Griffin leads the way as No. 54 Baylor pushes toward Bowl

Robert Griffin is the spark that ignites the Baylor offense. (Icon)

 

When Art Briles took over at Baylor in November 2007, he knew he needed a dynamic quarterback who could lead his team and create an exciting atmosphere.

 

Robert Griffin, come on down.

 

Not only did the Bears have a coach with a history of rebuilding broken programs, they had an explosive freshman quarterback who could lead the way. The combination clicked last year when Griffin led the team in passing and was second in rushing, but the real payoff could come this season as the Bears try to reach their first bowl game since 1994.

 

“Winning a bowl game has got to be our focus because our seniors deserve it,” Griffin said. “They want to win, and we’ve got a lot of younger guys who are used to winning (in high school) and have brought that attitude with them. I think we have the right mindset, but now we just need to do the little things to win the close games.”

 

The Bears finished just 4-8 in Briles’ debut season, a record that didn’t necessarily reflect the overall improvement. After going winless in the Big 12 in 2007, the Bears pulled off lopsided home wins over Iowa State and Texas A&M. With a few more breaks, the Bears could have beaten Connecticut, Missouri and Texas Tech. The Bears had second-half leads in all three of those games before losing by a touchdown or less.

 

“Those games were encouraging, but we don’t coach close,” Briles said. “What we have to do now is take care of the little things. We’ve got to be a precise, disciplined football team that’s analytical in key situations. I think we understand the steps we have to take to be a dominant football team.”

 

Throughout its history in the Big 12, Baylor has never had the talent to match up with the league’s elite teams. But the Bears are certainly getting closer with talents like Griffin, running back Jay Finley and wide receiver Kendall Wright.

 

Defensively, the Bears return All-Big 12 linebacker Joe Pawelek and safety Jordan Lake, and they are bringing in a potential game-changer up front in Penn State transfer Phil Taylor.

 

“We’ve got some war daddies who will bring a certain style of leadership to the table,” Briles said. “We want to be a fearless football team that plays at a level that other people will envy.”

 

OFFENSE

When Robert Griffin took his first snap in last year’s season opener against Wake Forest, there was a sense that this was a Baylor quarterback unlike any who had come before.

 

Griffin combined blazing speed with an accurate arm and an uncommon intelligence for a true freshman. Just as important, his dual-threat capabilities are perfect for a Briles’ offense that combines elements of the spread and option.

 

Griffin completed 59.9 percent of his passes for 2,091 yards and 15 touchdowns, while rushing for 843 yards and 13 scores, and earned Freshman All-American honors. With a year and a half in Briles’ system — he enrolled at Baylor for the spring semester in January 2008 — Griffin should do even more damage this fall.

 

“Robert has established himself as a leader of this team, and now when we sit down and talk, we’re on the same page,” Briles said. “He’s also physically stronger, and we think he can have a first-step explosion that’s better than anybody in America.”

 

There’s a lot of talent around Griffin. Jay Finley rushed for 865 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore last season, while Jarred Salubi will be a strong addition to the backfield as a runner and pass-catcher after redshirting in 2008.

 

Terrance Ganaway, who rushed for 550 yards for Briles at Houston two years ago, is a power back who should be able to pick up the tough yardage.

 

Wide receiver Kendall Wright had one of the best freshman years in school history by catching a team-high 50 passes for 649 yards and five touchdowns. He’ll lead a solid receiving corps that includes Mikail Baker, Ernest Smith, David Gettis and Justin Akers. Redshirt freshman receivers Lanear Sampson and Terrance Williams looked good in spring drills and should be in the picture this fall.

 

All-America left tackle Jason Smith and right tackle Dan Gay are gone, and Briles is counting on junior college transfers to make a big impact. Danny Watkins, who grew up playing hockey in British Columbia, is projected to start at left tackle despite playing just two years of organized football at Butte (Calif.) College. While Watkins established himself during spring drills, Briles hopes junior college transfers Marquis Franklin and Philip Blake can learn the system fast enough to battle Cameron Kaufhold and Chris Griesenbeck at right tackle.

 

They’ll join senior center J.D. Walton, senior guard James Barnard and sophomore guard John Jones as the Bears rebuild their line.

 

“Walton should be one of the best centers in the country,” Briles said. “We can win with Watkins at tackle, but we need the other junior college transfers to play. We don’t bring junior college guys in to sit.”

 

DEFENSE

The Bears have typically given up tons of yardage and points throughout the history of the Big 12, but they actually showed significant improvement last season by limiting opponents to 393.2 yards and 29.3 points per game.

 

The Bears developed a knack for forcing turnovers, intercepting 16 passes and recovering 11 fumbles. With eight starters back from a much-improved defense, the Bears appear ready to take another step towards being a stingier defense.

