Good stuff here.

 

We had some big time play from a couple of our guys that helped solidify the win today. Joe Smith hauled in four passes for 110 yards and a touchdown while Walt Marinaro was probably more impressive, catching six passess for 85 yards with the lone touchdown catch of the day. Tight end Lee McPhail had his best game of the season, catching four passes for 70 yards.

 

David Holman was another big reason why we won, recording five tackles, a run stuff and two big interceptions. Leonard Wilkerson had another big game, finishing with nine tackles and a run stuff while John Reed chipped in with eight tackles. Victor Bednarik was solid as well, finishing with six tackles and a interception. David James and Derrick Johnston each had a sack in this one as well.

 

This was a big win, in that it not only catapolted us the rankings, currently sitting at #11, but it also solidified a bowl spot in my eyes. No matter what happens in the next seven weeks, I'm extremely proud of the way that the guys have played.

 

 

 

Week 9

 

 

#3 Texas Tech: 31 , #11 Baylor: 21

 

Hard fought game by us, but their talent came through and we just wore down. At the half, we were actually winning 21 to 6, but this game isn't played in just one half. The second half, they ran off 25 straight that we just didn't have a answer for. This was a good game though for us. It not only taught us that we need to keep improving, but that the game isn't won in just one half of play.

 

Our quarterback situation is in total disarray right now. With Scott Torgusen out because of academics and Otis Nelson out with a ankle problem, Levon Moore was our only viable option. Moore only completed 8 of 21 passes for 89 yards (that's not a misprint) with three interceptions. He can certainly move though, rushing the ball three times for 30 yards, so he wasn't completely horrible. We need our top two QBs back though, that's for sure.

 

Our running game was pretty spread out this week. Like I said before, Moore was pretty productive running. Willie Spagnola carried the bulk of the load, carrying the ball 20 times for 53 yards while Kris Comella was easily our most productive runner, rushing the ball only five times but he gained 31 yards and two big touchdowns.

 

Our receiving game wasn't up to par, obviously. Michael Mcllheney lead us with four catches for 53 yards while Joe Smith caught two passes for 22 yards. Yeah, our second leading receiver only had two catches. Not good. We could have been better, but we dropped an uncharacterist six passes. Not good again.

 

Henry Ferguson had a huge game for us, setting a career high in tackles with 13. Leonard Wilkerson wasn't far behind with 10 while Victor Bednarik finished with nine tackles and a run stuff. David Holman chipped in with eight tackles. Derrick Johnston had the lone sack for us in this one, but the biggest play came from little used freshman free safety Jody Davis. Davis only had one tackle, but he had the lone interception for us, returning it 97 yards for a touchdown. He was a huge recruit for us coming in, so it's nice to see the young man start to pay us back in our investment in him.

 

There are a lot of things to like about this game, but in the end, we still lost. We've got a big one next week against Texas, who is ranked number three. Ironically, this will be the second week in a row that we've faced the number three team in the nation. I knew this schedule would be brutal, but damn, I didn't think it would be like this.

 

 

 

Week 10

 

 

#3 Texas: 37 , #12 Baylor: 10

 

Man, this was the Texas Tech game all over. Once again, we had a lead going into halftime. Once again, we ware down and get shut out to a more talent rich Texas team. Actually, we were ahead 10-0 in the second quarter. That shows what type of team that Texas has though.

 

Levon Moore got the nod once again, completing 11 of 25 for 178 yards and a touchdown throw. The completion percentage isn't where I like it, but at least he didn't throw the dreaded interception that I've come accustomed to seeing. Scott Torgeson returned in this one as well, completing three of six for 78 yards, but he threw the dreaded interception.

 

Willie Spagnola had a good game for us today, carrying the ball 25 times for 98 yards. Outside of him though, we didn't have anyone rush for over 10 yards. I would like to see more production out of the backfield.

 

In the receiving department, we had basically two players show up and that was about it. Joe Smith lead us with four catches for 125 yards while Michael Mcllheney matched Smith's total of four catches, but he totaled 92 yards and the lone touchdown catch. Much like the rushing game, nobody else had more then two catches or 10 receiving yards.

 

John Reed was a beast on defense, recording 10 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble while Leonard Wilkerson matched Reed's tackle total. Victor Bednarik chipped in with eight tackles while Henry Fersguson had six tackles and a sack. Derrick Johnston continued his stellar play with two sacks while Larry Mirse picked off his third pass of the season.

 

We've had a tough stretch of games as of late and the trend isn't gonna stop. We get a break with our next game, playing the number seven team in the nation, Missouri. That's sad, isn't it. I mean, how many teams can boast about playing the number three team in the nation two weeks in a row and then follow that up with the number seven team. Whatever happens, nobody can say we played a bunch of cupcakes. That's for sure.

[boog23]

Week 11

 

 

#21 Baylor: 21 , #7 Missouri: 16

 

Big, big win for us today. After such a brutal schedule, I'm actually real happy that we would go 1-2 against top ten ranked competition. We deserved this one. We won just about every statistical catagory that a team can win. More important, this win solidifies us with at least a .500 record in conference.

 

Scott Torgeson played a large role by playing probably his best game of his long career. Scott completed 15 of 32 passes for 319 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Whenever Torgeson plays, we seem to win. Seems like a pretty easy thing to figure out.

 

Kris Comella had to carry the majority of the bulk this week due to a injury to starter Willie Spagnola. Comella was solid, rushing the ball 22 times for 99 yards. Spagnola did get to rush the ball 9 times for 31 yards before he went out though. Reports are that Willie should be ready to go next game so all is not lost.

 

Spencer Kriewaldt has had some academic problems as of late, so he's had to sit, but he as back for us in this one. Spencer was welcomed back and immediately made an impact, catching four balls for 102 yards and a touchdown. We had a trio of players catch three passes, Michael Mcllheney (48 yards / 1 TD), Joe Smith (68 yards / 1 TD) and Lee McPhail (41 yards). Before he went out of the game, Spagnola caught two passes for 61 yards. This might have been the best overall game receiving that we've had all year.

 

We had some good performances turned in on defense. Leonard Wilkerson lead us in tackles with 10 while also picking off a pass. Henry Ferguson has eight tackles and two sacks while Victor Bednarik contributed nine tackles and two run stuffs. David Holman played well, recording six tackles and forcing a fumble.

 

This was a total team win. Every department did their job today. We played solid offensively. We held them in check on defense, and special teams didn't let up the big play. We've got a bit of a break next week when Kansas State comes to town and then we'll have four weeks off before bowl week starts. Hopefully, we'll finish strong against State and have a little momentum for what will hopefully be a good bowl appearance.

 

 

 

Week 12

 

 

Kansas State:48 , #15 Baylor 27

 

Damn, I thought we would have a shot in this one, but Kansas State came prepared to play today. We came out blazing in the first quarter, scoring 17 points, but like our other losses, we just couldn't keep it up. I tip my hat to Kansas State. They've got a solid club that I feel will only get better as time goes on.

