You know what they say about good luck. It’s when hard work and preparation come together. Obviously, the entire Baylor Nation is a bit unnerved after what happened with quarterback Seth Russell and his neck injury. Everyone will know very soon the extent of this injury and what it means for the rest of the season.
The first song I ruled out for this week’s Random Juke Box was Hee Haw’s classic, “Gloom, Despair and Agony on me.’’ This group needs a real pick-me-up. How about Ethel Merman? Sorry I had to do it.
But you know what, heck with it. You have to laugh every now and then.
****
Baylor’s football program in 2009 was in a far different place then than it is now in 2015. But don’t think for a moment that a lot of fans, alums and other followers harkened back to six years ago on Sept. 26 when Robert Griffin III was lost for the season with a torn ACL.
Expectations for 2009 centered on a program trying to make its first bowl game since 1993. Everything looked great when the Bears started 2-1 and were on their way to wiping out Northwestern State, 68-13. On the game’s opening drive, Griffin was stopped on a 4th-and-two. He laid on the ground for several moments before he hobbled to the sideline. He actually finished the first half as Baylor led, 41-10. Then the next day it was revealed that RGIII was done for the year. Hopes for a promising season went upside down. The job went to Nick Florence. Baylor finished the season 1-7 and finished 4-8.
Prior to his start against Kent State (a Baylor 31-15 win), Florence had not played a snap. So Florence walked into the job pretty cold. All things considered, he handled it pretty well. He threw for 1,786 yards with six touchdowns and nine interceptions. In what turned into a lost season, the Bears had their shining moment when they won at Missouri.
That Baylor team was going to ask Griffin to make play after play, find a way to win shootouts and see if the program can sneak into a bowl game. As it turned out, Baylor had to wait another year for that moment. When Griffin went down, everything changed from the locker room to the execution. It was like someone jammed a needle into a balloon and wanted to hear how big of a pop it would make.
Now, no one is going to confuse this Baylor team for that Baylor team. The 2015 Bears are more equipped from a talent standpoint to win and continue the push toward a Big 12 championship and run at the national title. The running game is one of the best in the country. It features a bull at running back in Shock Linwood. There is an offensive line made up of four seniors and one junior. You have two standout receivers in Corey Coleman and Jay Lee along with a third in KD Cannon who has the chance to but has yet to arrive.
This defense has far greater playmakers than at any other time. Provided he will be healthy enough to go Nov. 5 at Kansas State, nose tackle Andrew Billings is the best player on this side of the ball. Maybe the light has come on for defensive end Shawn Oakman. Linebacker Taylor Young and nickel back Travon Blanchard are emerging.
What I’m saying is that Baylor can stay in this race for everything. The goals haven’t and shouldn’t change. Depending on Russell’s prognosis, the only question is if they can stay in it for the duration. That November gauntlet is looking more and more daunting with consecutive games against No. 14 Oklahoma in Waco, No. 12 Oklahoma State in Stillwater and No. 3/5 TCU in Fort Worth.
I don’t care who you are or how good your program is, when you lose your starting quarterback – my position about Russell notwithstanding -- it just changes the dynamics of your team. Without question, Russell has played the position in the way I described to a lot of people. I said in March that Russell is going to make some plays where you said, “How did he do that?” and make some plays where you said, “Why did he do that?”
But he has been the guy. The game plans are built around his skill set. Baylor has been repping for this since right after the Cotton Bowl when Russell starting playing catch with his receivers. For the sake of discussion, just look at what’s happening in Dallas with the Cowboys. Tony Romo is out with broken clavicle. The Cowboys started 2-0. They haven’t won since and are 2-4. It also hasn’t helped that Dez Bryant is out as well. You get the gist. Football is a violent game. People are going to get hurt.
What the Baylor coaches have been doing with Jarret Stidham has probably been a little more simplified. After all, he is a freshman and is still trying to get a grasp of the Division I game. Sure, it’s great that he arrived in January. He understands how everything is working. His numbers in mop up duty – I stress mop up duty – look amazing. People should feel really good about his future.
Still, it would just be a little naïve for anyone to think that Baylor is going to pick up exactly where it left off as Stidham presumably makes his first start on a Thursday night in Manhattan, KS. And despite a season that is going south for the Wildcats, this is probably going to be their last stand. They’re going to throw everything at Stidham and see how he handles it. That’s just the way this works. Plus, athletes are creatures of habit. They’re going to have to get used Stidham’s cadence, his mannerisms, the way he interacts with them and how he delivers a football. They’re all little things. But they eventually form into a big thing.
