Sports Monday | August 25, 2014 C1 The Baylor Lariat DREW MILLS | ROUND UP STAFF Baylor football players runs onto the field before playing West Virginia on Oct. 5 at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco. The Bears defeated the Mountaineers 73-42. Unfinished business No. 10 Baylor charges into 2014 with hopes of a national championship By Shehan Jeyarajah without question. I mean, you’re a sake, the highest measured verti- senior middle linebacker Bryce sive backs group is talented. one home game over the last three Sports Editor first-year starter, you win 11 foot- cal at the NBA Draft Combine Hager went down, Bennett avoid- “We lost a lot of good football seasons; it was a 49-21 blood- ball games, win the Big 12 Cham- was only 43.5 inches by Oklahoma ed playing sophomore Aiavion Ed- players without question, but we bath against TCU in 2012. Even Baylor football was hardly even pionship for the first time in school State guard Markel Brown. wards. Well now Edwards is slated got a lot of guys back that we have though Baylor is 2-1 over the last on the radar at the beginning of history, throw 4,200 yards, 32 TDs, Baylor graduated two full-time to start at weakside linebacker to a lot of confidence in,” Briles said. three seasons against TCU, its wins last season. The preseason Associ- three picks, and you sit at home in starters in center Stefan Huber replace Baylor great Eddie Lackey. “It’s like Petty coming in last year. have only been by a combined five ated Press poll in 2013 had Baylor December?” and Outland Trophy finalist Cyril Senior Collin Brence started his Only one way to get experience; points. on the outside looking in, and the Petty will make his case to win Richardson at left guard, but also career as a walk-on, but is now pro- that’s to get on the field and play.” Baylor then travels to West Vir- preseason Big 12 poll picked the Baylor’s second Heisman in four boasts a fully healthy tackle lineup. jected to start for Baylor at nickel- The performance of the de- ginia. The Mountaineers have his- Bears to finish fifth, behind Texas, years, and will have every opportu- Junior left tackle Spencer Drango back. Brence has played in multiple fense will make or break Baylor’s torically been a strong home team, TCU and both Oklahoma teams. nity to do so with the talent Bay- ruptured a disk in his back against games for Baylor, but exclusively season. but lack the talent to really keep up What a difference a year and an lor’s offense has to offer. The Bears Texas Tech and missed the end of as a special teams player. Coaches Treacherous schedule with a team like Baylor. The Bears improbable Big 12 championship lost only two major receivers from the season. He is fully healthy this have spoken highly of him, but The Bears play a weak non-con- then return team to play Kansas, makes. last year’s team. They return All- season. Right tackle senior Troy Brence’s skills in the important ference slate in 2014, and should a team that is arguably the worst Baylor is ranked in the top 10 of American Antwan Goodley, along Baker has also fully recovered from “Bear” position are unknown. win handily against SMU, Buffalo team in college football. both the Amway Coaches’ Poll and with other major contributors at an ACL tear over a year ago. The Hager is a known commodity; and Northwestern State, but things All this leads up to the de facto the Associated Press poll for the both inside and wide receiver. line should rank up with the best as long as he is healthy, he will be get interesting after that. Big 12 championship game against first time since 1957. Its uniforms Baylor also added the stron- lines in the conference. one of the best linebackers in the Baylor starts off with a trip Oklahoma in Norman on Nov. 8. were named best in the country by gest wide receiver recruiting class Questions on Defense conference, especially at stopping to Ames, Iowa to face Iowa State. OU has dominated the preseason a fan poll by the Sporting News. in college football, which featured The Bears had a surprisingly the run. The Cyclones were massacred 71-7 polls after a strong showing in And to cap things off, Baylor will four ESPN 300 players. With early good defense in 2013, and fin- The secondary is the least ex- when they played Baylor last sea- the Sugar Bowl against Alabama. open the $260 million McLane Sta- injuries to senior inside receiver ished ranked in the top 30 of total perienced unit on the field. Cover son, but they are a different team