 

Scott Torgeson played alright for us. He put up big yardage numbers (332 yards), but his completion percentage was horrible (13 of 31). He managed to dish out three touchdown passes, but those were cancelled out by the three interceptions that he also threw. For us to be successful, we can't turn the ball over like that. It's just that simple.

 

Willie Spagnola returned to the starting lineup and had a good game, carrying the ball 18 times for 86 yards. Outside of him, there really wasn't much going on for us.

 

Four players did all the receiving for us today. Walt Marinaro closed the regular season on a high note, hauling in five catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns. Joe Smith and Willie Spagnola eached finished with three receptions. Smith's went for 57 yards and a touchdown while Spganola's went for 67 yards. Spencer Kriewaldt was solid again, finishing with two receptions for 73 yards. We showed that we have big play capabilities, that's for sure. To bad we give up just as many as we make.

 

Leonard Wilkerson isn't the reason why we lost. Wilkerson saved his best for last, recording a season high 15 tackles and three run stuffs. Henry Fersguson wasn't to be outdone though, recording 10 tackles, one sack and one run stuff. Little used freshman safety Jody Davis played his best game of the year, recording nine tackles and a run stuff while fellow freshman safety Victor Bednarik had 10 tackles. Little used defensive end James Wise played well, recording three tackles and two sacks while senior linebacker Stephon Brinson had a good going away party, recording two tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Jon Herring forced a fumble while Larry Mirse got his fourth interception of the year.

 

So we finished the year on a bit of a down note. Still, who would have thought that we would have finished with a 8-4 record? Not in my wildest dreams did I think a season like that would have happened in my first year. Hopefully, we can play well in whatever bowl game we go to and then continue the hot streak on the recruiting front. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us.

[boog23]

Regular Season Final Standings

 

North Division

 

Missouri: 10-2 (6-2 Conf.)

Colorado: 7-4 (5-3 Conf.)

Nebraska: 8-3 (5-3 Conf.)

Iowa State: 3-8 (2-6 Conf.)

Kansas State: 4-7 (2-6 Conf.)

Kansas: 1-10 (0-8 Conf.)

 

 

South Division

 

Texas: 10-1 (7-1 Conf.)

Texas A&M: 7-4 (5-3 Conf.)

Texas Tech: 8-3 (5-3 Conf.)

Oklahoma: 7-4 (4-4 Conf.)

Baylor: 8-4 (4-4 Conf.)

Oklahoma State: 6-5 (3-5 Conf.)

 

Man, our divisoin was stacked this year. When Oklahoma State finished in last place and still had over a .500 regular season record, you know you've dealt with some serious competition. The North Division had basically one team, Missouri (who we beat ). In the final regular season poll, the Big 12 finished with six teams in the top 25 with us being on the outside looking in by one damn vote. Not playing the final three weeks of the regular season really hurt us. Still, I'm looking forward to our bowl game.

 

 

Regular Season Awards

 

 

1st Team Big 12

 

Dewayne Benjamin (P): 39.7 average / 32.6 net / 58 long / 14 inside of 20

 

 

2nd Team Big 12

 

Leonard Wilkerson (SS): 104 tackles / nine pass deflections / two interceptions

 

 

3rd Team Big 12

 

Freddie Lang (FB): 88 yards / 4.4 ypc

Henry Ferguson (OLB): 98 tackles / six sacks / seven run stuffs / one interception

 

I would like to congratulate the four players that made the various all league teams. Of the four players, we'll only have Ferguson back next year, so we know we've got a bunch of big shoes to fill.

 

 

Bowl Week

 

We got the call that we were waiting for. The Texas bowl has invited us to play against a very skilled and determined Clemson Tigers team that finished the year with a 6-5 record. I know it's gonna be a good game. The early line has Clemson favored, but that's the way we like it. We've been underdogs in probably 80% of our games this year, yet still managed eight wins. This one should be fun to watch.

 

 

Clemson: 31 , Baylor: 15

 

Well, damn. Damn, damn, damn. I wanted us to win so bad, but that Clemson team was just to tough today. They're a really good team with an exceptional quarterback that has them going places. Oh well, we tried our bests. That's all I can ask for.

 

Scott Torgeson wasn't up to his usual play today, completing 12 of 30 for 151 and two disheartining interceptions. Levon Moore came in and had a more positive impact, completing three of five passes for 82 yards and a touchdown pass. We definately need to try to upgrade the position during the offseason.

 

Willie Spagnola had another solid game, finishing with 102 yards on 21 carries. For the year, Willie reached the magical 1000 yard mark, something that at the beginning of the year, I didn't think he would have had a chance to reach. Hopefully, during recruiting, we can get a little more depth behind him.

 

Michael Mcllheney played his heart out in his final collegiate game of his career, finishing with a game high eight receptions for 169 yards and a touchdown pass. Outside of him though, nobody had more then two catches, and that was our running back, Spagnola. With Mcllheney graduating this year, we're gonna have to have some of the young guys step up and produce for us.

 

Our defense was really our downfall today. Henry Ferguson was solid, finishing with nine tackles while Victor Bednarik had eight tackles. Both Leonard Wilkerson and David Holman had seven tackles as well. A couple of freshman, Jon Herring and Jamel Whittington both recorded a sack in this one as well.

 

Well, our season has come to a sad end. We were hot at the beginning of the year, but a 2-5 finish down the stretch really put a damper on the mood. Still though, eight wins is much, much more then I could have ever imagined us accomplishing this year. Hopefully, we'll be able to carry over some of this momentum to the offseason and haul in the type of talent that we'll need to continue to improve in the Big 12 conference.

[bigguy9854]

Great season for the Bears. I am looking forward to next season.

[boog23]

Offseason

 

 

Job Offers

 

Coming off the season we just had, I knew my name would be discussed among the coaching ranks for a new gig. I got calls from Duke, Indiana, Colorado State, Troy and Central Texas, but none are the type of school that I would jump to right now. I thank all five schools but politely decline their invitations. I've got unfinished business to tend to in the Big 12.

 

 

Budget

 

After our successful season, our budget has jumped a considerable amount. I couldn't believe how high ($150,000), but hey, if they're gonna give it, I'll gladly except.

 

 

Coaching Changes

 

How in the world could I fire one of our coaches after the season we just had. That would be crazy.

 

 

Transfers

 

Man, this was nothing but bad news for us. I first looked over the players that had an interest in us, and to my surprise, there really weren't many players that looked very appealing to us. That's no problem, we have a limited amount of scholarships to hand out this year, so we'll just take our chances and try to develope the kids ourselves.

 

If that weren't bad enough, a freshman we redshirted last year, Charley Davenport has decided that he wasn't feeling the love in Waco and was taking his services to the MAC conference to play for Western Michigan. Charley is from Michigan, so I can see why he wanted to go. We have plenty of depth with Frank Pleasant, Larry Mirse and Stacey Cunningham returning, so playing time for him might have been a struggle. Still though, I would lable this transfer year a epic failure.

 

 

Recruiting

 

 

Week 1

 

My favorite time of the year is apon us. It's time to replace the seniors that have played so hard for Baylor and replace them with young players that want to come in and continue to build Baylor into a national power. We've only got 13 scholarships to fill this year, so we'll have to be picky with who we go after. This should be fun.

