By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
The Topper
>UCLA wide receiver Theo Howard said Thursday he will not be taking his official visit to Baylor this weekend. Howard said that he is still interested in the Bears and may plan to take a visit later. There’s no timeline of when that would be. But it appears his thinking of making his commitment decision by the end of November may also be fluid.
>Talks between the Baylor staff and Cedar Hill 2020 offensive lineman Courtland Ford appear to have fallen off recently. Whether that’s by design or not, the Ford camp continues to review all options. Ford is not planning to attend Saturday’s game against Oklahoma.
>Although he tweeted as recently as Monday that he would be in Waco, Baton Rouge (LA) Thrive Academy DL and Baylor commit Alven Johnson said Thursday he will not be in Waco for the game against the Sooners. There appear to be logistical issues involved.
Chomping at the Gators
Fort Lauderdale (FL) Stranahan 2020 wide receiver Leonard Manuel has been committed to the Gator since mid-January. That’s been 10 months.
But his interest in Baylor at least has the Rivals No. 106 prospect interested in the Bears and potentially willing to travel to Texas to take a look.
Manuel has been talking to the Baylor staff for the last couple of weeks. Then things went in another direction when he announced on Twitter that Baylor had offered.
At 6-5, Stranahan would appear to be a perfect fit to be that big and physical wide receivers. However, the Baylor coaches have talked with him about playing safety. Baylor’s defensive coaching staff has long wanted to have length in its secondary.
“They have definitely surprised me on their performance this year,’’ Manuel said. “But I have been really paying attention to their schemes and the way they run their stuff.’’
Nothing is finalized yet. However, Manuel appears to be trying to line up an official visit for Dec. 14.
He is playing on both sides of the ball for Stranahan. He has 645 receiving yards and a team-leading nine touchdowns. However, he has collected 33 total tackles (24 solos) to go along with an interception and five PBUs.
Notable Oklahoma visitors
A look at those visitors who have told SicEmSports they plan to be in attendance at Baylor’s Saturday night game against Oklahoma. These lists are always subject to change.
>Alfred Collins, DE, Cedar Creek (2020 Baylor offer)
>Darius Hale, RB, Pasadena Dobie (2021 Baylor offer)
>Tyrone Brown, LB, West Orange Stark (2021 Baylor commit)
>Chateau Reed, WR, Lawton (OK) (2020 Baylor commit)
>Mose Jeffery, OL, Kilgore College (2020 Baylor commit)
>D’Marion Alexander, WR/DE, China Spring (2021 Baylor offer)
>Romario Noel, DB, Cy Ranch (2021 Baylor commit)
>Mark Wilson, S, Clear Lake (2021 Baylor offer)
>Jahdae Barron, DB, Pflugerville Connally (2020 Baylor commit)
>Will Nixon, WR, Waco Midway (2020 Baylor offer; Nebraska commit)
>Theron Stroops, DB, Lancaster (2020 Baylor commit)
>Kelvontay Dixon, Ath, Carthage (2020 Baylor offer) – he’s really up in the air
>Adonis McCarty, WR, Brownwood (2020 Baylor commit)
>Will Garner, LB, Klein (2020 Baylor commit)
>Vincent Paige, DE, Denton Guyer (2022 Baylor offer)
>Kaidon Salter, QB, Cedar Hill (2021 Baylor offer)
>Seth Jones, WR, Shadow Creek (2020 Baylor commit)
>Cisco Caston, WR, Weatherford (2021 Baylor interest)
>Briley Green, QB, West Mesquite (2021 Baylor interest)
>Deamikkio Nathan ll, WR, South Grand Prairie (2021 Baylor interest)
>Brandon Hawkins, WR/DB, Waxahachie (2021 Baylor interest)
>Blair Williams, WR, Lancaster (2021 Baylor interest)
>Allen Horace, Ath, Crockett (2020 Baylor offer)
>Brooks Miller, DB, West Monroe (LA) (2020 Baylor commit)
>KJ Liggins, Ath, Coppell (2021 Baylor interest)
>Eli Stowers, QB, Denton Guyer (2021 Baylor offer; Texas A&M commit) - I wouldn't read too much into this.
>Terrell Tilmon, DE, Mansfield Timberview (2021 Baylor offer)
Baylor Players talk Oklahoma
Senior SLB Blake Lynch, Redshirt freshman LT Casey Phillips and Sophomore TE/DE Rob Saulin met with the media to talk about Saturday’s mega matchup with No. 10 Oklahoma.
Blake Lynch, SLB, Sr.
