Game 9: Baylor 63, Texas Tech 34

The Texas Farm Bureau Shootout has quickly become a tradition of shootouts!  This one didn't end up being as close as recent games in this series, but a shootout it was.  Baylor was up by 1 at the end of the first quarter, and up by 8 at the half.  By that time, even though it was close, the momentum was in Baylor's favor, and the second half was all Baylor.

Credit goes to Tech, for coming out guns blazing, scoring TDs on their first 3 drives, taking a 14-0 lead, then after Baylor finally scored a TD, a 20-7 lead.  But when Baylor's Levi Norwoord ran a punt back for a touchdown, then Baylor scored a TD late in the 2nd quarter to go up 35-27, it was over for Tech.  More credit goes to the Bears, who played without their top receiver and 2 top running backs, and who didn't let Tech's fast, dominating start intimidate them.  As Briles told the team after the game, they proved tonight that they are a great team.

We sat way up in the highest section.  We weren't in the highest row, but it was high.  The best part about that is that when you sit that high, you get a nice view of the band's formations.  These were in the pregame show.  Their halftime tribute the armed forces was cool, as they marched in the shapes of a tank, a ship, a submarine, and jets, complete with contrails!  They are a fun band to watch, inspiring my budding percussionist to dream about marching.

Sitting up high, you definitely are in a position to see plays develop, and with the enormous screen hanging in front of you, you can catch a close up of the action there.  Personally, I'd rather sit up high than in those field-level boxes.  It seems like there you would have a perfect view of the legs of people on the sidelines, and very little view of the field of play . . . .

Besides the final score, the best part of the night was catching up with my pledge brothers John and Pat and their wives.  It's hard to believe it was nearly a quarter of a century ago that we met at Baylor!

Elliot, my best Baylor fan buddy, and I have made it to all 9 games.  Three regular season games to go, then a bowl game!  But first, we have to knock of Oklahoma State in Stillwater next week.

Since AT&T Stadium doesn't have a traditional scoreboard like most stadiums have, I couldn't get a proper shot of the final score.  Trust me, this shows the final, 63-34.  (If anyone has a better scoreboard picture, e-mail me!)

Sic 'em!!

Hey, it's basketball season!

Still floating on the excitement of the huge football win over OU on Thursday night, Elliot and I joined Mom and Dad at the American Airlines Center for the first men's basketball game.  Baylor, coming off their NIT championship season, entered the season ranked #25.  For their first game, they took on former Big 12 foe Colorado (RV).

Elliot was happy to be at the game, but not happy to have his picture taken.  Mom thought it was still breast cancer awareness month, so she wore pink instead of Baylor colors.

 Heslip was pretty hot from the 3-point line at this game, shooting 4 for 6.  Two seasons ago, he really made his mark, shooting .455 from the 3-point line.  Last season saw a drop off, at .386.  After 2 games, he's shooting .563.  If he can keep that up, this will be a great season for him and the Bears!

I like what I saw against Colorado.  We have some important returning players: Heslip, Cory Jefferson, Isaiah Austin, Rico Gathers.  Junior college transfer Kenny Chery looks like he's going to be a great fit at point guard.  I don't remember Taurean Prince playing much last year, but I think he'll be a bonus from the bench.

Not too many people witnessed this game first-hand.  I think a lot of basketball fans will be watching the Bears this season, as they make a run on the Big 12 and, I believe, find their way into the NCAA tournament.

And, of course, we can't leave without singing That Good Ol' Baylor Line!

Sic 'em!

Game 7: Baylor 59, Kansas 14

Back to Kansas, for the second time in three weeks!  Last time Baylor played in Lawrence, RG3 had to lead the Bears in an OT win after being down by 21 in the fourth quarter.  For this game, I was hoping it would be a high-scoring romp for Baylor, against a Kansas team that hasn't won a Big 12 game in years.

Zippy didn't want to go back to Kansas this time, and I had 4 tickets, so my dad and my nephew Drew came along.  We left Saturday morning for the now-familiar drive to Kansas.

We got to Lawrence in time to attend the Baylor "tailgate" party.  Not really at a tailgate, but rather a catered affair on the roof of a hotel a couple blocks from the stadium.  Here's the view:

It's always fun to run into Baylor friends at these events.  Here's Dale Connally, one of my favorite Baylor professors.  He was director of Baylor Camp when I was there as a camper and a counselor, but he still seems to like me.  I know, I can't believe it either. 