 

 

Name: Jarrod Bullocks (ILB) *****

Hometown: Lake Vernia, Texas (Lake Vernia)

Rank: #36 (#1 Position)

GPA: 2.2

Other Offers: Kansas State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech

 

According to everyone around, Jarrod is one of the best tacklers coming into the college ranks this year. He's got exceptional size and speed to compete in the middle and take on blockers. He can do pretty much anything you want him to do. He was a solid pass rusher in high school, recording eight sacks. He can drop back in coverage, as evident by his five interceptions. The kid is a beast. It's as easy as that.

 

 

Name: Brian Sykes (QB) ****

Hometown: La Marque, Texas (La Marque)

Rank: #105 (#10 Position)

GPA: 2.4

Other Offers: Kansas State

 

Sykes is a westcoast type quarterback that has a good feel for the game. He's got good arm strength that you like to see in every quarterback. Most scouts think that his touch passing will be second to none when it's all said and done. The one knock I have on him is he doesn't run all that well. But what he lacks in speed he more then makes up for with game insticts. Sykes is the type of player that I think will take us to the next level.

 

 

Name: Abner Brady (FS) ****

Hometown: Pineland, Texas (West Sabine)

Rank: #135 (#10 Position)

GPA: 2.9

Other Offers: None

 

Brady is a beast that is always around the ball. He's got a small build, standing 5'10 and weighing 177 pounds, but he's a strong guy, as evident by his 334 pound bench press and 474 pound squat. He's a tackling machine that likes to blitz the quarterback but can fall back in coverage. He's got good ball skills while in the air, batting down 10 passes high senior year in high school. We don't really need another free safety, but if Brady came aboard, I think we could find room for him.

 

 

Name: Joe Evans (RB / A) ****

Hometown: San Antonio, Texas (Warren)

Rank: #166 (#21 Position)

GPA: 3.3

Other Offers: Colorado State

 

One of the best inside runners coming into the college ranks. He's got a good combination of size (5'8 / 194 lbs) and speed (4.44 forty). Evans is one of the better blocking backs coming out of high school as well. Joe has got a knack for getting into the end zone, scoring 21 touchdowns his senior year. He's a pretty good recieving threat. Could also play a little safety if needed.

 

 

Name: Steve Chiaverini (SS) ****

Hometown: Blue Ridge, Texas (Blue Ridge)

Rank: #277 (#23 Position)

GPA: 2.3

Other Offers: None

 

Steve is proably the best strong safety that we'll go after this year because of his cover skills. With Leonard Wilkerson graduating, we need to have someone fill his shoes be it through recruiting or a possible position change. Chiaverini right now has average pass rushing skills, but with time, scouts think that he'll be adapt at rushing the quarterback or getting to the ball carrier. With luck, we'll be seeing Steve in Waco to help solidify our depth in the secondary.

 

 

Name: Alan Theismann (CB) ****

Hometown: O'Donnell, Texas (O'Donnell)

Rank: #239 (#19 Position)

GPA: 3.3

Other Offers: Colorado

 

Right now, Alan doesn't possess the skills necessary to cover the elite recievers in the Big 12, but with time, scouts feel like he'll definately be one of the best cover corners around. He's a beast in the weight room so strength should never be a concern for the young corner. He's a solid blitzer of the quarterback, making him even more valueable. He's also a very good punt returner. We've got plenty of depth at the cornerback spot, but we can't pass up a chance to bring in a talent like Theismann.

 

 

Name: Zach Thelwell (FB) ***

Hometown: Aledo, Texas (Aledo)

Rank: #398 (#6 Position)

GPA: 2.6

Other Offers: Colorado, Iowa, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas A&M

 

Thelwell is one of the most sought after prospects for the Great Plains region. Thelwell possess everything you want in a fullback. He blocks extremely well. He's a good recieving threat out of the backfield. He can pick up those few precious yards to keep the chains moving. Like I said, he does it all. The good majority of the scouts around think that Thelwell will be one of the best fullbacks in the nation when he finally matures. So do I. To bad he's gonna be such a hard get for us.

 

 

Name: Les Clayton (OLB) ***

Hometown: Hull, Massachussetts (Hull)

Rank: #470 (#22 Position)

GPA: 3.5

Other Offers: None

 

Clayton is a big time run stopper that is flying under the radar right now. Right now, he's not the strongest linebacker in the world, but with time, scouts feel like he should be adaquette. He's got good size (6'1, 244 pounds) so he should be fine taking on lineman when all is said and done. His speed makes it easy for him to roam sideline to sideline, something that we desperately need right now. We're the only school he's looking at, so I'm feeling pretty comfortable with saying he'll probably be in Waco next year.

 

 

Name: Golden Fraley (TE) ***

Hometown: New Diana, Texas (New Diana)

Rank: #610 (#31 Position)

GPA: 3.4

Other Offers: None

 

Fraley does one thing really well right now, block. He's never been the best recieving threat, only catching 20 passes for 371 yards and four touchdowns as a senior last year. He's got good size, standing 6'1 and weighing 224 pounds, so he's got the frame to get bigger with the proper weight training. He's not the most aggressive player around, which is something that I actually look for, but hopefully we can change that. If he improves his recieving skills, we could have ourself a steal. If not, we'll have a very good blocking tight end. Win win in my eyes.

 

 

Name: Bob Duckworth © ***

Hometown: Dike, Iowa (Dike - New Hartford)

Rank: #624 (#15 Position)

GPA: 3.2

Other Offers: Iowa State

 

At this moment in time, any center that we can get would be an immediate upgrade over anything we currently have on our roster. He's a big, strong guy, able to bench 387 pounds and squat 602 pounds. That's important because he's more of a power lineman rather then finesse. He's suprising agile for a big guy, and with time, our scouts think that he'll improve in that catagory. He's got a bit of a mean streak, but it's not always let loose on the field. If he can harbor that anger every play, he'll be that more dangerous. I like this kid.

 

 

Name: Chalie Homan (OT) ***

Hometown: Cleburne, Texas (North Iowa Area, CC (IA))

Rank: #445 (#32 Position)

GPA: 3.6

Other Offers: None

 

We've got a big problem on the offensive line, so anyone we can get this year would help. Currently, we've got a couple of low potential juniors at both tackle spots, so Homan would get a chance to come in right away and compete for a spot. He's a junior college player, so he's more ready then the average offensive tackle coming into the division one college ranks. Right now, he's considered more of a pass blocker then a run blocker, but that's fine. At this point, we just need bodies.

 

 

Name: Tim Canidate (SS) ***

Hometown: Denver, Colorado (I.C. Ranum)

Rank: #243 (#19 Position)

GPA: 2.1

Other Offers: Colorado State, Iowa State

 

Right now, he's considered a run stopping safety, but with work, the scouts think that he should eventually be known as one of the best cover safeties in America. He's one of the faster safeties in the nation, able to go sideline to sideline. He's about as sure a tackler as their is coming into division one football, something that is very important to us considering strong safety is such an important position for us on the field. Right now, he's raw, but with the proper coaching, I see great things in store for Tim.

