WE’RE THERE WHEN YOU CAN’T BE The Baylor Lariat Vol. 114 No. 52 © 2012, Baylor University history with Baylor makes makes Baylor 3rd bowl game 3rd MONDAY | DECEMBER 3, 2012 | the Bowl Issue 2 Baylor Lariat www.baylorlariat.com Belief drives Bears to Holiday Bowl By Krista Pirtle against Texas Tech, has his team- Sports Editor mates’ support, trust and belief. His numbers aren’t too far off With 5:11 remaining in the fi- of Griffin’s, too. nal game at Floyd Casey Stadium Last year, Griffin threw for and a seven-point Baylor lead, 4,293 yards and 37 touchdowns sophomore Lache Seastrunk broke and ran for 699 yards and 10 through the line of scrimmage at scores. the Baylor 24-yard line and saw Florence has held his own with the light of the Promised Land. 4,121 yards and 31 touchdowns Halfway to the end zone, Sea- through the air and 531 yards and strunk caught a cramp in his left nine touchdowns on the ground. hamstring. At this point, he had “Nick [Florence] is a once in two options: he could fall down in a lifetime kind of person,” Briles pain or believe that he could finish said. “It is a privilege to be able to and take the rock to the house. be around people like that. You Belief is a word that has been wonder why people are able to do used a lot when talking to the foot- extraordinary things and then you ball team. study them and you realize they do After the SMU dominant per- it because they are dedicated, dis- formance, the team believed it ciplined, they have faith, and they could keep up the high profile are trustworthy. He is the defini- football from last season. tion of a leader.” After the nonconference sched- Another place of doubt was fo- ule was completed, the team be- cused on who would be his main lieved it could win the Big 12. target down the field. After four straight conference Last year, All-American Ken- losses, the team believed it could dall Wright made his place in the resurrect its season. record books. After getting its first conference This season, junior Tevin Reese win over Kansas, the team believed and seniors Lanear Sampson and it finally had all the pieces needed Terrance Williams each came in for success. with 1,000 yards and finished the After the upset over No. 1 Kan- regular season with 889, 639 and sas State, the team believed it could 1,764 respectively. MAKENZIE MASON | ROUND UP PHOTO EDITOR go to a third straight bowl. Plus, Williams has surpassed No. 25 running back Lache Seastrunk celebrates with No. 16 receiver Tevin Reese after Reese’s 75-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Baylor won After defeating Texas Tech for Wright’s records in Baylor’s books 41-34 over Oklahoma State on Saturday. win No. 6, the team believed it and has been named an All-Amer- could defeat Oklahoma State the ican and a Biletnikoff finalist. next week. The final, and biggest concern downs. play at a tremendous rate of speed to endure. Going from not playing tremendously, speaking for myself Now, after a season full of be- as the season progressed, was the Since Baylor’s inauguration in and also stay under control. I think for two years to just sitting there not just as a football player but as lief, that spirit will propel the Bears defense. the Big 12 in 1996, people have that says a lot about this football and watching everyone else play, a young man. These guys, in our into the post season for a record Something clicked against wondered whether the Bears be- team. They have a lot of confidence God still had my back. Everyone down times have taught me so setting third time in a row. Kansas that wasn’t confirmed until long in the conference. in what they are doing.” gave up on me except my family much. Looking to these guys when “We got players and we got a it held the No. 1 team in the nation This season, with a team fight- That mind-set is what took and Coach Briles. I’m so happy to I needed them, I wouldn’t trade it team that fights,” senior quarter- to only 24 points. ing for respect, its belonging over for Seastrunk as he caught the be here because the support sys- for anything.” back Nick Florence said. “A month “We had faith in our defense,” shouldn’t be a question anymore. cramp halfway through his run. tem that I have sat with me when As for Florence, who will hang ago, people were writing us off and junior running back Glasco Mar- “Congratulations to our foot- With a good chunk of field left I wasn’t able to play.” up his jersey after the bowl game,, this team fought hard. It means a tin said, “We knew as an offense ball team,” head coach Art Briles to go before the end zone, he found This team’s belief has brought this opportunity has been a bless- lot.” that we could potentially score said. “What they have accom- a second gear and galloped it in for it together as a family. While last ing. The nation, however, had quite every time we got the ball in our plished, in my mind, has been a the score. year’s team had 10 wins and a “I’m proud of this team,” Flor- a bit of unbelief coming into the hands. We just jumped on the story of heart, belief and attitude “It was all God,” Seastrunk said. Heisman Trophy winner, junior ence said. “I’m thankful for the op- season without Heisman Trophy backs of our defense and they and that’s what makes my position “I knew that it was bigger than me. nickel back Ahmad Dixon said portunity to play with this team. winner Robert Griffin III not in came up with a stop and we took so worth while because I get the It was all for my family. I’ve been that this team is his favorite. Win or lose, all glory goes to God the pocket. advantage of it.” privilege to hang around people praying and praying and for me “I wouldn’t trade this season and what he’s done on the cross for Florence, who took over in Since then, junior linebacker that do extraordinary things and to go through what I have gone for the world,” Dixon said. “These us. This team is a fighting team. I 2009 when Griffin tore his ACL Eddie Lackey has had three inter- extraordinary effort and that’s through these last two years, no seniors and these other guys that love it, and I wouldn’t want to be and burned his redshirt last year ceptions, two returned for touch- hard to do. We have been able to one will understand what I have are here with me, we have grown on any other team.” Dixon leads Baylor D By Daniel Hill athlete. He loves the game and has “It’s taken a big, great rise,” Dix- Sports Writer a passion for it.” on said. “Because when I signed When Dixon arrived at Baylor’s here, I was the highest recruit to When he was coming out of campus in the summer of 2010, the ever come to Baylor in 16 years. Midway High School in nearby main goal for the football game was After my class, we started getting Hewitt, Baylor junior nickel back just to make it to a bowl game. That two or three top recruits and next Ahmad Dixon could have chosen season, the Bears went 7-6 and lost thing you know we have the num- to go to pretty much any school to Illinois in the Texas Bowl. It was ber five or six players in the nation in the nation. He was ranked as Baylor’s first bowl game appear- coming to Baylor just to visit and the No. 15 national recruit by ES- ance since 1994. to come check us out. I know that’s PNU 150 and had scholarship of- “When I first got here, the key something that’s changed since I’ve fers from Alabama, Texas, USC point was getting to a bowl game,” been here. Even with me living in and pretty much everywhere else Dixon said. We got into a bowl Waco, I don’t even remember hav- in between. Instead of bolting for game. Then the next thing ing a top recruit visit MAKENZIE MASON | ROUND UP PHOTO EDITOR a glamorous, prestigious program, we wanted to do was win Waco. I’ve seen this No. 11 quarterback Nick Florence carries the ball down the field. Baylor defeated Oklahoma State 41-34 on Sat- Dixon decided to stay home and the Big 12. We didn’t win program grow very urday. head to Baylor, who was just com- the Big 12 my sophomore quickly. I mean, it’s ing off of a 4-8 season. year, so we wanted to get grown in the right Even back in high school, his the best bowl game we direction. What former Midway High School and could possibly get. coach Briles has Spread offense feeds Bears current Baylor teammate sopho- So you know, done here is tre- more wide receiver Levi Norwood this sea- mendous. He’s By Greg DeVries ecutes its offense. Seastrunk only on their blockers and hit the holes recognized the heart that Dixon s o n been patient.” Sports Writer had a few carries on the year be- when they open up.