It's always fun to see the game day traditions of the other schools.  The band marched through KU's version of Touchdown Alley, then sang under the stands, I guess their school song.  (By the way, it's "The University of Kansas,"but it's KU.  Why?)  Like K-State, the KU stadium is right on campus.  Even though the new Baylor stadium is across the river, rather than in the heart of campus, it will be nice being walking distance from campus.

We had really good seats for the game.  I waited too late to order tickets through Baylor, so I got on Stubhub and found some on row 12 around midfield.  We enjoyed a great view.  Of course, there were lots of empty seats.  Once Baylor got up 28-0 early in the second quarter, people starting leaving.  After halftime, it started to seem like Baylor fans were in the majority.  Baylor fans know how it feels.  We've been on the losing end of these games plenty of times.

The first kickoff.

Great view of the action.  It was fun, too, watching the Baylor players having fun on the sidelines.

Drew and Elliot wanted to get even closer, moving down to the second row.

A modestly respectable crowd early in the game.

Plenty of empty seats in the third quarter.

Well, they kept us under 70.  My prediction was 63-17.  I almost got the spread right!  I never get tired of seeing the scoreboard with Baylor on top.  We're 7-0; here's hoping for 6 more wins!  Baylor had an unusually slow start tonight, but got rolling after a couple of series.  KU ran the ball a lot.  I suspect future opponents will use that strategy as well.  Our powerful offense can't score if they're not on the field.

It's been fun to be on top.  Now we're ranked 5 in the AP and coaches poll and 6 in the BCS rankings.  We will need to win convincingly in the next 5 games.  We have already beaten 6, 8, 9, and 10 in the current Big 12 standings.  Obviously, these last 5 conference games promise to be tougher than the first 4.  If we can take care of business in the Big 12, and get some help with upsets above us in the national rankings, who knows where Baylor will end up.  Dare we dream of moving up a couple of spots?  Ending the season in the top 2?

No matter where we end up, it's been a fun ride so far.  Elliot and could not have chosen a better season to go to Every Baylor Game!!

Sic 'em!

Baylor Stadium Watch 10/19/13

Saturday's blowout of Iowa State was the last Homecoming game to be played at Floyd Casey.  It was a record crowd that would have more than filled the new stadium.  Start planning now to get your season tickets for next year!  It's not out of the question to expect that every game next year will be a sell out.

 Construction is moving right along on the new home of the Bears!

 My #1 Baylor buddy is excited about the new stadium.  Will he run in the Baylor Line?  March in BUGWB?  Or go to school somewhere else altogether?  Those decisions will be coming much sooner than I like to think about. . . .

 Work has begun on the pedestrian bridge to the stadium.  This is one of the many cool features that will set Baylor Stadium apart.

Baylor posted some cool ariel shots on Facebook.  Here they are, in case you missed them:

This weekend Elliot, Drew, my dad and I will be heading to Lawrence for Baylor's next win.  Some of those guys remember the scare last time (RG3 had to lead a record comeback in the 4th quarter to squeak out a win).  I think they will prove they can play on the road like the can in Waco.  Baylor wins 63-17.

Sic 'em!!

Game 6: Baylor 71, Iowa State 7

Another game at Floyd Casey Stadium, another record-setting blowout!  Baylor fans, we are getting spoiled--and loving it!  Sure, the pollsters put us at 5 or 6, and the computers don't love us, putting us at 8 in the first BCS rankings, but Baylor fans know this is a championship quality team.  There is no team in the country that Baylor couldn't beat.  Every week, more people are coming to realize that.

This was a great night for Baylor football!  The crowd was reported to be the largest ever at which the opponent was not Texas, Texas A&M, or Arkansas.  Given the tiny group of ISU fans present, that tells me this was the largest attendance of Baylor fans ever!  Pretty cool.  It was also reported that students were turned away at the gate--no more student tickets!  Way to go Baylor students!  Love the school spirit!

I loved the recognitions tonight, too.  The 1963 football team was recognized.  They were one of the best ever, finishing at 8-3, and beating LSU in the Bluebonnet Bowl.  Here is a picture of some Baylor greats together.  Legendary Baylor coach Grant Teaff; Don Trull, QB of that 1963 team; and Ian McCaw, Baylor's AD who took over a struggling athletic department in 2003 and under whose leadership Baylor has enjoyed unprecedented success.  Trull is being recognized here for his recent induction to the College Football Hall of Fame.