 

 

Name: Wayne Muncie (OT) ***

Hometown: Caddo Mills, Texas (Caddo Mills)

Rank: #494 (#35 Position)

GPA: 3.6

Other Offers: None

 

Much like Homan, Muncie would get a chance to come in and contribute right away. He's one of the strongest freshman coming into the college ranks and should only improve in that area with time. He's got the quickness that not many offensive tackles possess. His run blocking skills aren't where they need to be, but if we got him, he'd almost certainly have to learn on the fly. We're that bad at the tackle position.

 

That's the list folks. That's who we're after to start the recruiting season. Naturally, we'll miss out on some of them, but we'll also be getting a good majority of them (I hope). We had a little extra money left, so we just went and scouted a couple of backup recruits. I know we'll need them.

 

 

--- Players Visiting Baylor ---

 

Les Clayton is the only player coming in this week that we have offered.

 

 

 

Week 2

 

We didn't have any movement this week, but then again, we never do. We've got a couple of recruits that we're after that are being heavily recruited so we've gone ahead and made pitches to both five star ILB Jarrod Bullocks and three star fullback Zach Thelwell. Right now, we've got a good shot at getting Bullocks, but Thelwell is a longshot for us. Still though, we'll have to take a chance.

 

 

--- Players Visiting Baylor ---

 

Bullock, Steve Chiaverini and Golden Fraley are among the group of five coming in for a visit.

 

 

Week 3

 

Well damn, we didn't get our guy. Jarrod Bullock decided to take his services elsewhere:

 

 

Players recruited that committed to other schools

ILB Jarrod Bullocks - Texas

 

 

Not only did we not get him, but he decided to go to one of our rivals, the Texas Longhorns. Boooo. The rich get richer I guess. Oh well, we need to replace him so I've got to get back to work.

 

 

Name: Tom Smith (ILB) ****

Hometown: San Augustine, Texas (San Augustine)

Rank: #275 (#17 Position)

GPA: 2.1

Other Offers: None

 

He's a bit small for a ILB, standing 5'11and weighting 218 pounds, but what he lacks in size he makes up for with pure speed (he can run the forty in 4.53 seconds). He was a tackle machine in high school, recording a total of 95 his senior year. Because he's not as big as some of the other linebackers, he relies on his speed. He's better in pass coverage then run coverage, able to cover running backs and tight ends like a blanket. He's not ready right now though, but if he came here, much like the other recruits, he'd probably have to learn on the fly.

 

 

--- Players Visiting Baylor ---

 

Sykes, Canidate, Theismann, Brady and Evans are all coming to Waco. This is a big weekend for us. We've pitched just about everyone so now the ball is in their court. They need to make the right decision and help Baylor continue the rise to national prominance.

[boog23]

Week 4

 

Nobody did anything this week. Really, nothing new to report.

 

 

---Players Visiting Baylor ---

 

Homan, Duckworth and Muncie are among the group of five that are coming to Waco. Another big weekend for us.

 

 

 

Week 5

 

Well, damn. Another week, another couple of recruits lost without gaining anyone. Here's what happened:

 

Players recruited that committed to other schools

FB Zack Thelwell - Oklahoma

C Bob Duckworth - Iowa State

 

That's not good news for us. I knew that Thelwell was a longshot for us, but I really thought we had a chance with Duckworth. Well, I've now got to go and try to find some replacements. No time to dwell on the stupid.

 

 

Name: Matt Whitfield (DE) ****

Hometown: Sanger, Texas (Sanger)

Rank: #53 (#4 Position)

GPA: 2.0

Other Offers: Colorado, Missouri

 

Whitfield is a special type of player that would be getting more offers if his grades were right (just my opinion). Matt has got the combination of speed and size that makes every coach in the nation lose sleep when they play against someone with the talents of Matt. He was a big producer for his high school team, recording 59 tackles, 16 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, one interception and five forced fumbles. In other words, the dude is always around the ball. Hopefully, if we get him he will keep up his grades so he can stay on the field.

 

 

Name: Mark Bell © ***

Hometown: University City, Texas (Cisco JC, Texas)

Rank: #848 (#20 Position)

GPA: 3.2

Other Offers: None

 

Mark is a junior college player that would be ready to come in right away and make an impact on our offensive line. Right now, he's a better run blocker then pass blocker. With time though, he should become a better then average blocker in both areas. He's got a mean streak about him that I absolutely love. He's not afraid to smack you in the mouth when it's needed. He's not as strong as some of the other offensive line recruits that we're after, but he's got the wit to more then make up for it. Bell would be a good addition for us.

 

 

--- Players Visiting Baylor ---

 

Whitfield and Smith are among those coming in for a visit this week. Hopefully, something pops off soon so we can start to get a little shape for the upcoming season.

 

 

Week 5

 

Good news this week! As you have probably guessed, we got some recruits in. Here's the scoop:

 

Players committing to Baylor

OT Charlie Homan

ILB Les Clayton

TE Golden Fraley

 

Homan and Fraley should be immediate impact players for us. That's how bad our offensive line and tight end status is. Clayton will provide depth at a position that we are semi strong at, so that's actually a nice change of pace.

 

Since we didn't lose any players to other schools, we're pretty much just sitting around and waiting to see what happens. We've pitched everyone, so our job is done.

 

--- Players Visiting Baylor ---

 

Bell is among those that are coming in for a visit to Baylor.

 

 

Week 6

 

This was one of the worst weeks in recruiting that we've ever had here in our short stint at Baylor. Here's what happened:

 

Players committing to Baylor

OT Wayne Muncie

 

Players recruited that committed to other schools

DE Matt Whitfield - Missouri

SS Bob Williams - Colorado

SS Jeb Adams - Kansas State

FS Bill Mackey - Missouri

RB Joe Evans - Missouri

QB Brian Sykes - Kansas State

QB Jack Hodgins - Colorado

FS Abner Brady - Colorado

ILB Marcus Nutter - Kansas State

CB Alan Theismann - Colorado

FB Konrad Starring - Texas Christian

 

We lost out on just about every high profile prospect we were after. Not good at all. The one bright spot is that not one of the recruits we were after are gonna be playing in our division of the Big 12. We did manage to pick up another offensive tackle, so that's good. Still though, we've got a lot of work to do so I better get to it now.

 

 

Name: Andre Pupunu (RB) ****

Hometown: Boys Ranch, Texas (Boys Ranch)

Rank: #331 (#31 Position)

GPA: 2.4

Other Offers: Colorado, Nebraska, Texas Tech

 

Andre is a bit of a wildcard. He doesn't have ideal size to be a inside runner, yet his running skills on the edge aren't where we want them to be right now. He's a "OK" pass blocker, so he won't kill you in that area. The one thing that has got scouts excited is the burst of speed that he possesses. Other Big 12 schools are after the young man, so he is probably gonna be a hard get.