I think Saturday is going to be a great atmosphere. We know it’s a big game and they know it’s a big game. We just have to work on the small details that we do every day at practice.
(BU defense) We pride ourselves on playing defense here. The coaching staff has really stressed that to us. We have a lot of older guys on the defensive side of the ball, so we just take pride in that.
(Jalen Hurts) He’s a real smart player and can run the ball very well. He can throw the ball too, so he’s not one dimensional. We’re going to have to play him all the way through the game.
(Comparison to Kyler Murray) They both have their strong suits, but Kyler was more elusive and Jalen is strong.
(Terrell Bernard) Terrel is a great player. When Clay went down, we needed somebody to step up and he’s filled that role. Terrel has great instincts. He’s just a football player. He loves to play.
(BU defense) I really don’t think in all the nine games we’ve played that the offense and defense have been clicking at the same time. Hopefully this Saturday that will happen. But defenses win championships and can get the ball back for our offense.
(BU offense and defense not on same page) It’s encouraging but it’s disappointing at the same time. We practice so hard that we want to go out there and give 100 percent and do what we do at practice.
(CeeDee Lamb) Cee Dee Lamb is a great player. But I have full faith in our DBs and I have full faith in our coaching staff to do whatever we need to do to eliminate his touches. I go in coverage sometimes.
(Biggest changes coaching staff has brought) I’m going to speak more from a defensive perspective, but a lot of discipline. Details and playing hard is what they preach every day. It can be a Tuesday or Wednesday practice, we’re playing like it’s a game. Every rep matters. They preach to us that everything counts.
(Playing LB) It’s just a great opportunity Coach Rhule has given me. When he put me on the defense, at first I was kind of iffy and shaky about it because I had always played offense. But at the end of the day, I just want to do whatever helps the team, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.
(Abram Smith at LB) He played running back for us for two years. He’s just a tough guy. He wasn’t getting a lot of touches and we know he’s tough. We know he’s fast, so he wanted to come over and play defense. If he runs to the ball and hits people, he’ll be on the field. We all try to take any young guy under our wing and try to help him.
I just like to play football but defense is definitely a different mentality than offense.
I played a little bit of running back in high school, so I had to deal with contact. But really that’s just what makes the game exciting. Whoever can push each other out of the way will ultimately probably win the game.
Since the new defensive staff has been here, I’ve probably gained 15 to 20 pounds.
(First meeting with Rhule in 2016) That was such a long time ago, but it was a big culture change. A lot of discipline, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Play hard. If you don’t perform well in practice, you’re not going to play in the game. It doesn’t matter what you did the last game.
(GameDay) I think it’s great. Us being 9-0, we try not to focus on it. A lot of guys will because we’re in the spotlight right now. But I think the biggest thing is if you want to beat Oklahoma, just go 1-0 and get ready for tonight’s practice and go and watch the film and watch Oklahoma’s explosive offense.
(Chippy in 2017 vs. OU) Things did get chippy. Things were said before the game but that doesn’t help you win the game. At the end of the day, we try to just play within the white lines and play to our ability.
(Game atmosphere at McLane) I think it’s going to be a great atmosphere playing at home with a whole bunch of people making it loud. We get a home field advantage and hopefully we can take advantage of that. But we just have to look to the guys on the team. It’s great that the crowd’s there, but they can’t really win us the game. We have to do our job.
Casey Phillips, LT, RSFR
(On having College GameDay being here) It’s pretty cool, because as an athlete, you see the College GameDay stuff on TV, so having them come is pretty cool. But at the end of the day, it won’t change how we play or it won’t change how Oklahoma plays. If we were to play tomorrow with no College GameDay, or if we were going to play on Saturday with College GameDay, it’s still football. So, you’ve got to try to make it that as much as possible.
(playing before a sellout) That’s also pretty cool, having like the whole Baylor Family all together at once and coming to see two good teams play. Just the thought of that is something that every college athlete dream of is having a sold-out crowd and two good teams playing in primetime. So, it’s pretty neat to think about.
(the crowd maybe affecting OU the way TCU’s crowd did to Baylor last week) TCU’s crowd was extremely loud. That was super cool to play in, but it also sucked because it negatively affected us. And that’s something we have to work on. Hopefully, our crowd will kind of have that same effect on OU and have that same kind of noisy, loud atmosphere.
(mindset of the offense, when your backs are against the wall) I don’t know, it kind of goes back to what Coach Rhule always says about trusting your training. Say like on Tuesday morning, you’re not really expecting to wake up and then go full speed at 7 in the morning. But, they’re always changing, giving us different scenarios, that kind of helps whenever our backs are to the wall. We just kind of fall back on what we’ve done Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and kind of just build something.