 

Leading the way is linebacker Joe Pawelek, who was a first-team All-Big 12 pick after collecting a league-leading 10.7 tackles per game and intercepting a team-high six passes. Pawelek is tough guy and an academic All-American who is the defensive leader at middle linebacker.

 

“Some people think that playing middle linebacker is just all about going out there and hitting people,” Pawelek said. “But you’ve got to be the quarterback of the defense, and make sure you’re in the right place to hit people.”

 

Joining Pawelek at linebacker are Antonio Johnson, Antonio Jones and Earl Patin, a trio with tremendous athleticism who combined for 195 tackles.

 

The Bears will get a major boost up front with Phil Taylor stepping in at defensive tackle. The massive 6-4, 355-pound junior redshirted last year after starting at Penn State two years ago.

 

“There aren’t five guys in America like Phil,” Briles said. “He’s a big guy with fast feet, and it’s going to be tough for people to single block him. He’s got to be a force up front for us.”

 

Taylor will be joined by returning starting nose guard Trey Bryant and Jason Lamb, who is moving inside after starting at end. Jameon Hardeman will bring experience at end, while young players such as Zac Scotton, Tracy Robertson and Fredric Plesius will have to provide the Bears a better pass rush after the team collected just 21 sacks last season.

 

With the hard-hitting Jordan Lake playing safety, receivers usually think twice before coming across the middle against Baylor’s secondary. Lake was a first-team All-Big 12 pick after collecting 97 tackles, breaking up seven passes and recording three interceptions last season.

 

“Jordan is tough, intense and intelligent, and has an uncanny ability to make plays,” Briles said.

 

Jeremy Williams is back at strong safety, while Blinn College transfer Byron Lander will provide depth. But Briles is looking for improvement at cornerback where Antareis Bryan, Tim Atchison and Trentson Hill will carry the load.

 

Clifton Odom will also be in the mix after missing much of the spring with a broken arm.

 

SPECIAL TEAMS

It was hard to step in for two-time Ray Guy Award-winning punter Daniel Sepulveda two years ago, but junior Derek Epperson is starting to look like the second coming. After averaging 39.1 yards as a freshman, Epperson was one of the best punters in the Big 12 last year as he averaged 44.3 yards, pinning 14 of 65 punts inside the 20-yard line.

 

Following a shaky start, kicker Ben Parks improved as last season progressed. He nailed 6 of 9 field goal attempts, but needs to improve his kickoff distance after collecting just four touchbacks in 64 attempts.

 

Receiver Mikail Baker will return kicks again after averaging 25.3 yards last year. Krys Buerck should give the Bears more production on punt returns after the team averaged just 2.1 yards per attempt last season.

 

SCHEDULE ANALYSIS

Briles has made it clear the Bears need to go 4-0 in nonconference play to set themselves up for a bowl game. That won’t be easy with a season-opening game on Sept. 5 at Wake Forest, which is coming off three consecutive bowl games and features senior quarterback Riley Skinner. Following the Wake Forest game, the Bears will face another tricky non-conference game when they host Connecticut on Sept. 19.

 

The Bears won’t get a break to open Big 12 play as they face Oklahoma in Norman. Baylor’s conference home games will be against Oklahoma State, Nebraska and Texas. A Nov. 28 season-ending home game against Texas Tech has been moved to the Dallas Cowboys’ new stadium in Arlington.

 

“This is a good move for our program that will pay benefits in many areas, including recruiting,” Briles said.

 

SPRING UPDATE

With veteran receivers David Gettis and Mikail Baker nursing hamstring injuries, redshirt freshmen Terrance Williams and Lanear Sampson made an impact during spring drills. Both players should be in the receiver rotation this fall.

 

“Terrance has good instincts and soft hands and understands his abilities,” Briles said. “Lanear has deceptive speed, strong hands and good body control.”

 

Several players switched positions in the spring. Jeremy Sanders moved from running back to safety; T.J. Scranton went from receiver to safety; Romie Blaylock went from receiver to cornerback; Sam Sledge moved from defensive tackle to fullback; and Krys Buerck switched from cornerback to receiver.

 

Sanders and Scranton emerged from spring drills as backup safeties. Buerck was eager to return to receiver, where he made 23 catches for 280 yards and two touchdowns in 2007.

 

2009 Schedule

Sept. 5 at Wake Forest (8-5)

Sept. 19 CONNECTICUT (8-5)

Sept. 26 NORTHWESTERN STATE (7-5)

Oct. 3 KENT STATE (4-8)

Oct. 10 at Oklahoma (12-2)

Oct. 17 at Iowa State (2-10)

Oct. 24 OKLAHOMA STATE (9-4)

Oct. 31 NEBRASKA (9-4)

Nov. 7 at Missouri (10-4)

Nov. 14 TEXAS (12-1)

Nov. 21 at Texas A&M (4-8)

Nov. 28 vs. Texas Tech (Arlington) (11-2)