 

 

Name: Bo Lemek (OG) ****

Hometown: San Antonio, Texas (Holy Cross)

Rank: #368 (#22 Position)

GPA: 2.4

Other Offers: Missouri, Texas Tech

 

Bo currently possesses the ability to deliver devistating run blocks that not many in the college ranks can do. Now, if only his pass blocking skills were up to that standard. With time, scouts think that he will be better then average in that catagory, but it will never be his bread and butter. Lemek will also never be the most agile guy in the world. Still, he'd be a huge upgrade over anyone we have now.

 

 

Name: Dwayne Thomas (QB) ***

Hometown: Denton, Texas (Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (OK))

Rank: #609 (#41 Position)

GPA: 2.0

Other Offers: None

 

Dwayne is a mobile quarterback with better then average instincts that allow him to feel pressure in the pocket and take off when needed. He's got average accuracy, although his junior college numbers were pretty good, completing 66% of his passes for 3733 yards with 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. On the other hand, his touch passing is something that not a lot of players possess. Still, he's a junior college player so he should be more ready then anyone we have. He'll challenge right away for playing time.

 

 

Name: Yatil Tice (SS) ***

Hometown: Pittsburgh, Texas (Pitssburgh)

Rank: #432 (#31 Position)

GPA: 3.9

Other Offers: None

 

Yatil is one of those guys that has all the skills in the world, but because of his height (5'9), a lot of the major schools write him off. Not us. We can't afford to do that. His athletic skills allow him to recover from mistakes that many others can't cover up. He's got a nose for being in the right place at the right time, making 59 tackles with two sacks. He also had 12 pass deflections but zero interceptions, so that tells me he needs work on his hands. Still, his ability to blitz the quarterback is something that I can't overlook. We'll take a flier on him.

 

 

Name: Tony O'Connell (OLB) ***

Hometown: Junction, Texas (Junction)

Rank: #702 (#50 Position)

GPA: 2.3

Other Offers: None

 

Tony is someone that is flying under everyone's radar right now. What I like about the kid is that he was super productive his senior year, recording 86 tackles, seven sacks, four tackles for loss, six pass deflections, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. He also had two defensive touchdowns. Tony has a knack for getting to the quarterback, something that we desperately need. His run defense isn't the best, but with time, it should turn out to be above average. He's got good speed, so his sideline to sideline coverage is outstanding. We could really use Tony.

 

 

--- Players Visiting Baylor ---

 

Nobody that we've offered is coming to Baylor. God, I'm so nervous about this week.

 

 

Week 7

 

Well, this was certainly a better week then last. It wasn't perfect, but it was still good. Here's what happened:

 

Players committing to Baylor

SS Steve Chiaverini

RB Andre Pupunu

SS Tim Canidate

 

Players recruited that committed to other schools

ILB Tom Smith - Kansas State

 

So we lost out on Tom Smith, but we already have a committ from a ILB. No big deal. I like that we got more secondary help and a running back to help backup Willie Spagnola. We're headed in the right direction, that's for sure. Still though, with Smith going elsewhere, we need to fill his voided scholarship.

 

 

Name: Bob Pisarcik © ***

Hometown: Crosbyton, Texas (Crosbyton)

Rank: #843 (#19 Position)

GPA: 2.3

Other Offers: None

 

Right now, Bob is as far from being Big 12 ready as they come, but his potential is undeniable. His body isn't anywhere near where is needs to be, as he only weighs 266 pounds. That's as big as some senior linebackers. Still though, his run blocking skills are excellent, and when it's all said and done, his pass blocking skills should be right up there as well. If he went to any other Big 12 program, he'd be redshirted in a heart beat. But for us, he'd be at the very least, the primary backup. Scary when you think about it.

 

 

--- Players Visiting Baylor ---

 

Lemek, Tice, and Thomas are among those coming in for a visit this week. This is another big week for us, that's for sure.

 

 

Week 8

 

Well, I've got mixed emotions about this week. We lost out on someone that could have really helped us, yet gained a couple of good assetts. Here's what happened:

 

Players committing to Baylor

SS Yatil Tice

C Mark Bell

 

Players recruited that committed to other schools

OG Bo Lemek - Missouri

TE Rocky Kennison - Texas A&M

 

We get our third strong safety of the recruiting period. Lucky for us, Tice can play other positions if asked. A move to corner may be in store for him. Mark Bell should also come in and start right away for us. We did lose out on Lemek, so I better get to work and find someone to take his spot.

 

 

Name: David Gabriel (OT) ***

Hometown: Temple, Texas (Temple)

Rank: #696 (#51 Position)

GPA: 3.6

Other Offers: None

 

I know that I talk about offensive lineman being some of the strongest players coming into the college ranks, but Gabriel is seriously at the top, able to bench press 398 pounds. For a 6'5, 283 pound lineman, Gabriel is one of the most fastest and agile players that I've ever seen coming into the D-1 ranks. His mean streak really isn't there yet, but he's working on enhancing it to where it's a valuable weapon. David could really help sure up our dismal offensvie line.

 

--- Players Visiting Baylor ---

 

Outside linebacker Tony O'Connell is among the group of five that is coming to Baylor for a visit this week.

 

 

Week 9

 

This wasn't a good week for us, in more ways then one. Here's what happened:

 

Players committing to Baylor

 

Players recruited that committed to other schools

RB Russ Hill - Texas Tech

WR Eddie Ransom - Oklahoma

SS J.D. Oakes - Texas Tech

TE Leslie O'Donnell - Iowa

C Bob Pisarcik - Colorado

 

As you can see, there are absolutely no recruits for us and we lost out on Bob Pisarcik. He's not a big loss, but still, he would have provided valueable depth on our offensive line. Still though, we can't dwell on what could have been. This is the last week that we can recruit actively, so I need to get to work and find someone that wants to continue to turn Baylor around.

 

 

Name: Marco Toth (TE) ***

Hometown: Wallis, Texas (Brazos)

Rank: #697 (#37 Position)

GPA: 2.3

Other Offers: None

 

One of the better receiving tight ends that we've ever recruited here at Baylor. Eventually, the scouts think that he will run some of the better routes that any tight end in the nation will run. He's got a mean streak that only a handful of prospects possess. He's got ideal size for a tight end, standing 6'6 and weighing in at 251 pounds. Even more impressive is that he's got elite speed, running the forty in 4.57 seconds. Toth would make an exceptional player for us.

 

--- Players Visiting Baylor ---

 

Gabriel is among those coming in for a visit. This is the last week possible, so we need to pull out all the stops. We've got four scholarships to fill, so hopefully all the players come to their senses and just committ already.

 

 

National Signing Day

 

Mixed emotions about today. We picked up a couple of players while a couple of players decided to pack up and take their services elsewhere. Here's what went down:

 

Players committing to Baylor

QB Dwayne Thomas

OLB Tony O'Connell

 

Players recruited that committed to other schools

CB Willie Ferguson - Texas Tech

TE Marco Toth - Kansas State

OT David Gabriel - Texas Christian

P Keion Wyms - Iowa

 

We got our quarterback for the class, so that's good. O'Connell is gonna provide some depth at the linebacker spot. He might even redshirt this year. That's how deep I think our linebacking core is. Still though, it's not quite the haul that I was hoping for.

