We’re ere When You Can’t Be thethethe Baylor Lariat Vol. 111 No. 52 December 7 , 2010 Houston, we have a bowlgame aylor hasn’t been in a bowl Bgame since 1994. Now, with seven wins under its belt, the 2010 team is headed to the Texas Bowl in Houston at Reliant Stadium. It’s the same place where just last year Baylor Nation cheered on its men’s basketball team as it worked toward a berth into the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. Now we’re back. Different sport, same goal — to win. 2010 Texas Bowl edition Newspaper of the Year | Texas APME Daniel Cernero | Photo Editor TheLariat Best Student Newspaper | Houston Press Club TUESDAY| DECEMBER 7, 2010 | the Texas Bowl Edition 2 Baylor Lariat www.baylorlariat.com Postseason play ‘a great opportunity’ By Chris Derrett and unexpected injuries to offen- Sports Editor Ticket Info sive leaders Griffin and Jay Finley >>On campus in 2009 hindered the Bears as they Before speaking at Sunday’s again went 4-8. Students can purchase press conference, a smiling head Healthy and experienced, this coach Art Briles slapped himself. tickets in the SUB beginning year’s squad can finish the way it He offered an explanation to the Wednesday from 8 a.m. always envisioned. media in attendance, but there to 5 p.m. and continuing “You have to get there first, and was more understanding among Thursday and Friday at the now you have to do a great job in the reporters and camera opera- same hours. preparation and doing whatever tors than confusion. we’ve got to do to win the football “Just making sure this is real,” >>Online, BU athletics game. That’s the way I want this Briles said. “It’s real.” Anyone can get seats from senior class to go out, as winning If Baylor’s football history baylorbears.com for either the first bowl game around Baylor seemed like a 16-year long night- $65, $60, or $25. [since 1992],” Briles said. mare of futility to the green and For other players, it could be a gold faithful, Baylor Nation finally be ready to go,” Griffin said. only a taste of things to come. awakened as McCaw and Briles The game holds meaning to “It is one chip off the shoul- officially revealed the Bears’ bid in any and all associated with Baylor der. I mean, I have a couple more Houston’s Texas Bowl. football, and more broadly Baylor I need to pluck off, and I am sure “The perception of Baylor has University and its surrounding these guys do, too,” Griffin said certainly improved; the image of community. alongside Landor and senior Dan- Baylor has improved. There are For a number of men on the ny Watkins. “So we will continue people still standing on the play- field, it will be the final chapter in to play with all those chips on our ground, and we got chosen,” Briles a story filled with both success and shoulders and be ready to go out said. disappointment. there and get after somebody.” After Kansas State announced “I know those guys have always Finally, for the Bears’ future, it would be playing in New York talked to me and told me about all an appearance on ESPN during City’s Pinstripe Bowl, the Texas the things they have been through primetime can prove an immense Bowl’s choices essentially became DANIEL CERNERO | LARIAT PHOTO EDITOR with different coaches and differ- help in the recruiting game. either Baylor or Texas Tech, both “There’s going to be a lot of re- Head coach Art Briles and Baylor athletic director Ian McCaw happily announce Baylor’s Texas Bowl bid at a ent transitions they have had to of whom finished 7-5 overall. Fifth Sunday press conference. The bowl will be the Bears’ first since 1994. make,” senior Byron Landor said. cruits that are going to be able to in the Big 12 bowl pecking order, Current fourth-year Baylor come out and watch us practice the Texas Bowl chose the Bears, site for Baylor fans. run. Briles and the team expect the because it has been a really long players began their collegiate and be around us for two or three leaving the Red Raiders to Dallas’ Just over eight months ago same homefield advantage when time. Everybody is going to have career with a 3-9 effort in 2007 days,” Briles said. “Those are huge TicketCity Bowl. Baylor fans packed the stadium to Robert Griffin III and Co. take the a reason to be there, whether it is under head coach Guy Morriss. advantages. We’re still in the