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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>BAYLOR ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS Sept. 16, 2024<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Baylor Travels to Colorado to Open Conference Play<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Bears Face off with Buffs at 7 p.m. CT in Boulder<o:p></o:p></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><o:p> </o:p></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>For more information contact: </b>Brent Ingram; 210-845-8651,
<a href="mailto:brent_ingram@baylor.edu">brent_ingram@baylor.edu</a><u> </u> or Max Calderone; 254-265-1639,
<a href="mailto:max_calderone@baylor.edu">max_calderone@baylor.edu</a> or Josie Hutton; 254-709-7720,
<a href="mailto:josie_hutton@baylor.edu">josie_hutton@baylor.edu</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>WACO, Texas --</b> Baylor will face off with Colorado in a Big 12 Conference Clash on Saturday, with kickoff at Folsum Field set for 7 p.m. CT.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The game will be televised live on FOX, with Connor Onion (play-by-play) and Mark Helfrich (analyst) voicing the action. The Baylor Sports Media Network will also have the game, broadcast by the Voice of the Bears, John Morris (play-by-play),
with BU greats J.J. Joe (analyst) and Ricky Thompson (sideline) on the call. ESPN Radio will also have the game, featuring Mike Couzens (play-by-play), Max Starks (analyst) and Mike Peasley (sideline).
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Bears (2-1, 0-0 Big 12) are coming off a 31-3 win over Air Force on Saturday, which featured 28 unanswered points that saw the Bears hold the Falcons to just 23 rushing yards in the second half. It marked the first time a non-service
academy held Air Force without a touchdown since 2003.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Baylor leads the nation in passing defense and ranks No. 12 in the NCAA in total defense and scoring defense.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>SCOUTING THE BUFFS<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Colorado is led by second-year head coach Deion Sanders, who took over the program after a historic run at Jackson State, where he went 27-6 in three seasons with a pair of Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships, including an
11-2 mark in 2021 and a 12-1 record in 2022. Sanders is one of the most accomplished athletes in the history of sport, as a former two-time All-American two-way player at Florida State, winning the Thorpe Award in 1988 and set the FSU record with 14 career
interceptions, with three going to the house. He played in the NFL from 1989-2005 with 53 interceptions, while also catching 60 passes for 784 yards and three TDs as a WR. He had 19 career TDs on returns and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 2011 after his 14-year NFL career with nine All-Pro selections. Beyond his football career, Sanders was a sixth-round MLB Draft pick who played 11 seasons in pro baseball. His sons Shilo and Shedeur are key members of the CU roster after transferring to
Boulder from Jackson State. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Gary Harrell is the Assistant Head Coach and Running Backs Coach after coming with Sanders from Jackson State, with previous stops at Alabama State, FAU, Howard, Bowie State, Morgan State, Florida A&M and Texas Southern. Robert Livingston
is the defensive coordinator and safeties coach and Pat Shurmur is the offensive coordinator and QBs coach, after previously serving as co-offensive coordinator and analyst for CU in 2023, as offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos and as head coach of
the New York Giants from 2018-19. Livingston was the safeties and DB coach for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2016-23.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> The Buffs have opened the year with a 31-26 win over FCS power North Dakota State, lost 28-10 at Nebraska and posted a win at Colorado State on Saturday in Fort Collins. Led by its dynamic QB, Shedeur Sanders, the Buffs have averaged
394 yards per game with 333 coming through the air. CU has allowed 21 points per game, surrendering 374.3 yards per game. Sanders has thrown for nine TDs with just two interceptions. Two-way player Travis Hunter has 30 catches for 342 yards and five TDs. Lajohntay
Wester has 14 catches for 158 yards and three scores. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Defensively, DJ McKinney leads the team with 21 tackles and four pass break-ups. Dayon Hayes has two sacks to lead the team.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Rick George has been the Colorado AD since 2013 and has been in the role since serving as the COO for the Texas Rangers for three years. He was Chief of Operations for the PGA Tour and was the President of the Champions Tour from 2003-08.