The history of football has been littered with backups quarterbacks who have come on and played so well that the team actually played better than it did with the starter. I go back to Eral Morral and the 1972 perfect Miami Dolphins. Bob Griese goes down to injury. The Dolphins finished 17-0 and Super Bowl VII Champions. Maybe that happens with Baylor.
These next hours and days are going to be filled with a myriad of emotions. From hour to hour, your mind will race from total confidence that this thing will look great and Baylor will dominate to that dark place where everything blows up and Baylor finishes 7-5 before bowl season. Somewhere in the middle, you have no idea what’s going to happen: “Well, we could XXXX but we might XXXX.’’ It’s natural to feel all of that. All of us are no-man’s land. The emotions of this season are at extremes because this is the most talented team that has ever played at Baylor. This might be Baylor’s best chance at winning a national championship -- ever.
But remember this program isn’t made of paper mache. It has a history. Top recruits are now considering this program than ever before. You don’t luck your way into consecutive conference championships. There is substance here. If you want more, then consider I haven’t changed my position about Baylor winning the national championship.
*****
Some other thoughts…
>I am really not a fan of colleges making changes with their football or basketball coaches during the middle of the season. I find it disgusting. When Miami (Fl.), Illinois – heck that was before the season – Maryland, USC and North Texas are making moves, it just reminds you amateur is just a word when it comes to this sport. With the billions of dollars involved, this is a business. That’s it. Throw in Steve Spurrier’s abrupt resignation at South Carolina and this has the makings of one of the most turbulent off-seasons for coaching changes. There’s talk Frank Beamer could be done at Virginia Tech. Dana Holgorsen may have to look over his shoulder at West Virginia if the Mountaineers finish poorly. How long can Bill Snyder continue at Kansas State? Rutgers, Indiana and Purdue could be making changes in the Big 10. Colorado could be making a change in the Pac 12. There are lots of rumors of Arizona’s Rich Rodriguez wanting to return to the East Coast. Will Auburn give Gus Malzahn another year?
>What it could mean is that former Baylor assistant Dino Babers, who is having a great year at Bowling Green (6-2 – bowl eligible for the fourth straight year), could be on the move. He’s building a nice resume for himself.
>We don’t talk women’s basketball much. But Sunday night was another big moment for Kim Mulkey’s program. She secured the nation’s No. 1 recruit in Flower Mound 6-4 post Lauren Cox. This summer Cox helped Team USA win the gold medal at the FIBA Under-19 Women’s World Championships in Russia. This was a great recruiting win for Mulkey because Cox picked Baylor over UConn, Notre Dame, Louisville and Tennessee. I’ve seen her once. She averaged nearly 22 points per game last year and helped Flower Mound reach the Class 6A state tournament. If you ever see a Flower Mound box score, expect Cox to have half of her team’s points. Very few have an answer on how to defend her. “I love [Mulkey’s] intensity,’’ Cox told The Dallas Morning News. “We got to watch a practice, and the team was just so intense.’’ Cox also said she wanted to remain closer to home. Cox is expected to sign her letter of intent on Nov. 11.
>If Oklahoma has really found its running game (the Sooners rushed for 405 yards against a horrible Texas Tech rushing defense), my only question is why did it take seven games to find it? The Sooners arguably have the best 1-2 combination in the conference between Semaje Perine and Joe Mixon. New offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley really should have been doing this to start rather than forcing his philosophy on everybody.
>If you didn’t see it Cory Jefferson was told over the weekend that he has made the Phoenix Suns roster for the 2015-16 season. How long that will last is another question. But at least he gets a chance.
>The senseless tragedy at Oklahoma State’s homecoming parade this past Saturday is another reminder that we need to be more hardcore against people are driving under the influence. This woman who killed four (including a 2-year-old) is facing manslaughter charges. I hope more states around the country will revisit their law and change them to capital murder. When people under the influence get in their car to drive, it’s no longer a car. It’s a weapon. My heart goes out to Oklahoma State with all of the tragedies between the basketball team plane crash in 2001 to women’s basketball coach Kurt Budke dying in a plane crash in 2011.