(getting Connor Galvin back) I don’t know, it’s definitely good to have him back, he’s a very good player. I really don’t know what’s going to happen. Coach Rhule and Coach Bell, they always do a good job of putting the best five out there. So whatever happens, happens, and whoever’s out there is going to play.
Connor always looks good. I think he’s healthy, but I guess that’s kind of a Coach Rhule question.
(working on in the OL to improve) Especially the past two weeks, they’ve been emphasizing finishing and not watching the play finish, but us getting the last shove and being a more dominant and enforcing offensive line.
(on OU’s defense not getting sacks or turnovers) I don’t know that that’s an accurate thing to say. Their defense is good, so I don’t know that no sacks or no turnovers forced just says that their defense isn’t good or that someone else is doing something good. They’re obviously winning a lot of games, so they’re doing something right.
(look like a different defense) I don’t know, I can’t really speak on the 2017 team. I didn’t play last year. But this is definitely a good defense. There’s a lot of movement in it, so we’ve got to come off and get it moved.
(playing elite d-linemen, what do you learn) Pretty much everyone in the Big 12 is a crazy athlete, so it’s not really just one team. Texas Tech has great defensive linemen, Iowa State had great defensive linemen, Oklahoma has great defensive linemen, we have great defensive linemen. I play James Lynch and James Lockhart every day of the week. Having them two, and having Bravvion definitely helps prepare us for the defensive linemen we’re going to face later in the week on Saturdays.
(how confident are you if this game becomes a shootout) Pretty confident. But also, our defense has been playing outstanding, so I’m not too concerned in that.
(on Charlie not panicking) Charlie makes plays all the time. He’s one of the best competitors I’ve ever seen, and he’s definitely one of the key leaders. So, that helps that we have him leading the offense.
Rob Saulin, TE/DE, Soph.
(how different is it to prepare for both positions during the week) Since I’ve done it a couple times now, it’s not as bad. I just meet with Coach O (Frank Okam) once a week now that I might play defense a couple snaps. Really, it’s just another thing on my schedule.
(cool thing to get in on both sides) Oh yeah, it took me by surprise. I didn’t know if I was actually going to do it. And then they called me over and I was like, ‘Oh God, here we go.’ I went in, and it was fine, it was just one play, so it went OK.
All I was thinking was I don’t want to get put on my back. It was just a run play, and I just kind of swam the center. It was at nose tackle. (all he had to do was replace Bravvion Roy, can you block kicks, too) I’ve never tried, I don’t think I could.
(on College GameDay being here) It’s awesome, it’s going to be sold out. That’s what you play for, sold-out crowds. Seeing Lee Corso do his predictions is my favorite thing. Getting to watch that will be awesome.
(watch all three hours) As much as we can. Depends on when the game is. You can only catch a couple minutes, or you can catch like an hour. But, I hope we can get to watch the whole thing this week, that would be awesome.
(ever see a College GameDay in person) The only one I could have gone to was when it went to Temple, but I wasn’t in town, so I didn’t get to go. I was really upset about that.
Mostly offense now, that’s where I’m going to go moving forward.
(do you think you can get in a shootout with OU) Yeah, I think we could. We’ve shown that when it comes down to that, we can pull it out and win. And I think we’re just as good as anyone, so I don’t know why we couldn’t.
(concerns about the offense not scoring the last couple weeks) No, we watch film, we see everything is open. We’ve just got to execute. And once you see it, you really don’t make that mistake again.
(showing people what Baylor football is all about) Just showing what we do every week, how hard we practice and getting to show it on the field, especially on the biggest game of the day, will be really fun. Sometimes, you’re on the smaller ESPN games, but now that we’re THE game, I think it will be great to show everyone what we’re really about and continue to win.
(on Terrel Bernard) Oh, it’s great. He’s been awesome. I had no doubt in my mind that he would go in there and do amazing, because in practice he’s always running around and hitting and making plays. And I just knew it would translate well.
(throwing the ball to the tight ends) I tell them every game, ‘Throw me the ball, give me one last chance,’ and they never do. So hopefully, one of these days, they do, because I keep telling them, ‘I’ll catch it. I promise you I’ll catch it.’ (haven’t had one pass thrown to you) No, not one.
(only thing missing is throwing to the tight end more) That would be the best thing, honestly. No one would expect it. if they see it, they still won’t expect it. I can talk all I want, but until it actually happens . . .
You definitely want to get the ball, but you understand how this offense is, that you’re mostly a blocker. So you kind of come to terms with how it’s run and the opportunities that you get. So, it works out.