Quarterback Trevor Knight played dium on the banks of the Brazos in Clay Fuller and sophomore inside defense. However, Baylor returns safety Terrell Burt is the only player at Jack Trice Stadium. In 2012, ISU the game of his life in the win. Bay- an intra-state matchup with SMU receiver Corey Coleman, incoming only four full-time starters from who has started significant time in quarterback Steele Jantz played the lor has never won in Norman, but on Aug. 31. freshmen KD Cannon and Davion last season on defense. the secondary, and the Bears have game of his life and led the Cy- this would certainly be the year to To put it simply, Baylor football Hall have been gifted an opportu- “I don’t think we’re in the ‘prove to break in two new starting cor- clones to a dominant 35-21 win. do it. is one of the hottest programs in nity to get on the field earlier than everything wrong’ mode anymore,” nerbacks in sophomores Xavien This could easily be a trap game. If there is one game on the the country. many expected. All reports say they Bennett said. “I think we did that Howard and Terrence Singleton. Baylor then travels to Austin to schedule we know Baylor will “There’s an excitement around have run with the opportunity. last season. However it’s a proving However even though the take on historical rival Texas. The be ready for, it is Nov. 22 against this program,” senior quarterback Last year’s 1000-yard rusher business; you’ve got to prove you cornerback duo, along with deep Longhorns are at the dawn of the Oklahoma State. The Bears’ na- Bryce Petty said. “We’re not here to Lache Seastrunk now plays for belong among the elite. For us to safety Orion Stewart, are inexpe- Charlie Strong era, but they pos- tional championship hopes were defend anything; we’re here to at- the Washington Redskins, but the win championships, you have to rienced, Briles believes this defen- sess all the talent to compete with destroyed on a cold night in Still- tack it. There’s a new belt that’s out Bears are in good hands. Sopho- play championship defense.” any team in water last year, but Baylor has OSU there, and we’re going to get it.” more running back Shock Lin- That defense will start at the the nation, at home this season. Petty and There have been many pro- wood was third-string last season, line of scrimmage. Baylor gradu- including company will play with revenge on grams where the stars aligned and but finished seventh in the Big 12 ated its starting defensive ends, but Baylor. the mind. Oklahoma State lost vir- led to a conference championship; with 881 rushing yards; that was junior Shawn Oakman and sopho- A week tually everyone, so Baylor should this season will be the stage where good enough for second among more Jamal Palmer were major later, Baylor be able to easily accomplish its Baylor will either prove itself as a returning rushers. contributors off the bench. comes home goal. flash in the pan, or establish itself Linwood was named preseason “Our depth on the line is great,” for the first From there, Baylor plays Texas as a legitimate national power. All-Big 12, and he will have plenty defensive coordinator Phil Bennett time in over Tech at the Texas Farms Bureau Dynamic offense of help in the backfield. Sopho- said. “I think we can play nine- a month Insurance Shootout at AT&T Sta- If Baylor wants to improve on more running back Devin Chafin deep on the defensive line.” to play pe- dium in Arlington. The Bears have its historic success from 2013, the and redshirt freshman Johnny Jef- That nine would include defen- rennial ri- historically played close games onus will fall largely on Petty. The ferson are absolute physical freaks. sive ends Oakman, Palmer, Boise val TCU. against Texas Tech, but have won sixth-year senior threw for 4,200 Chafin looks like a classic State transfer Sam Ukwuachu and TCU coach convincingly. Red Raider coach yards and accounted for 46 all-pur- power-back at 6-foot, 225-pounds, sophomore Javonte Magee, along Gary Pat- Kliff Kingsbury will have his team pose touchdowns in his first year 18 repetitions on the bench press with defensive tackles sophomore terson and ready to take its best shot against starting. Despite the video-game- and 570-pound squat. However Andrew Billings, junior Suleiman the Horned Baylor, especially since linebacker numbers, Petty just missed being he timed at a blazing 4.43 40-yard Masumbuko, junior Beau Blacks- Frogs plain Sam Eguavoen expressed his dis- a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.