 

 

The following recruits ended up coming to Baylor:

 

RB Andre Pupunu, 4-stars

Boys Ranch (Boys Ranch, TX)

National Rank: 313, Regional: 59, Position: 33

 

ILB Les Clayton, 3-stars

Hull (Hull, MA)

National Rank: 470, Regional: 94, Position: 22

 

TE Golden Fraley, 3-stars

New Diana (New Diana, TX)

National Rank: 610, Regional: 121, Position: 31

 

OT Charlie Homan, 3-stars

North Iowa Area CC (IA), Cleburne, TX, HS - TX

National Rank: 445, Regional: 83, Position: 32

 

SS Tim Canidate, 3-stars

I.C. Ranum (Denver, CO)

National Rank: 243, Regional: 46, Position: 19

 

OT Wayne Muncie, 3-stars

Caddo Mills (Caddo Mills, TX)

National Rank: 494, Regional: 98, Position: 35

 

SS Steve Chiaverini, 3-stars

Blue Ridge (Blue Ridge, TX)

National Rank: 277, Regional: 56, Position: 23

 

C Mark Bell, 3-stars

Cisco JC (TX), Univesity City, TX, HS - TX

National Rank: 848, Regional: 173, Position: 20

 

QB Dwayne Thomas, 3-stars

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (OK), Denton, TX, HS - TX

National Rank: 609, Regional: 120, Position: 41

 

SS Yatil Tice, 3-stars

Pittsburg (Pittsburg, TX)

National Rank: 432, Regional: 79, Position: 31

 

OLB Tony O'Connell, 3-stars

Junction (Junction, TX)

National Rank: 702, Regional: 144, Position: 50

 

There's the complete list of who came on board. We also picked up a fullback and a couple of punters that we didn't offer, but decided to come to Baylor anyway. This isn't the star studded class I was hoping for after our last season, but it's still a good one. I think we're headed in the right direction.

[boog23]

Team Roster

 

 

Quarterbacks

19 QB Doug Anderson 6-6 231 (Jr) 3.83 46 79 OK Stephen F. Austin (Sugar Land, TX) 1.5 2.5

20 QB Mike Lemons (S) 6-0 205 (So) 2.08 93 56 OK Unicoi County (Erwin, TN) 3.0 4.5

07 QB Marion Smith 6-0 216 (So) 3.53 96 68 OK O'Gorman (Sioux Falls, SD) 1.0 1.5

12 QB Dwayne Thomas 6-0 183 Jr 2.23 52 56 OK Denton (Denton, TX) 3.0 3.0

16 QB Scott Torgeson 6-1 204 (So) 3.98 89 99 OK St. Mark's (Dallas, TX) 1.5 2.5

 

 

Halfbacks

41 RB Justin Brown 5-8 202 Jr 2.29 51 48 OK Riesel (Riesel, TX) 1.0 2.5

21 RB Kris Comella 5-11 186 Sr 2.68 42 58 OK St. Anthony (San Antonio, TX) 1.0 2.5

26 RB Earl Dean 5-8 182 (Sr) 3.63 67 72 OK Killeen (Killeen, TX) 1.0 1.0

30 RB Tommy Hillenmeyer 5-10 197 (Sr) 2.51 73 55 OK Groveton (Groveton, TX) 1.0 1.0

34 RB Andre Pupunu 5-8 174 Fr 3.42 38 72 OK Boys Ranch (Boys Ranch, TX) 2.5 3.5

31 RB Willie Spagnola (S) 5-10 187 Sr 3.64 94 85 OK St. Pius X (Houston, TX) 3.5 3.5

 

 

 

Fullbacks

35 FB Doug Matthews 6-2 219 So 3.45 94 76 OK Houston Lutheran North (Houston, TX) 1.0 2.0

37 FB James Woodson (S) 5-10 209 Fr 1.79 39 30 OK Rowlett (Rowlett, TX) 1.0 3.0

32 FB Larry Young 5-11 204 So 1.77 78 56 OK Ruthven-Ayrshire Community (IA) 1.0 2.0

 

 

Wide Receivers

81 WR Laurence Brown 6-6 192 So 2.28 49 41 OK Houston Lutheran North (Houston, TX) 1.0 3.0

85 WR Spencer Kriewaldt 6-0 208 Jr 2.97 61 73 OK Howard (Howard, SD) 2.5 3.5

88 WR Walt Marinaro (S) 6-3 180 So 3.68 73 70 OK Silsbee (Silsbee, TX) 2.0 3.5

82 WR Sammy Milons 5-9 182 (So) 3.78 57 90 OK Raymondville (Raymondville, TX) 1.0 1.5

84 WR Joe Smith (S) 6-1 193 So 3.17 87 74 OK Carrollton Christian Academy (TX) 3.0 3.5

80 WR Bryan Brown 6-1 201 Sr 3.50 99 81 OK Northwest (Omaha, NE) 1.0 1.5

 

 

 

Tight Ends

87 TE Golden Fraley (S) 6-1 233 Fr 3.73 70 82 OK New Diana (New Diana, TX) 2.5 4.5

03 TE Yo Keisel 6-3 227 (Fr) 2.85 55 60 OK Shelbyville (Shelbyville, TX) 1.5 2.0

89 TE Lee McPhail 6-3 219 (So) 3.59 64 66 OK Concordia (Concordia, MO) 1.5 2.5

83 TE Jim Word 6-3 232 (Jr) 3.81 95 83 OK Reeds Spring (Reeds Spring, MO) 1.0 1.5

 

 

 

Offensive Tackles

75 OT Shane Hendrickson 6-8 291 (Fr) 3.95 95 92 OK Orangefield (Orangefield, TX) 1.0 2.0

71 OT Charlie Homan (S) 6-1 337 Jr 2.83 84 61 OK Cleburne (Cleburne, TX) 2.0 4.0

67 OT Gary Carr 6-7 313 Jr 3.33 40 85 OK Woodland Park (Woodland Park, CO) 1.0 2.5

79 OT Wayne Muncie (S) 6-4 300 Fr 2.90 94 71 OK Caddo Mills (Caddo Mills, TX) 2.0 4.0

76 OT Chris Sams 6-5 319 (Jr) 3.82 78 70 OK Midway (Waco, TX) 1.0 2.0

74 OT Grant Boiman 6-7 292 (Jr) 2.25 97 49 Redshirt Garland Christian Academy (TX) 1.0 2.0

65 OT Leonard Tolbert 6-5 304 (Sr) 3.33 94 67 OK Kermit (Kermit, TX) 1.0 1.0

 

 

Offensive Guards

73 OG Henri Avery (S) 6-4 278 So 1.66 68 50 OK Harlingen (Harlingen, TX) 2.0 4.0

63 OG Tony Lake (S) 6-5 311 (Jr) 2.44 72 63 OK Hiawatha (Hiawatha, KS) 2.5 3.5

69 OG Peyton Smith 6-4 285 (So) 1.87 93 63 OK Normandy (St. Louis, MO) 1.0 2.0

61 OG Kendal Harper 6-6 276 (So) 3.60 89 78 OK Fort Worth Christian (Fort Worth, TX) 1.0 1.5

77 OG Jerry Tice 6-7 308 (Jr) 1.83 85 52 OK Pueblo West (Pueblo, CO) 2.0 2.5

 