(favorite play would be a QB bootleg to you) Yes, I’m telling you, I wish that would happen so bad.
(ever run a route) I think once or twice, I ran like a quick flat route or something, but I wasn’t even in the read, so it was all for nothing.
Big 12 Power Rankings
Each week, SicEmSports ranks the Big 12 based on how the season is progressing. Agree or disagree, here they are.
1. Baylor – Looking for the first 10-0 start in school history
2. Oklahoma – Sooners looking to crash Baylor’s party
3. Texas – A win at Iowa State makes Nov. 23 in Waco look even larger
4. Oklahoma State – Cowboys trying to string consecutive Big 12 wins together
5. Kansas State – Curious clock management at the end of the Texas game
6. Iowa State – Cyclones have lost their four games by 11 points
7. Texas Tech – Red Raiders pointing to this game against TCU for bowl hopes
8. TCU – Horned Frogs pointing to this game against Texas Tech for bowl hopes
9. West Virginia – Have not scored more than 20 points in Big 12 game since KU
10. Kansas – Les Miles comes home again to Stillwater
Big 12 Weekend
A look at Saturday’s action from the opening week of the conference. Rankings are from the College Football Rankings. TV is listed. All 10 teams are in action.
Kansas (3-6, 1-5) at No. 22 Oklahoma State (6-3, 3-3); 11:00 a.m., Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK (FS1)
Series: Oklahoma State leads, 38-29-3
Notable: The math is pretty easy for the Jayhawks. They must win their last three against Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Baylor to become bowl eligible. This is also head coach Les Miles first visit to Stillwater since he left after the 2004 season to become the head coach at LSU. Kansas is last in scoring defense (33.5) and total defense (473.2). Oklahoma State is third in scoring offense (37.1) and total offense (500.0)
TCU (4-5, 2-4) at Texas Tech (4-5, 2-4); 11:00 a.m., AT&T Jones Stadium, Lubbock (ESPN2)
Series: Texas Tech leads, 32-26-3
Notable: Both teams have bowl hopes on their minds and must win two of their last three to get there. After this game, TCU has Oklahoma and West Virginia. Texas Tech has Kansas State and Texas. This could be pretty entertaining considering because they are desperate for wins. TCU’s offense didn’t have a lot of success last week against Baylor. Texas Tech’s offense is coming off a strong performance at West Virginia.
No. 19 Texas (6-3, 4-2) at Iowa State (5-4, 3-3); 2:30 p.m., Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, IA (FS1)
Series: Texas leads, 14-2
Notable: The Longhorns rag-tag pass defense faces the most prolific passer in the Big 12 in ISU’s Brock Purdy. He’s thrown for 2,849 yards and is averaging 317 yards per game. Texas’ Sam Ehlinger is third at 293 yards. But he’s been a little interception prone with eight thus far. The equalizer could be the weather where temperatures may not make it out of the 30s. The Longhorns are hanging on to life support to get into the Big 12 championship game.
West Virginia (3-6, 1-5) at No. 24 Kansas State (6-3, 3-3); 2:30 p.m., Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, KS (ESPN)
Series: Kansas State leads, 5-4
Notable: While the Wildcats are bowl eligible, the question is really how much more Chris Klieman can get out of this team because it’s ninth in the league in total offense at 379 yards per game. Actually, this could be a game where that defense gets well. West Virginia is last in scoring offense (21.1) and total offense (329.7)
No. 10 Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1) at No. 13 Baylor (9-0, 6-0); 6:30 p.m., McLane Stadium, Waco (ABC)
Series: Oklahoma leads, 25-3
Notable: All of Baylor’s wins in this series have come in this decade. This is pretty much the unstoppable force facing the immovable object. Oklahoma leads the conference in scoring (48.4). Baylor leads the conference in scoring defense (19.0). Oklahoma leads in total offense (587.3). Baylor is second in total defense (337.4).
Emptying the Notebook
>Lamar Consolidated RB and Baylor 2020 commit Taye McWilliams has rushed for 1,343 yards this year (10.1 ypg). But his season is extraordinary because he has not had one rushing attempt that has gone for negative yardage. Between his rushing and receiving (1,500 total yards), McWilliams has averaged 10.6 yards per every touch.
>Cedar Creek 4-star defensive end Alfred Collins plans to attend to Baylor's game against Oklahoma Saturday. And while the Sooners have made a move on him, Collins is taking everything in stride. "Just gonna go check everything out and see what's up,'' Collins said about attending the game and what he's looking for. Collins said he is unsure if he will actually his fifth and final official visit. Time will tell.