>The World Series begins Tuesday in Kansas City between the Royals and New York Mets. This is a great matchup between a very young and deep Mets starting rotation against a Kansas City lineup which doesn’t strike out. I will always defer to the team with the better starting rotation. That's the Mets. The Royals rotation has been very up and down this year. Obviously, it’s been good enough because this team is still playing. I want Kansas City to win but I’m calling the Mets in seven.
*****
Now on to other Baylor sports…
>The Baylor men’s tennis team went 3-0 in singles matches on the opening day of the UTSA/ITA Regional Championships Saturday. Meanwhile the Baylor women’s tennis duo of Kelley Anderson and Theresa Van Zyl fell in USTA/ITA Regional Championship round of 16 doubles action Sunday at the Hawkins Indoor Center. Inclement weather forced all of the event’s matches to be moved to Waco from College Station. Select members of Baylor’s team will compete in the Bush’s $50,000 Waco Showdown, starting Nov. 2 at the Hurd Tennis Center.
>Baylor women's cross country runner Maggie Montoya received the first Big 12 Runner of the Week honor of her career, the league's office recently announced. Baylor runners travel to the Big 12 Championship on Oct. 31 in Stillwater, OK.
>Baylor soccer earned a 2-1 win over Texas Sunday afternoon at Myers Stadium in soggy conditions. The Bears (9-5-2, 4-1-1) used two second half goals to take down the Longhorns (7-5-4, 4-3-1) as BU has now gone undefeated in 10 of its last 11 matches. The Bears travel to Fort Worth, Texas, for a 7 p.m. CT tilt at TCU on Tuesday.
>Baylor volleyball dropped its second straight conference match at home with a 3-0 loss to Iowa State, 25-19, 25-21, 25-22, Sunday afternoon at the Ferrell Center. The Bears (14-8, 2-6 Big 12) are on the road at No. 7 Kansas Saturday night at 7 p.m. at Horejsi Family Athletics Center in Lawrence, KS.
> No. 3 Baylor Equestrian (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) earned its first victory on the road, downing No. 6 TCU (2-2, 0-1 Big 12) in a tense meet that finished in a 9-9 draw, and had to be decided on a raw score tiebreaker. The overall mark favored the Bears, earning their first Big 12 win of the season, 1553.25-1512.75.
Let’s make it a great week!
The first song I ruled out for this week’s Random Juke Box was Hee Haw’s classic, “Gloom, Despair and Agony on me.’’ This group needs a real pick-me-up. How about Ethel Merman? Sorry I had to do it.
But you know what, heck with it. You have to laugh every now and then.
****
Baylor’s football program in 2009 was in a far different place then than it is now in 2015. But don’t think for a moment that a lot of fans, alums and other followers harkened back to six years ago on Sept. 26 when Robert Griffin III was lost for the season with a torn ACL.
Expectations for 2009 centered on a program trying to make its first bowl game since 1993. Everything looked great when the Bears started 2-1 and were on their way to wiping out Northwestern State, 68-13. On the game’s opening drive, Griffin was stopped on a 4th-and-two. He laid on the ground for several moments before he hobbled to the sideline. He actually finished the first half as Baylor led, 41-10. Then the next day it was revealed that RGIII was done for the year. Hopes for a promising season went upside down. The job went to Nick Florence. Baylor finished the season 1-7 and finished 4-8.
Prior to his start against Kent State (a Baylor 31-15 win), Florence had not played a snap. So Florence walked into the job pretty cold. All things considered, he handled it pretty well. He threw for 1,786 yards with six touchdowns and nine interceptions. In what turned into a lost season, the Bears had their shining moment when they won at Missouri.
That Baylor team was going to ask Griffin to make play after play, find a way to win shootouts and see if the program can sneak into a bowl game. As it turned out, Baylor had to wait another year for that moment. When Griffin went down, everything changed from the locker room to the execution. It was like someone jammed a needle into a balloon and wanted to hear how big of a pop it would make.
Now, no one is going to confuse this Baylor team for that Baylor team. The 2015 Bears are more equipped from a talent standpoint to win and continue the push toward a Big 12 championship and run at the national title. The running game is one of the best in the country. It features a bull at running back in Shock Linwood. There is an offensive line made up of four seniors and one junior. You have two standout receivers in Corey Coleman and Jay Lee along with a third in KD Cannon who has the chance to but has yet to arrive.