A former cornerback at Illinois, George was Colorados football recruiting coordinator during its best run in program history and then went to Vanderbilt as the Associate AD for External Affairs and oversaw the football program. Jason DePaepe is in his second
year as the Deputy AD and his fourth year overseeing internal operations. He has spent 22 years at Colorado, including 12 years as the athletics turf manager.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>LAST MEETING<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Baylor won the last meeting in the series on Oct. 16, 2010 in Boulder, 31-25, in a night game that was played in front of 48,953 at 63 degrees at kickoff. The Bears answered a first-quarter TD with a nine-yard score from Robert Griffin
III to Jerod Monk before falling behind 15-7 late in the second quarter. An Aaron Jones 50-yard field goal cut the lead to 15-10 at halftime as the Bears drove 39 yards on five plays to narrow the lead.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Jones connected from 25-yards out to open the third quarter and Jay Finleys 17-yard run - capped by a RGIII two-point conversion run - gave the Bears a 21-15 lead. After a CU field goal, Finley ran for a 14-yard score for a 10-point
lead, that was cut to three with 5:14 left in the fourth quarter after an 8-play, 44-yard TD drive. The Bears took the lead to 31-25 with a nine-play, 59-yard drive that ended with a 38-yard field goal from Jones and included a 36-yard Griffin run. Colorado
got the ball back with 1:54 left and drove it to the Baylor 19-yard line with a change to win the game falling incomplete in the end zone.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Finley rushed 14 times for 143 yards and two scores while Griffin finished with 22-of-27 passing for 234 yards and a score, while also rushing 15 times for 137 yards. Tevin Reese caught nine balls for 88 yards, with Kendall Wright going
for seven grabs and 85 yards. Chris Francis went for 11 tackles to lead the Bears.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Colorado was led by a 125-yard rushing game from Rodney Stewart, who added two scores. Tyler Hansen threw for 207 yards and a TD on 21-of-28 passing and Ryan Deehan had seven catches for 70 yards.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>SERIES HISTORY<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Colorado leads the all-time series with Baylor, 9-7 and own a 5-4 advantage in games played in Boulder.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> The two teams have not faced each other since 2010, when both were members of the Big 12 Conference.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Baylor has won three of the last four meetings, coming in 2003, 2006 and 2010, with Colorado posting a 43-23 win in 2007. The Buffs won five straight in the series from 1992-2002.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> The Bears will be looking to win its third straight in Boulder.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>BAYLOR SOARS PAST AIR FORCE WITH STRONG SECOND HALF<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Baylor used a strong second half to post a win in the non-conference finale vs. Air Force at McLane Stadium.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> The Bears turned the ball over with three fumbles in the first half and took a 6-3 lead into halftime vs. the Falcons, owning the ball for just five minutes on offense in the first half. BU bounced back to score 17 in the third and eight
in the fourth to take a 31-3 win over AF. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> The Bears turned to QB Sawyer Robertson in relief of starter Dequan Finn, with Robertson turning in a career-high 248 yards passing on 18-of-24 passing. Robertson added a rushing TD and spread his 18 completions around to eight different
receivers, with Josh Cameron going for five grabs for 63 yards and Ashtyn Hawkins catching four balls for 81 yards. TE Michael Trigg had four catches for 49 yards.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Freshman RB Bryson Washington made his first career start and toted it 12 times for 106 yards and his first career TD. Dominic Richardson rushed nine times for 48 yards and Richard Reese rushed eight times for 47 yards and a TD.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Defensively, Matt Jones had his sixth double-digit tackle game of his career with 11 stops, with Devyn Bobby equaling his career high with nine tackles. Jackie Marshall and Brooks Miller each forced fumbles and Corey Gordon Jr. intercepted
his first career pass.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>BAYLOR DEFENSE SETTING THE TONE<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Baylor has a season-opening shutout and a three-point showing vs. Air Force defensively, while also allowing only nine true points at No. 12 Utah, with the Utes totaling 14 points on a blocked field goal returned for a TD and a TD after
recovering a fumble on the three-yard line. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> The defense, under the direction of defensive play calling head coach Dave Aranda for the first time in his tenure, has now not allowed a TD in back-to-back home games for the first time since 2014.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> The last time Baylor went two games with three points or less in the same season was in 1989.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> The Bears allowed only 25 yards passing to Air Force, its lowest allowed since 1989.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Entering a stiff test against a strong passing offense at Colorado, the Bears lead the nation in passing yards allowed, while ranking No. 12 in both scoring and total defense.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i>- BaylorBears.com -<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">-- <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#385623;mso-ligatures:none">Brent Ingram</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#385623;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">|
Associate AD for Communications</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Baseball Sport Program Administrator<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">C: 210-845-8651</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><img border="0" width="160" height="44" style="width:1.6666in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01DB0813.04D0DF80" alt="signature_1049805336"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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