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Baylor Bears ready to make run at bowl bid |
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Wednesday, July 01 2009 |
By Rusty Berry
Sports Editor
For the first time since the inception of the Big 12 Conference, the Baylor Bears look like a team that will not finish the 2009 season in the cellar of the conference and in doing so could end their long absence from post-season play.
Although the Bears only managed to post a 3-9 record in Head Coach Art Briles first year in Waco, the team showed signs of a team that has some of the best up coming stars in the conference to make Baylor no longer a guarantee win for anybody.
The biggest reason for so much promise for the Bears starts at quarterback, where Robert Griffin put up 28 touchdowns by using his arm and his feet.
If Griffin improves from a freshman season that included only three interceptions, then Big 12 defensive coordinators will have a tough time trying to figure out ways to stop the Bears offense.
With the emergence of Griffin, the Bears running game was able to open up with Jay Finley rushing for just under 900 yards with seven touchdowns.
The running game should get even better with Finley sharing time with Houston transfer Terrence Ganaway and freshman Jarred Salubi.
Griffin will have a young but talented wide receiving group to get the ball to, led by sophomore Kendall Wright, freshman Lanear Sampson, and senior track star David Gettis.
The biggest area of concern on the offensive end for the Bears going into the season is up front. Where the team will have to find a way to replace All-American Justin Smith and right tackle Dan Gay.
JUCO players Dan Watkins, Marquis Franklin, and Philip Blake will get a shot to anchor the offensive line with seniors James Barnard and J.D. Walton. But don’t be surprised if true freshman Ivory Wade gets a shot a guard.
On the other side of the ball, the Bears will be led by a strong linebacking group led by senior Pawelek who racked up 128 tackles last season.
The Bears will be a little green at corner but pretty strong at safety with seniors Jeremy Williams and Jordan Lake.
The defensive line on paper looks to be the weakest position on the team, but if Penn St. transfer can live up to the hype and be a plug in the middle then the Bears should be close to having an overall solid defense.
With a great recruiting class and great up coming stars, expectations are high in Waco for the Bears to have a good season.
But with the juggernaut teams Oklahoma, Texas, and Oklahoma St. are expected to have, the Bears are still probably are a year or two away from competing for one of the top spots in the Big 12 South, but that doesn’t mean this team won’t be pretty good..
With the talent this team now has on the roster, the Bears should be good enough that you do not need to be surprised if the Bears pull off an upset over Nebraska, Texas, or Oklahoma St. in Waco or over Texas Tech in Arlington to end the regular season in November.
If that happens, the Baylor should have the number of wins they need to claim their first bowl berth since joining the Big 12.
Baylor’s 2009 schedule: Sept 5th at Wake Forest; Spt 19th UCONN; Sept 26th Northwestern St.; Oct 3rd Kent St.; Oct 10th at Oklahoma; Oct 17th at Iowa St.; Oct 24th Oklahoma St.; Oct 31st Nebraska; Nov 7th at Missouri; Nov 14th Texas; Nov 21st at Texas A&M; Nov 28th Texas Tech (in Arlington)
Record prediction: 6-6 overall; 5th in Big 12 South.
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Last Updated ( Friday, July 03 2009 )
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