Publisher
The Topper
>UCLA wide receiver Theo Howard said Thursday he will not be taking his official visit to Baylor this weekend. Howard said that he is still interested in the Bears and may plan to take a visit later. There’s no timeline of when that would be. But it appears his thinking of making his commitment decision by the end of November may also be fluid.
>Talks between the Baylor staff and Cedar Hill 2020 offensive lineman Courtland Ford appear to have fallen off recently. Whether that’s by design or not, the Ford camp continues to review all options. Ford is not planning to attend Saturday’s game against Oklahoma.
>Although he tweeted as recently as Monday that he would be in Waco, Baton Rouge (LA) Thrive Academy DL and Baylor commit Alven Johnson said Thursday he will not be in Waco for the game against the Sooners. There appear to be logistical issues involved.
Chomping at the Gators
Fort Lauderdale (FL) Stranahan 2020 wide receiver Leonard Manuel has been committed to the Gator since mid-January. That’s been 10 months.
But his interest in Baylor at least has the Rivals No. 106 prospect interested in the Bears and potentially willing to travel to Texas to take a look.
Manuel has been talking to the Baylor staff for the last couple of weeks. Then things went in another direction when he announced on Twitter that Baylor had offered.
At 6-5, Stranahan would appear to be a perfect fit to be that big and physical wide receivers. However, the Baylor coaches have talked with him about playing safety. Baylor’s defensive coaching staff has long wanted to have length in its secondary.
“They have definitely surprised me on their performance this year,’’ Manuel said. “But I have been really paying attention to their schemes and the way they run their stuff.’’
Nothing is finalized yet. However, Manuel appears to be trying to line up an official visit for Dec. 14.
He is playing on both sides of the ball for Stranahan. He has 645 receiving yards and a team-leading nine touchdowns. However, he has collected 33 total tackles (24 solos) to go along with an interception and five PBUs.
Notable Oklahoma visitors
A look at those visitors who have told SicEmSports they plan to be in attendance at Baylor’s Saturday night game against Oklahoma. These lists are always subject to change.
>Alfred Collins, DE, Cedar Creek (2020 Baylor offer)
>Darius Hale, RB, Pasadena Dobie (2021 Baylor offer)
>Tyrone Brown, LB, West Orange Stark (2021 Baylor commit)
>Chateau Reed, WR, Lawton (OK) (2020 Baylor commit)
>Mose Jeffery, OL, Kilgore College (2020 Baylor commit)
>D’Marion Alexander, WR/DE, China Spring (2021 Baylor offer)
>Romario Noel, DB, Cy Ranch (2021 Baylor commit)
>Mark Wilson, S, Clear Lake (2021 Baylor offer)
>Jahdae Barron, DB, Pflugerville Connally (2020 Baylor commit)
>Will Nixon, WR, Waco Midway (2020 Baylor offer; Nebraska commit)
>Theron Stroops, DB, Lancaster (2020 Baylor commit)
>Kelvontay Dixon, Ath, Carthage (2020 Baylor offer) – he’s really up in the air
>Adonis McCarty, WR, Brownwood (2020 Baylor commit)
>Will Garner, LB, Klein (2020 Baylor commit)
>Vincent Paige, DE, Denton Guyer (2022 Baylor offer)
>Kaidon Salter, QB, Cedar Hill (2021 Baylor offer)
>Seth Jones, WR, Shadow Creek (2020 Baylor commit)
>Cisco Caston, WR, Weatherford (2021 Baylor interest)
>Briley Green, QB, West Mesquite (2021 Baylor interest)
>Deamikkio Nathan ll, WR, South Grand Prairie (2021 Baylor interest)
>Brandon Hawkins, WR/DB, Waxahachie (2021 Baylor interest)
>Blair Williams, WR, Lancaster (2021 Baylor interest)
>Allen Horace, Ath, Crockett (2020 Baylor offer)
>Brooks Miller, DB, West Monroe (LA) (2020 Baylor commit)
>KJ Liggins, Ath, Coppell (2021 Baylor interest)
>Eli Stowers, QB, Denton Guyer (2021 Baylor offer; Texas A&M commit) - I wouldn't read too much into this.
>Terrell Tilmon, DE, Mansfield Timberview (2021 Baylor offer)
Baylor Players talk Oklahoma
Senior SLB Blake Lynch, Redshirt freshman LT Casey Phillips and Sophomore TE/DE Rob Saulin met with the media to talk about Saturday’s mega matchup with No. 10 Oklahoma.
Blake Lynch, SLB, Sr.