 

 

Centers

62 C Anthony Norman 6-4 285 So 3.33 75 95 OK North Mesquite (Mesquite, TX) 1.0 2.0

72 C Mark Bell (S) 6-3 306 Jr 3.72 60 70 OK Randolph (Univesity City, TX) 2.5 3.0

60 C Chris Turner 6-4 288 (Sr) 3.41 63 99 OK Dunbar (Fort Worth, TX) 1.0 1.0

 

 

 

Defensive Ends

92 DE Rufus Deberg 6-0 252 (So) 1.76 82 35 OK Lyons-Decatur Northeast (Lyons, NE) 2.0 2.5

96 DE Don Atkins 6-5 257 (Jr) 1.68 71 43 OK Lutheran (Denver, CO) 1.0 2.5

90 DE Jamal Whittington (S) 6-2 286 So 2.36 96 54 OK Silsbee (Silsbee, TX) 2.5 3.5

97 DE James Wise (S) 6-8 287 Jr 3.80 34 86 OK Rice (Altair, TX) 1.5 3.5

 

 

Defensive Tackles

98 DT Rodney Childress 6-4 285 (Fr) 2.65 74 60 OK Pilot Point (Pilot Point, TX) 1.0 1.0

99 DT Chris Schmidt (S) 6-5 277 (Sr) 2.04 59 41 OK J.C. Hays (Buda, TX) 1.5 2.5

91 DT Jon Herring (S) 6-6 297 So 1.83 69 56 OK Three Rivers (Three Rivers, TX) 2.5 4.5

95 DT Tom Kaesviharn 6-6 285 (So) 3.38 64 75 OK Pilot Point (Pilot Point, TX) 1.0 1.5

94 DT John Brennan 6-6 265 (Jr) 3.44 50 99 OK Clarendon (Clarendon, TX) 1.0 1.5

 

 

 

Inside Linebackers

59 ILB John Reed (S) 6-0 232 (Jr) 2.99 61 74 OK Oklahoma Christian (Edmond, OK) 2.0 3.5

56 ILB Brian Adams 5-10 235 (So) 3.83 73 82 Redshirt Columbus (Columbus, TX) 1.0 2.0

51 ILB Courtland Hunter 6-1 223 (Fr) 2.21 59 53 OK Bruni (Bruni, TX) 1.0 1.0

50 ILB Les Clayton 6-1 251 Fr 3.48 86 76 OK Hull (Hull, MA) 2.0 3.5

40 ILB Johnny Knight 6-0 233 (So) 1.72 86 40 OK West Harrison (Mondamin, IA) 1.5 2.0

 

 

 

Outside Linebackers

58 OLB David James 5-11 224 Sr 1.85 38 60 OK Mesquite (Mesquite, TX) 2.0 3.0

42 OLB Henry Ferguson (S) 6-0 228 So 3.48 86 79 OK All Saints Episcopal (Fort Worth, TX) 3.0 4.0

54 OLB Tony O'Connell 6-2 218 (Fr) 2.15 39 56 Redshirt Junction (Junction, TX) 1.5 4.0

52 OLB Tom Bonner 6-0 224 (Sr) 3.41 77 85 OK Verdigris (Claremore, OK) 1.5 2.0

55 OLB Marcus Hart 5-9 222 (Jr) 3.81 69 83 OK Vidor (Vidor, TX) 1.0 1.0

53 OLB Larry Carter (S) 6-1 239 (Fr) 2.27 62 56 OK Bridgeport (Bridgeport, TX) 2.0 3.5

57 OLB Alfred Abraham 5-11 237 (So) 3.80 53 72 OK Parker (Parker, SD) 1.0 1.0

45 OLB Ray Milanese 6-0 217 (So) 1.83 68 64 OK Columbine (Littleton, CO) 1.0 1.5

 

 

 

Cornerbacks

47 CB Bill Parker 5-10 166 (So) 2.32 67 40 OK Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie, TX) 1.0 2.0

28 CB Frank Pleasant (S) 5-9 170 So 3.81 44 70 OK Marcus (Flower Mound, TX) 2.5 4.0

25 CB Larry Madise 5-8 171 (Jr) 2.82 61 71 OK Stanley Community (Stanley, ND) 2.5 3.5

38 CB Corey Jackson 5-10 182 (Sr) 2.32 74 59 OK Grapeland (Grapeland, TX) 1.5 2.0

22 CB Kahlil Wallace 6-2 188 (Jr) 2.29 52 51 OK Timpson (Timpson, TX) 1.0 2.5

23 CB Ollie Washington 6-1 177 (Jr) 2.01 85 36 OK Clarinda (Clarinda, IA) 1.5 3.0

36 CB Stacey Cunningham (S) 5-11 158 So 3.36 79 86 OK Cleburne (Cleburne, TX) 2.5 4.0

 

 

 

Free Safety

44 FS David Holman 6-1 200 So 3.36 93 95 OK Plano (Plano, TX) 3.0 4.5

24 FS Kim Hartings 5-10 165 (So) 3.98 67 99 OK McCook Central (Salem, SD) 1.0 1.5

39 FS Jody Davis (S) 5-9 187 So 2.91 48 72 OK Knox City (Knox City, TX) 3.0 4.5

27 FS Jess Adams 6-0 190 (Fr) 3.33 82 89 OK Veterans Memorial (Mission, TX) 1.0 2.0

43 FS Ricky Middleton 6-0 181 (Jr) 3.26 77 91 OK Sam Rayburn (Pasadena, TX) 1.5 2.5

48 FS Victor Bednarik 5-11 184 So 3.88 71 92 OK Tom Bean (Tom Bean, TX) 2.5 4.0

 

 

 

Strong Safety

29 SS Bill Spikes 6-2 191 Sr 2.32 90 57 OK St. Joseph (Victoria, TX) 1.0 1.5

33 SS Yatil Tice 5-9 174 Fr 3.34 87 88 OK Pittsburg (Pittsburg, TX) 2.0 4.0

49 SS Tim Canidate 6-1 178 (Fr) 2.18 54 50 Redshirt I.C. Ranum (Denver, CO) 2.5 4.0

46 SS Steve Chiaverini (S) 5-10 192 Fr 1.85 21 42 OK Blue Ridge (Blue Ridge, TX) 2.5 4.0

 

 

 

Kickers

14 K Kevin Bettis 6-4 186 Sr 2.49 94 60 OK La Marque (La Marque, TX) 1.0 1.5

08 K J.D. Beasley (S) 6-4 181 Jr 2.27 59 56 OK Bellville (Bellville, TX) 1.0 1.5

 

 

 

Punters

05 P Irv Riley (S) 6-4 186 Jr 2.79 59 70 OK Social Circle (Social Circle, GA) 3.0 3.5

10 P Stan Stamper 6-0 188 (So) 3.90 82 83 Redshirt Nocona (Nocona, TX) 1.0 1.0

09 P Barret McKnight 6-3 190 Fr 3.91 68 71 OK Rosemead (Rosemead, CA) 2.0 4.0

 

*Starters are bolded

 

 

We'll be switching up the formations a bit this year. On offense this year, we're switching it out to the West Coast formation and hope that we can exploit some of the matchup problems that Willie Spagnola can create coming out of the backfield.