This defense has far greater playmakers than at any other time. Provided he will be healthy enough to go Nov. 5 at Kansas State, nose tackle Andrew Billings is the best player on this side of the ball. Maybe the light has come on for defensive end Shawn Oakman. Linebacker Taylor Young and nickel back Travon Blanchard are emerging.
What I’m saying is that Baylor can stay in this race for everything. The goals haven’t and shouldn’t change. Depending on Russell’s prognosis, the only question is if they can stay in it for the duration. That November gauntlet is looking more and more daunting with consecutive games against No. 14 Oklahoma in Waco, No. 12 Oklahoma State in Stillwater and No. 3/5 TCU in Fort Worth.
I don’t care who you are or how good your program is, when you lose your starting quarterback – my position about Russell notwithstanding -- it just changes the dynamics of your team. Without question, Russell has played the position in the way I described to a lot of people. I said in March that Russell is going to make some plays where you said, “How did he do that?” and make some plays where you said, “Why did he do that?”
But he has been the guy. The game plans are built around his skill set. Baylor has been repping for this since right after the Cotton Bowl when Russell starting playing catch with his receivers. For the sake of discussion, just look at what’s happening in Dallas with the Cowboys. Tony Romo is out with broken clavicle. The Cowboys started 2-0. They haven’t won since and are 2-4. It also hasn’t helped that Dez Bryant is out as well. You get the gist. Football is a violent game. People are going to get hurt.
What the Baylor coaches have been doing with Jarret Stidham has probably been a little more simplified. After all, he is a freshman and is still trying to get a grasp of the Division I game. Sure, it’s great that he arrived in January. He understands how everything is working. His numbers in mop up duty – I stress mop up duty – look amazing. People should feel really good about his future.
Still, it would just be a little naïve for anyone to think that Baylor is going to pick up exactly where it left off as Stidham presumably makes his first start on a Thursday night in Manhattan, KS. And despite a season that is going south for the Wildcats, this is probably going to be their last stand. They’re going to throw everything at Stidham and see how he handles it. That’s just the way this works. Plus, athletes are creatures of habit. They’re going to have to get used Stidham’s cadence, his mannerisms, the way he interacts with them and how he delivers a football. They’re all little things. But they eventually form into a big thing.
The history of football has been littered with backups quarterbacks who have come on and played so well that the team actually played better than it did with the starter. I go back to Eral Morral and the 1972 perfect Miami Dolphins. Bob Griese goes down to injury. The Dolphins finished 17-0 and Super Bowl VII Champions. Maybe that happens with Baylor.
These next hours and days are going to be filled with a myriad of emotions. From hour to hour, your mind will race from total confidence that this thing will look great and Baylor will dominate to that dark place where everything blows up and Baylor finishes 7-5 before bowl season. Somewhere in the middle, you have no idea what’s going to happen: “Well, we could XXXX but we might XXXX.’’ It’s natural to feel all of that. All of us are no-man’s land. The emotions of this season are at extremes because this is the most talented team that has ever played at Baylor. This might be Baylor’s best chance at winning a national championship -- ever.
But remember this program isn’t made of paper mache. It has a history. Top recruits are now considering this program than ever before. You don’t luck your way into consecutive conference championships. There is substance here. If you want more, then consider I haven’t changed my position about Baylor winning the national championship.
*****
Some other thoughts…
>I am really not a fan of colleges making changes with their football or basketball coaches during the middle of the season. I find it disgusting. When Miami (Fl.), Illinois – heck that was before the season – Maryland, USC and North Texas are making moves, it just reminds you amateur is just a word when it comes to this sport. With the billions of dollars involved, this is a business. That’s it. Throw in Steve Spurrier’s abrupt resignation at South Carolina and this has the makings of one of the most turbulent off-seasons for coaching changes. There’s talk Frank Beamer could be done at Virginia Tech. Dana Holgorsen may have to look over his shoulder at West Virginia if the Mountaineers finish poorly. How long can Bill Snyder continue at Kansas State? Rutgers, Indiana and Purdue could be making changes in the Big 10. Colorado could be making a change in the Pac 12. There are lots of rumors of Arizona’s Rich Rodriguez wanting to return to the East Coast. Will Auburn give Gus Malzahn another year?
