Game 2: Baylor 70, Buffalo 13

Another Baylor game, and another week of broken records!  It was a hot one in Waco, although not as hot as I anticipated, but the action on the field was really hot!  Baylor broke the record set last week for the most points scored at Floyd Casey Stadium (and in what Baylor calls the "modern era"), and broke the school record for offense, 781 yards (!!!).  Bryce Hager's fumble return for a TD was the second longest in school history.  And Lache Seastrunk ran for over a hundred yards for the 6th game in a row, the longest streak in the nation right now.

The Baylor Line was a little smaller this week.
Even college freshmen might stay home on a hot game day.

 The first team offense lit up the scoreboard, scoring 28 points in each of the first 2 quarters.  I had predicted a score of 49-13, and when Baylor scored so quickly, I realized I aimed too low.  At one point the score was 42-13, and Buffalo looked like it was about to score, tainting my prediction.  But then the tough Baylor defense forced a fumble, which Hager grabbed and took 91 yards down the filed for a TD.  So my prediction was met--with 5 minutes left in the first half!  After halftime, it took about 60 seconds for Baylor to score another TD.  The first team offense came out, and, like last week, a bunch of down-the-roster players got game time.  I love the depth of this team!

There weren't many Buffalo fans to begin with.  But they didn't last long.
I think this was toward the end of the 3rd quarter.

 The Mastin clan was not quite as well represented this week.  Zippy elected to stay home this week, not wanting to sit in the heat.  From Mark's family, only Mark and Drew came.  And of course, Mom and Dad were there.  Elliot and I rode to the game with Mom and Dad, and with several minutes left in the game, Mom asked if my desire to go to every Baylor game meant staying for every minute.  She sweetly stuck around so we could see the very end. . . . I figure if you're coming to a game, you might as well stay for the whole thing!

Any time Baylor's on the winning side of this scoreboard is a good day!

The game was not as well-attended as last week's, which was to be expected for a day game with temperatures just under 100 degrees at kickoff.  But it was still a decent crowd, announced at 39,126.  I have a feeling with the Bears winning, the crowds will only get bigger.  Good luck getting a ticket to the Oklahoma and Texas games, if you haven't already!  Now two more weeks until the next blowout.  Sic 'em!

I love this mosaic in the Floyd Casey Stadium lobby.

The west side of the stadium, with Teaff, Singletary, Briles and Griffin, Baylor greats all.

Game 1: Baylor 69, Wofford 3

At long last, college football season has begun!  And for Baylor fans, it began in record-breaking fashion.  I don't know if this was the hottest start to a Baylor game ever, but the heat was a factor for sure, with triple digits at game time.  The heat didn't keep many away though.  The crowd of 44,989 was the second largest home opener ever at Floyd Casey Stadium, behind only a meeting with Oklahoma in 1973.

Other records broken: Heisman trophy candidate Lache Seastrunk ran for 111 yards on only 11 carries, his Baylor-record-breaking 5th consecutive 100 yard game.  Aaron Jones, who already holds the Baylor career scoring record, kicked his 46th career field goal, another Baylor record.  The Bears just kept on scoring: Baylor's 69 points is the 4th highest score in Baylor history, the highest ever at FCS.

Our day began at home, watching "RGIII: The Will to Win," which follows the Baylor legend from injury through recovery.  Best wishes to the Baylor legend as the NFL season begins!  Then Elliot, Zippy, a couple of their buddies and I hit the road for Waco.  We stopped by campus to allow the Baylor Bookstore to part us with some money.  The bookstore was quite crowded, a good sign that the game would be well-attended.

Drew, Evan, Elliot, David, Zippy, and Jordan, working up a sweat by sitting in the shade.

In spite of our longer-than expected stop on campus, we got to Touchdown Alley in time to enjoy a Fuddrucker's burger, courtesy of the Baylor Alumni Network.  Bellies full, we headed to our seats.  All of Mark's family, including his mother-in-law came out for this one, so we filled the 8 Mastin seats, plus the row behind us (knowing the Meyers weren't coming).  Thankfully the seats were already in the shade, making us thankful once again that our tickets aren't on the east side of the stadium.

Ken Starr, loving college life!

The stadium was filling up, the band played the fight song and spelled out BAYLOR as they always do, then it was time for the Baylor Line to run the field.  I don't know if Baylor is the only school where students run the field to form a path by which the players enter, but I haven't seen it elsewhere.  Surely we're the only one at which the university president runs out with the freshmen, leading the charge!  I have been very impressed with the enthusiasm Ken Starr shows for students and life at Baylor.

The Baylor Line seemed larger than ever, as the field filled with their gold jerseys.  Soon the team came running through the tunnel in their new green uniforms (I guess metallic gold helmets are in reserve for a future game).  The prayer by Nick Florence, the coin toss, and the 2013 Baylor football season began!

Baylor got the ball first, and wasted no time setting the tone for the day.  Within a matter of moments, Baylor was on the board with a 7-0 lead.  By the time the first quarter ended, Baylor was up 28-0, including 2 rushing TDs, a passing TD and a blocked Wofford pass that Chris McAllister ran 25 yards for a touchdown.  About that time Wofford was probably wishing for a lightning storm to end the game early.

Baylor continued to dominate the whole night, never allowed a TD, and only had to punt once.  The competition is only going to get tougher, but there is plenty of reason for Baylor fans to be encouraged by the Bears' performance.  Baylor's win was not unexpected, but the final score of 69-3 was quite a bit more lopsided than I would have predicted.  All in all, it was just about a perfect night: watching a Baylor win with my boys, my parents, and my brother and his family at Floyd Casey.  Next week: Buffalo!  See you there!

Baylor's first play of 2013: the predictable, reliable bubble screen.

Baylor's first points of 2013: Glasco Martin rushing TD.

The 2013 NIT champions, with their Maui Invitational surf board.

My favorite people with whom to watch a Baylor game!

All smiles after Baylor's first win of 2013.

I love the fact that the field became a free-for-all playground after the game!
And I love the fact that the scoreboard shows Baylor on top.  More to come!

The Baylor Line, 1987

One of the great Baylor game day traditions is the Baylor Line, Baylor's freshman spirit group, formed in 1970.  Before each game, they gather outside the south end zone, run onto the field in their matching yellow jerseys, and create a human tunnel for the football team to run through.  Although it has looked a little different through the years, this was one tradition in which I always looked forward to participating.

My freshman year, 1987, I drank it in!  I was there every game, back when we had the card section, and when the Line was all men.  If we had a date to the game, they would have to wait in the seats until we completed our manly duty to run like a fool across the football field.  Women were admitted to the Line in 1993, shortly after I graduated.  From my perspective on the alumni side of Floyd Casey Stadium, it appears that they have honorably upheld and continued this great Baylor tradition.

Here am I with some of the gang from Penland at our first game as Baylor Line members.  Baylor started this season 5-1, but hit a rough spot in the last five games, going 1-4.  Still, it was a winning season.  I wish I could remember everyone's names.  That's Glen Greiner on the bottom left, Allison next to me, Phil at the top . . . beyond that, I'm drawing a blank. Sorry.

(By the way, remember Flash?  In the age of Instragram and camera phones, Flash is somewhat obsolete.  The Flash photographer came to all the events, snapping shots like this, then we would make a pilgrimage to he Flash store to browse through hundreds of pictures looking for familiar faces.  Quite a difference from today.)