I think Saturday is going to be a great atmosphere. We know it’s a big game and they know it’s a big game. We just have to work on the small details that we do every day at practice.
(BU defense) We pride ourselves on playing defense here. The coaching staff has really stressed that to us. We have a lot of older guys on the defensive side of the ball, so we just take pride in that.
(Jalen Hurts) He’s a real smart player and can run the ball very well. He can throw the ball too, so he’s not one dimensional. We’re going to have to play him all the way through the game.
(Comparison to Kyler Murray) They both have their strong suits, but Kyler was more elusive and Jalen is strong.
(Terrell Bernard) Terrel is a great player. When Clay went down, we needed somebody to step up and he’s filled that role. Terrel has great instincts. He’s just a football player. He loves to play.
(BU defense) I really don’t think in all the nine games we’ve played that the offense and defense have been clicking at the same time. Hopefully this Saturday that will happen. But defenses win championships and can get the ball back for our offense.
(BU offense and defense not on same page) It’s encouraging but it’s disappointing at the same time. We practice so hard that we want to go out there and give 100 percent and do what we do at practice.
(CeeDee Lamb) Cee Dee Lamb is a great player. But I have full faith in our DBs and I have full faith in our coaching staff to do whatever we need to do to eliminate his touches. I go in coverage sometimes.
(Biggest changes coaching staff has brought) I’m going to speak more from a defensive perspective, but a lot of discipline. Details and playing hard is what they preach every day. It can be a Tuesday or Wednesday practice, we’re playing like it’s a game. Every rep matters. They preach to us that everything counts.
(Playing LB) It’s just a great opportunity Coach Rhule has given me. When he put me on the defense, at first I was kind of iffy and shaky about it because I had always played offense. But at the end of the day, I just want to do whatever helps the team, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.
(Abram Smith at LB) He played running back for us for two years. He’s just a tough guy. He wasn’t getting a lot of touches and we know he’s tough. We know he’s fast, so he wanted to come over and play defense. If he runs to the ball and hits people, he’ll be on the field. We all try to take any young guy under our wing and try to help him.
I just like to play football but defense is definitely a different mentality than offense.
I played a little bit of running back in high school, so I had to deal with contact. But really that’s just what makes the game exciting. Whoever can push each other out of the way will ultimately probably win the game.
Since the new defensive staff has been here, I’ve probably gained 15 to 20 pounds.
(First meeting with Rhule in 2016) That was such a long time ago, but it was a big culture change. A lot of discipline, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Play hard. If you don’t perform well in practice, you’re not going to play in the game. It doesn’t matter what you did the last game.
(GameDay) I think it’s great. Us being 9-0, we try not to focus on it. A lot of guys will because we’re in the spotlight right now. But I think the biggest thing is if you want to beat Oklahoma, just go 1-0 and get ready for tonight’s practice and go and watch the film and watch Oklahoma’s explosive offense.
(Chippy in 2017 vs. OU) Things did get chippy. Things were said before the game but that doesn’t help you win the game. At the end of the day, we try to just play within the white lines and play to our ability.
(Game atmosphere at McLane) I think it’s going to be a great atmosphere playing at home with a whole bunch of people making it loud. We get a home field advantage and hopefully we can take advantage of that. But we just have to look to the guys on the team. It’s great that the crowd’s there, but they can’t really win us the game. We have to do our job.
Casey Phillips, LT, RSFR
(On having College GameDay being here) It’s pretty cool, because as an athlete, you see the College GameDay stuff on TV, so having them come is pretty cool. But at the end of the day, it won’t change how we play or it won’t change how Oklahoma plays. If we were to play tomorrow with no College GameDay, or if we were going to play on Saturday with College GameDay, it’s still football. So, you’ve got to try to make it that as much as possible.
(playing before a sellout) That’s also pretty cool, having like the whole Baylor Family all together at once and coming to see two good teams play. Just the thought of that is something that every college athlete dream of is having a sold-out crowd and two good teams playing in primetime. So, it’s pretty neat to think about.
(the crowd maybe affecting OU the way TCU’s crowd did to Baylor last week) TCU’s crowd was extremely loud. That was super cool to play in, but it also sucked because it negatively affected us. And that’s something we have to work on. Hopefully, our crowd will kind of have that same effect on OU and have that same kind of noisy, loud atmosphere.
(mindset of the offense, when your backs are against the wall) I don’t know, it kind of goes back to what Coach Rhule always says about trusting your training. Say like on Tuesday morning, you’re not really expecting to wake up and then go full speed at 7 in the morning. But, they’re always changing, giving us different scenarios, that kind of helps whenever our backs are to the wall. We just kind of fall back on what we’ve done Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and kind of just build something.