It was Homecoming, which, of course, accounts for the crowd.  For Homecoming and as a part of the last season at Floyd Casey, there was a card section!  My first year in Chamber was, as I recall, the last year of the card section in the student seating area.  Baylor students from that era will remember looking through the hole reading "This is Bear Country"on the press box across the field.

Here the fans in the south end zone are reading the same, only on the north end zone tarp.  From this perspective it's not too easy to read, but I think these say "Homecoming 2013"and "The Case 1950-2013."  I remember what a logistical challenge it was to get the card out and to get all the fans to cooperate and make this happen.  Kudos to whoever put this together, and the fans who made it work!

So I guess I'm not up on my pop culture.  My sister-in-law was shocked that I didn't know who this singer was.  I was supposed to have been thrilled to hear a live performance from the one, the only, Lorena's own Holly Tucker!!!  Apparently she had a successful run on one of those TV singing competitions.  I would say I can't stand those shows, but to say that I would have to have actually watched on.  So I'll just say I can't stand the promo spots for those shows and leave it at that.  In any case, congratulations Holly, good luck in your music career, and thanks for coming out to support the Bears!

Oh, but what about the game?  Ah, the game.  What a game it was!  Baylor punted on their first drive; that was discouraging.  But then they dominated from start to finish.  This was the best defensive performance Baylor has had all year.  No defensive scores, but 2 interceptions, 5 sacks, a forced fumble, and 174 (!!!) total yards allowed kept this game all in the hands of Baylor.  The offense had plenty of ammo, racking up over 700 yards.  It was a shut out until ISU scored a TD with under a minute left in the game.  But the game didn't end on a down note; Corey Coleman returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown!

This was total dominance by Baylor over a team that lost to Texas Tech by 7 last week, and to Texas by 1 the week before (and if you saw that game, you know ISU really won . . . .).  In fact, although ISU had 4 losses coming in, the largest margin had been by 8.  This 64 point margin was the largest margin of victory ever for Baylor against a conference foe, SWC or Big 12.

This team just keeps on getting better.  I know, like many Baylor fans, I'm feeling greedy, but I would love to see the Bears score 70 on the road next week in Kansas!  And here is the all important scoreboard:

Sic 'em!

Game 5: Baylor 35, Kansas State 25.

When the clock finally ran to 0:00 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium Saturday afternoon, Baylor fans everywhere breathed a huge sigh of relief.  How quickly we have become accustomed to celebrating a win at the end of the first quarter, looking on in delight as our Bears run up record numbers.  Even after Baylor scored a TD to go up by 10 late in the 4th quarter, I wasn't confident the game was in the bag until that clock ran down.  I think the only record set on Saturday was the most important one: Baylor got the win, for the first 5-0 start since 1991.

The boys and I got up early Saturday, leaving the house about 4:45.  Both of them were troopers; we made it to Manhattan with only one quick bathroom and gas stop.  We at lunch at Aggieville, a commercial area adjacent to campus, then took the shuttle to the stadium.  KSU's campus is sprawling, with a funny mix of architecture.  The stadium is about the same size as Floyd Casey, but with a more open, accessible feel.  

One nice feature of the stadium is all this tailgating space, with very easy access to the seats.  I'm sure this is premium parking for donors. There's a lot of it, and lots of these folks tailgate.  I've never been a tailgater, but it does add to the game day experience.

We were definitely in the nosebleed section, amid a sea of purple.  We loudly, enthusiastically cheered for our Bears, but I don't think anyone would say we were too obnoxious.  The fans were, without exception, welcoming, nice, and congratulatory.  The only sour words we heard were reserved for the Wildcats's offensive play calling. . . .  You can see Zippy was worn out.  Although the temperature was mild, in the 70s, the sun felt hot, and Zippy chose to spend the entire game below the stands in the shade.  He didn't see too much of the game, but says he had a good time.

 We were all alone in our section, surrounded by KSU faithful.  There was a smattering of Baylor fans a few rows in front of us, and another handful in the section to our right.  Here you can see the official Baylor section, with, I would estimate, 200-300 Baylor fans.  These seats were in the corner of the endzone, with the video board behind them.  While it would have been fun to celebrate with fellow fans, I'm not sure how much of the game we could have seen from that perspective.  I'm glad we sat where we did.

And of course, this is the most wonderful sight of all!  Even though Baylor has played well the last few years, they have really struggled in Big 12 road games.  To get a road win, with this loud and enthusiastic K-State crowd (4th largest in KSU history), was huge for the Bears.  The season is not going to get any easier.  Even though we'll be favorites to win the next 2 games, against Iowa State in Waco, and at Kansas, this game tells Baylor not to take any game for granted.  