>What it could mean is that former Baylor assistant Dino Babers, who is having a great year at Bowling Green (6-2 – bowl eligible for the fourth straight year), could be on the move. He’s building a nice resume for himself.
>We don’t talk women’s basketball much. But Sunday night was another big moment for Kim Mulkey’s program. She secured the nation’s No. 1 recruit in Flower Mound 6-4 post Lauren Cox. This summer Cox helped Team USA win the gold medal at the FIBA Under-19 Women’s World Championships in Russia. This was a great recruiting win for Mulkey because Cox picked Baylor over UConn, Notre Dame, Louisville and Tennessee. I’ve seen her once. She averaged nearly 22 points per game last year and helped Flower Mound reach the Class 6A state tournament. If you ever see a Flower Mound box score, expect Cox to have half of her team’s points. Very few have an answer on how to defend her. “I love [Mulkey’s] intensity,’’ Cox told The Dallas Morning News. “We got to watch a practice, and the team was just so intense.’’ Cox also said she wanted to remain closer to home. Cox is expected to sign her letter of intent on Nov. 11.
>If Oklahoma has really found its running game (the Sooners rushed for 405 yards against a horrible Texas Tech rushing defense), my only question is why did it take seven games to find it? The Sooners arguably have the best 1-2 combination in the conference between Semaje Perine and Joe Mixon. New offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley really should have been doing this to start rather than forcing his philosophy on everybody.
>If you didn’t see it Cory Jefferson was told over the weekend that he has made the Phoenix Suns roster for the 2015-16 season. How long that will last is another question. But at least he gets a chance.
>The senseless tragedy at Oklahoma State’s homecoming parade this past Saturday is another reminder that we need to be more hardcore against people are driving under the influence. This woman who killed four (including a 2-year-old) is facing manslaughter charges. I hope more states around the country will revisit their law and change them to capital murder. When people under the influence get in their car to drive, it’s no longer a car. It’s a weapon. My heart goes out to Oklahoma State with all of the tragedies between the basketball team plane crash in 2001 to women’s basketball coach Kurt Budke dying in a plane crash in 2011.
>The World Series begins Tuesday in Kansas City between the Royals and New York Mets. This is a great matchup between a very young and deep Mets starting rotation against a Kansas City lineup which doesn’t strike out. I will always defer to the team with the better starting rotation. That's the Mets. The Royals rotation has been very up and down this year. Obviously, it’s been good enough because this team is still playing. I want Kansas City to win but I’m calling the Mets in seven.
*****
Now on to other Baylor sports…
>The Baylor men’s tennis team went 3-0 in singles matches on the opening day of the UTSA/ITA Regional Championships Saturday. Meanwhile the Baylor women’s tennis duo of Kelley Anderson and Theresa Van Zyl fell in USTA/ITA Regional Championship round of 16 doubles action Sunday at the Hawkins Indoor Center. Inclement weather forced all of the event’s matches to be moved to Waco from College Station. Select members of Baylor’s team will compete in the Bush’s $50,000 Waco Showdown, starting Nov. 2 at the Hurd Tennis Center.
>Baylor women's cross country runner Maggie Montoya received the first Big 12 Runner of the Week honor of her career, the league's office recently announced. Baylor runners travel to the Big 12 Championship on Oct. 31 in Stillwater, OK.
>Baylor soccer earned a 2-1 win over Texas Sunday afternoon at Myers Stadium in soggy conditions. The Bears (9-5-2, 4-1-1) used two second half goals to take down the Longhorns (7-5-4, 4-3-1) as BU has now gone undefeated in 10 of its last 11 matches. The Bears travel to Fort Worth, Texas, for a 7 p.m. CT tilt at TCU on Tuesday.
>Baylor volleyball dropped its second straight conference match at home with a 3-0 loss to Iowa State, 25-19, 25-21, 25-22, Sunday afternoon at the Ferrell Center. The Bears (14-8, 2-6 Big 12) are on the road at No. 7 Kansas Saturday night at 7 p.m. at Horejsi Family Athletics Center in Lawrence, KS.
> No. 3 Baylor Equestrian (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) earned its first victory on the road, downing No. 6 TCU (2-2, 0-1 Big 12) in a tense meet that finished in a 9-9 draw, and had to be decided on a raw score tiebreaker. The overall mark favored the Bears, earning their first Big 12 win of the season, 1553.25-1512.75.
Let’s make it a great week!
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