(getting Connor Galvin back) I don’t know, it’s definitely good to have him back, he’s a very good player. I really don’t know what’s going to happen. Coach Rhule and Coach Bell, they always do a good job of putting the best five out there. So whatever happens, happens, and whoever’s out there is going to play.
Connor always looks good. I think he’s healthy, but I guess that’s kind of a Coach Rhule question.
(working on in the OL to improve) Especially the past two weeks, they’ve been emphasizing finishing and not watching the play finish, but us getting the last shove and being a more dominant and enforcing offensive line.
(on OU’s defense not getting sacks or turnovers) I don’t know that that’s an accurate thing to say. Their defense is good, so I don’t know that no sacks or no turnovers forced just says that their defense isn’t good or that someone else is doing something good. They’re obviously winning a lot of games, so they’re doing something right.
(look like a different defense) I don’t know, I can’t really speak on the 2017 team. I didn’t play last year. But this is definitely a good defense. There’s a lot of movement in it, so we’ve got to come off and get it moved.
(playing elite d-linemen, what do you learn) Pretty much everyone in the Big 12 is a crazy athlete, so it’s not really just one team. Texas Tech has great defensive linemen, Iowa State had great defensive linemen, Oklahoma has great defensive linemen, we have great defensive linemen. I play James Lynch and James Lockhart every day of the week. Having them two, and having Bravvion definitely helps prepare us for the defensive linemen we’re going to face later in the week on Saturdays.
(how confident are you if this game becomes a shootout) Pretty confident. But also, our defense has been playing outstanding, so I’m not too concerned in that.
(on Charlie not panicking) Charlie makes plays all the time. He’s one of the best competitors I’ve ever seen, and he’s definitely one of the key leaders. So, that helps that we have him leading the offense.
Rob Saulin, TE/DE, Soph.
(how different is it to prepare for both positions during the week) Since I’ve done it a couple times now, it’s not as bad. I just meet with Coach O (Frank Okam) once a week now that I might play defense a couple snaps. Really, it’s just another thing on my schedule.
(cool thing to get in on both sides) Oh yeah, it took me by surprise. I didn’t know if I was actually going to do it. And then they called me over and I was like, ‘Oh God, here we go.’ I went in, and it was fine, it was just one play, so it went OK.
All I was thinking was I don’t want to get put on my back. It was just a run play, and I just kind of swam the center. It was at nose tackle. (all he had to do was replace Bravvion Roy, can you block kicks, too) I’ve never tried, I don’t think I could.
(on College GameDay being here) It’s awesome, it’s going to be sold out. That’s what you play for, sold-out crowds. Seeing Lee Corso do his predictions is my favorite thing. Getting to watch that will be awesome.
(watch all three hours) As much as we can. Depends on when the game is. You can only catch a couple minutes, or you can catch like an hour. But, I hope we can get to watch the whole thing this week, that would be awesome.
(ever see a College GameDay in person) The only one I could have gone to was when it went to Temple, but I wasn’t in town, so I didn’t get to go. I was really upset about that.
Mostly offense now, that’s where I’m going to go moving forward.
(do you think you can get in a shootout with OU) Yeah, I think we could. We’ve shown that when it comes down to that, we can pull it out and win. And I think we’re just as good as anyone, so I don’t know why we couldn’t.
(concerns about the offense not scoring the last couple weeks) No, we watch film, we see everything is open. We’ve just got to execute. And once you see it, you really don’t make that mistake again.
(showing people what Baylor football is all about) Just showing what we do every week, how hard we practice and getting to show it on the field, especially on the biggest game of the day, will be really fun. Sometimes, you’re on the smaller ESPN games, but now that we’re THE game, I think it will be great to show everyone what we’re really about and continue to win.
(on Terrel Bernard) Oh, it’s great. He’s been awesome. I had no doubt in my mind that he would go in there and do amazing, because in practice he’s always running around and hitting and making plays. And I just knew it would translate well.
(throwing the ball to the tight ends) I tell them every game, ‘Throw me the ball, give me one last chance,’ and they never do. So hopefully, one of these days, they do, because I keep telling them, ‘I’ll catch it. I promise you I’ll catch it.’ (haven’t had one pass thrown to you) No, not one.
(only thing missing is throwing to the tight end more) That would be the best thing, honestly. No one would expect it. if they see it, they still won’t expect it. I can talk all I want, but until it actually happens . . .
You definitely want to get the ball, but you understand how this offense is, that you’re mostly a blocker. So you kind of come to terms with how it’s run and the opportunities that you get. So, it works out.