 

On defense, we're switching to the 4-6. I know not a lot of teams use the 4-6, but we've got a lot of talent at the safety positions and feel like this will be the best formation to use to utalize their talents. The one disavantage that about this is we are kinda putting our corners in a disadvantage with very little help. Good thing for us, we've got some really good corners that I'm comfortable with playing one on one.

 

 

 

Schedule

 

Week 1: Bowling Green

Week 2: Cincinatti

Week 3: Open

Week 4: #10 Nebraska

Week 5: Texas A&M

Week 6: @ #22 Kansas State

Week 7: #12 Missouri

Week 8: @ #6 Texas

Week 9: @ Oklahoma State

Week 10: #2 Oklahoma

Week 11: Open

Week 12: @ #15 Texas Tech

Week 13: Illinois

Week 14: @ Central Florida

Week 15: Open

 

This is as brutal a schedule as I've seen. We picked up a couple of home and away series this year with Illinois and Cincinatti, so that should be good matchups for us. They're programs like us, trying to make a name for themselves. We've picked up more home games then last year, a good thing considering we only had four last year. Still, out of the 12 games we play, exactly half are ranked in the top 25 to start the year off. Gonna be a tough year, for sure.

[boog23]

Week 1

 

 

Baylor: 20 , Bowling Green: 3

 

 

Good win for us to start out with. Bowling Green is a team that was picked to finish 3rd in the MAC, so they have some talent on their roster. Don't get me wrong, I know we're not talking a BCS team here, but still, they will sneak up on someone this year.

 

Mike Lemons made his Baylor Bears debut. The Tennessee transfer had what I would call a successful start to the season, completing 21 of 34 passes for 246 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. I hate the pick, but I absolutely love that completion percentage. Good first showing for Lemons.

 

Our rushing game wasn't really up to par. Willie Spagnola had a "so so" day, carrying the ball 24 times for 71 yards. Andre Pupunu had a very mediocre debut, rushing for 22 yards on 11 attempts. We're gonna have to improve apon this if we're gonna have some success in the Big 12 this year.

 

Our wideouts were solid. Lemons spread the ball out about as evenly as we've ever had in a game before. Joe Smith tied for the team lead in receptions with five and lead the team with 67 yards and a touchdown. Spencer Kriewaldt tied Smith with five catches for 64 yards and the other touchdown. Walt Mariaro wasn't to far behind, finishing with four catches for 65 yards. Sophmore Laurence Brown made his college debut, catching three passes for 29 yards.

 

Our defense was flying all over today. Victor Benarik lead us with eight tackles, three run stuffs and a fumble recovery. Jody Davis had a solid game, finishing with five tackles and a forced fumble. Outside linebacker Henry Ferguson finished with six tackles, a sack, a run stuff and a forced fumble. Little used defense end, Don Atkins had two sacks in this one, while Jon Herring chipped in with his first of the year. Frank Pleasant forced a fumble while freshman inside linebacker Les Clayton recorded his first collegiant interception.

 

Today was a very good day for our whole team. We played well offensively, defensively and on special teams. We've got a hungry Cincinatti team coming into Waco next week, so we need to have a focused week so we can come in fully prepared.

 

 

--- News and Notes ---

 

- Five star defensive end Ryan Wells came for a visit to see us beat Bowling Green.

 

- Willie Spagnola suffered a leg injury during the Bowling Green game, but should be ready to go against Cincinatti.

 

- Every team in the Big 12 won except for Kansas, Iowa State and Colorado. The only reason that Iowa State and Colorado didn't win was because they didn't play.

 

- Recorded Attendance for the Bowling Green game: 40,663

 

 

 

Week 2

 

 

Baylor: 42 , Cincinatti: 36

 

This was easily one of the most exciting games that I've ever been apart of in my young career here at Baylor. This one was tied at the end of regulation at 26. Both teams scored twice in the overtime period and then we got a big touchdown but failed with the required two point try. Boy oh boy, did that have me worried. My defense though decided it was time to end the game and shut them down on four straight plays. Big, big win for us and the student body here at Baylor. This can only do good things for our confidence.

 

God, it certainly is nice to have a quarterback that can put us on his shoulders and will us to victory. Mike Lemons was the man, completing 31 of 51 passes for 487 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Three interceptions have me a little concerned, but when you throw the ball 51 times, you're gonna have a few let downs. Still, we don't win this game without Mike.

 

It took Willie Spagnola two games to finally start the season like I thought he would. He eclipsed the 100 yard mark today, finishing with 111 yards on 26 carries. Andre Pupunu had his first rushing touchdown of his career, finishing with nine carries and 21 yards. Good showing overall for our rushing attack.

 

Our receivers went nuts in this one. Joe Smith was the man, catching nine passes for 153 yards and all three of the touchdown receptions. Spencer Kriewaldt held his own, catching seven balls for 118 yards while Walt Marinaro wasn't far behind with six catches for 96 yards. Laurence Brown made an impact with three catches for 46 yards and the true freshman tight end, Golden Fraley, caught his first two balls of his career for 35 yards. Spagnola chipped in with 39 yards on four receptions.

 

Our kicker, J.D. Beasley needs a shout out in this one, converting on five of seven field goal attempts with a long of 48. We lose this one if he doesn't make a big kick at the end of regulation and a kick in overtime to tie it. Big day for J.D. for sure.

 

David Holman lead the team with nine tackles. Henry Ferguson was solid yet again, recording eight tackles and two run stuffs. Les Clayton was solid for the second straight game, getting eight tackles and a run stuff. Redshirt freshman outside backer Larry Carter had his first good game of the season, finishing with six tackles and his first career sack. Cornerback Larry Mirse was huge for us as well, recording six tackles, one sack and a forced fumble. Big play from a little guy. James Wise had a sack while very little used defensive tackle Tom Kaesviharn also recorded a sack, his first of his career. Jon Herring forced a fumble in this one as well.

 

This was a huge win for us, as already stated. To know that we can go toe to toe with another BCS school on the rise like Cincinatti is a good feeling. We get a week off now so hopefully a few guys can get healed up and such. Good win.

 

 

--- News and Notes ---

 

- Four star running back L.C. Hill was in town for the game

 

- Lemon's 487 passing yards were a new Baylor record

 

- Attendance for the Cincinatti game: 41,869

[boog23]

So, I played the Nebraska game and saved, like I always do, and got a message saying the save can not happen because the game was running twice. I closed out of it and now it says the league doesn't exist. I guess this one is over with.

[bigguy9854]

And you started 2-0. That sucks.

[bigguy9854]

Are we going to get another diary?