Sic 'em!

Baylor Stadium Watch: 10/5/13

On the way into town for the latest Baylor blowout, we made our usual stop at campus for a peek at the new Baylor Stadium.  It's moving right along and looking good! I didn't take a picture of them, but the pilings for the pedestrian bridge are going in.  

With the buzz the team is generating this year, and the enthusiasm of the fans, I don't anticipate anything less than a sellout every game next year.  I'm thinking that 45,000 seats won't be enough!  

Rumor has it that ESPN representatives were on hand to see the progress this week.  I see a College Game Day in the very near future. . . .  This is going to be a great game-day locale.  It's a great time to be a Bear!

Sic 'em!

Baylor Stadium Watch: 9/21/13

On the way to the ULM game last week, we had to stop by and check out the progress.  By the way, every time we stop by, we meet up with at least one other Baylor fan doing the same.  The enthusiasm is high for this stadium!  Lots of progress is evident on the east and west side stands.

These guys have seen some changes over the years!  They live in north Waco, but grew up in neighborhoods that no longer exist, taken over by the expansion of Baylor's campus.  I don't know much of the history, but I hope Baylor has been a good neighbor as they have bought up the surrounding neighborhoods.  I know some of the neighbors on the side of the river with the stadium are unhappy with the changes.

Another view.  Even in its partially finished state, you can already tell that this will be a beautiful stadium.  There are many larger football stadiums, and it's inevitable that there will be stadiums built with more bells and whistles and innovations, but I don't know that any will rival this one in beauty and setting.

For real-time stadium updates, pictures, and stadium information, be sure to check out http://baylor-stadium.com/

And this BaylorFans.com thread is regularly updated with pictures: http://www.baylorfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=249108

Game 3: Baylor 70, Univ. of Louisiana-Monroe 7

The wind kept the flags flapping, and factored into
some of the kicking and passing game.

Another weekend of football, another big blowout in Waco!  I don't know about you, but I am having fun watching Baylor's offense rack up the points and the defense shutting down the competition!  It's an historic season so far, and as the competition gets tougher, Baylor just keeps on getting better. 

Elliot, Drew, Uncle Brian.  He's hard to see because of the camo.

Saturday was about as perfect a day for football as we could ask for.  Breezy and 81 at game time, and the shade hit our seats right around kickoff.  Nice!  In spite of the perfect day, Zippy chose to stay home.  I even bribed him with snacks and the privilege of choosing the restaurant!  So Elliot and I took off for Waco alone.  We picked up Uncle Brian and Drew and headed to Touchdown Alley to partake of a Fuddrucker's burger, courtesy of the Baylor Alumni Network.

Before the game, we stopped to check out the statue of Grant Teaff outside the stadium.  Teaff was the coach in all of my formative years, from earliest memory up to my time on campus.  After a long string of dismal years and mediocre coaches, I think we finally have a successor to Teaff.  Art Briles has returned a winning tradition to Baylor, and he seems to share Teaff's emphasis on character and faith.  When will Briles pose for his statue?

The interlocking BU is hard to see from this angle.

I am guilty of not giving the Baylor University Golden Wave Marching Band enough love.  But watching them march in, forming the interlocking BU a the BAYLOR spell out is awesome.  Honestly, I usually head to the Bear Club for a snack at halftime, but this week I watched the show.  The marching was pretty amazing!  These kids work their tails off, and I should be ashamed for not sticking around for the halftime show each week!

Elliot and Drew have grown up watching Baylor football.  They both talk about going to college somewhere else, but it's hard to imagine them not wearing a Baylor Line jersey and running onto the field in the new Baylor stadium!

Mom and Dad were out of town this weekend, but there were plenty of Mastins to fill the seats.  Laura and Brian were there with all their girls, Lisa and David came, and of course Mark's family.  Thankfully there were a few empty seats around us.

And of course, this is the greatest sight of all!  Baylor exactly matched not only the score from last game, but also the number of offensive yards!  A double school record.  So, heading into Big 12 play, Baylor leads the nation in scoring, yards per game, quarterback rating, passing yards per game, and is second in points against.  If they can keep this kind of dominance up, there will be no stopping the Bears this year!

I guess Elliot was a bit tired on the ride home.  He took off his shirt to use as a pillow.  Don't worry, Elliot, Baylor has a bye week again this weekend, so you can get some rest.

Sic' em!!