(favorite play would be a QB bootleg to you) Yes, I’m telling you, I wish that would happen so bad.
(ever run a route) I think once or twice, I ran like a quick flat route or something, but I wasn’t even in the read, so it was all for nothing.
Big 12 Power Rankings
Each week, SicEmSports ranks the Big 12 based on how the season is progressing. Agree or disagree, here they are.
1. Baylor – Looking for the first 10-0 start in school history
2. Oklahoma – Sooners looking to crash Baylor’s party
3. Texas – A win at Iowa State makes Nov. 23 in Waco look even larger
4. Oklahoma State – Cowboys trying to string consecutive Big 12 wins together
5. Kansas State – Curious clock management at the end of the Texas game
6. Iowa State – Cyclones have lost their four games by 11 points
7. Texas Tech – Red Raiders pointing to this game against TCU for bowl hopes
8. TCU – Horned Frogs pointing to this game against Texas Tech for bowl hopes
9. West Virginia – Have not scored more than 20 points in Big 12 game since KU
10. Kansas – Les Miles comes home again to Stillwater
Big 12 Weekend
A look at Saturday’s action from the opening week of the conference. Rankings are from the College Football Rankings. TV is listed. All 10 teams are in action.
Kansas (3-6, 1-5) at No. 22 Oklahoma State (6-3, 3-3); 11:00 a.m., Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK (FS1)
Series: Oklahoma State leads, 38-29-3
Notable: The math is pretty easy for the Jayhawks. They must win their last three against Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Baylor to become bowl eligible. This is also head coach Les Miles first visit to Stillwater since he left after the 2004 season to become the head coach at LSU. Kansas is last in scoring defense (33.5) and total defense (473.2). Oklahoma State is third in scoring offense (37.1) and total offense (500.0)
TCU (4-5, 2-4) at Texas Tech (4-5, 2-4); 11:00 a.m., AT&T Jones Stadium, Lubbock (ESPN2)
Series: Texas Tech leads, 32-26-3
Notable: Both teams have bowl hopes on their minds and must win two of their last three to get there. After this game, TCU has Oklahoma and West Virginia. Texas Tech has Kansas State and Texas. This could be pretty entertaining considering because they are desperate for wins. TCU’s offense didn’t have a lot of success last week against Baylor. Texas Tech’s offense is coming off a strong performance at West Virginia.
No. 19 Texas (6-3, 4-2) at Iowa State (5-4, 3-3); 2:30 p.m., Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, IA (FS1)
Series: Texas leads, 14-2
Notable: The Longhorns rag-tag pass defense faces the most prolific passer in the Big 12 in ISU’s Brock Purdy. He’s thrown for 2,849 yards and is averaging 317 yards per game. Texas’ Sam Ehlinger is third at 293 yards. But he’s been a little interception prone with eight thus far. The equalizer could be the weather where temperatures may not make it out of the 30s. The Longhorns are hanging on to life support to get into the Big 12 championship game.
West Virginia (3-6, 1-5) at No. 24 Kansas State (6-3, 3-3); 2:30 p.m., Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, KS (ESPN)
Series: Kansas State leads, 5-4
Notable: While the Wildcats are bowl eligible, the question is really how much more Chris Klieman can get out of this team because it’s ninth in the league in total offense at 379 yards per game. Actually, this could be a game where that defense gets well. West Virginia is last in scoring offense (21.1) and total offense (329.7)
No. 10 Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1) at No. 13 Baylor (9-0, 6-0); 6:30 p.m., McLane Stadium, Waco (ABC)
Series: Oklahoma leads, 25-3
Notable: All of Baylor’s wins in this series have come in this decade. This is pretty much the unstoppable force facing the immovable object. Oklahoma leads the conference in scoring (48.4). Baylor leads the conference in scoring defense (19.0). Oklahoma leads in total offense (587.3). Baylor is second in total defense (337.4).
Emptying the Notebook
>Lamar Consolidated RB and Baylor 2020 commit Taye McWilliams has rushed for 1,343 yards this year (10.1 ypg). But his season is extraordinary because he has not had one rushing attempt that has gone for negative yardage. Between his rushing and receiving (1,500 total yards), McWilliams has averaged 10.6 yards per every touch.
>Cedar Creek 4-star defensive end Alfred Collins plans to attend to Baylor's game against Oklahoma Saturday. And while the Sooners have made a move on him, Collins is taking everything in stride. "Just gonna go check everything out and see what's up,'' Collins said about attending the game and what he's looking for. Collins said he is unsure if he will actually his fifth and final official visit. Time will tell.
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