news The Bears face Illinois on Dec. watch their men’s basketball team field. a special trip or they call in a sick A rocky start to the Briles era and football season is going on, so 29 at Reliant Stadium, a familiar in the school’s historic Elite Eight “Everybody has been waiting, day at work, so I am sure they will brought a 4-8 campaign in 2008, that’s big.” YOU WIN SOME, YOU LOSE SOME A look back at the Bears’ 7-5 campaign Illinois analysis: BU must stop rush By Matt Larsen Like the Bears, who closed the combines speed and power in his consistent and balanced approach. Sept. 4: Football wins its season opener against Sam Hous- ton, 34-3. Back for his first game since his injury, Robert Griffin Sports Writer season with three losses, the Illini running style. They sit at fifth in the Big Ten in rushes for 59 yards and passes for 242. Defensively, the Bears did not finish their season on a He has picked up more than total defense, giving up 344 yards hold their opponent scoreless in the first half. “If we play defense It has been a momentary breath high note, losing three of their last 1,500 yards this season while quar- a game, 131 rushing and 213 pass- like that every week we are going to win a lot of football games,” of fresh air for the Bears since four. Most recently the team lost terback Nathan Scheelhasse has ing. Head Coach Art Briles says. their last regular season game on 25-23 at Fresno State on Friday. added 815 of his own. With their game Friday against Nov. 20, but this year the breath Also like the Bears, the Illini Though playing in a pass-sat- Fresno State, the Illini’s schedule is shorter than it has been in 16 managed no big upsets in route to urated Big 12, the Bears showed had them playing their last game Sept. 11: The Bears dominate Buffalo, 34-3, for back-to-back home game wins. Griffin runs for two touchdowns, his second seasons as they look to down the their improved but middle-of-the- their ability to overcome a run- two weeks later in the season than putting the Bears in the lead at 34-3 toward the beginning of the Fighting Illini Dec. 29 in the Texas conference finish, their biggest minded Kansas State team and the the Bears. third quarter. Jay Finley finishes with 76 yards on a 5.8-yard aver- Bowl. win coming in a 33-13 win over conference’s second-best rusher, Unlike Landor, senior offensive age. After two wins, Baylor’s next challenge is TCU. “We have a great opponent 7-5 Penn State. Daniel Thomas, in a 47-42 win tackle Danny Watkins chose to in Illinois. They have done some Most of Zook’s Fighting Illini earlier this year. use this time to take a mini hiatus fabulous things this year on the teams have been led by a rushing Senior safety Byron Landor from football. football field,” head coach Art attack, and this edition is no dif- took advantage of the chance to “I didn’t watch any football Sept. 18: Baylor loses 45-10 after TCU scores touchdowns on its first five possessions. The Horned Frogs take a quick 35-3 Briles said. “Coach (Ron) Zook is ferent. scout the Illini last Friday. over the past week,” he said, smil- advantage over the Bears gaining 335 of their 558 total yards very well respected in the coaching While both backfield starters “Actually they came on TV the ing after his teammate’s comment by halftime. The Bears are stifled by TCU’s defense. Griffin fin- circles around the country.” have speed, junior running back other night and I texted all my about watching the Illinois-Fresno ishes 16-of-28 passing for 164 yards while running 14 times for In his sixth season coaching Mikel LeShoure draws the most roommates and told all of them game. “We had a little shutdown 21 yards. the Illini, Zook’s squad experi- attention. ‘Make sure you watch the game,’” there for a bit. It was nice to cool enced down years in 2008 and “Both those guys are really he said with a smile. “They are a the jets so to speak. When we got 2009 after an eye-catching, nine- good,” Briles said. “The QB is a running team; I think we have on the field there [in Saturday’s Sept. 25: The Rice Owls fall short as Baylor redeems itself win season in 2007 that ended in good runner. LeShoure is First- done a pretty good job with the practice], it was a good atmo- in a 30-13 win. “We hit a couple of big plays in the first half and a trip to the 2008 Rose Bowl.