MVP Texas | Are the Baylor Bears a One Hit Wonder?

Newsflash :

Home
Fan Forum
Event Tickets
Photos
Videos
MLB
NFL
NBA
NHL
NCAA
Other
- MMA
- NASCAR
- MLS
- TENNIS
- GOLF
- High School
Fantasy
- Fantasy Baseball
- Fantasy Football

Written by Travis Pulver

Friday, 30 December 2011 16:38

If there is one thing that every athlete likes to do, no matter what the competitive level is, it is go out on a winning note. True, not every one can win the championship, but that is the plus side of the college bowl system being what it is.

The Baylor Bears got that chance on Wednesday night against the Washington Huskies in the Valero Alamo Bowl. At times it appeared a little like another good year was going to end on a sour note, but in the end the offense of the Bears was too much for the Huskies.

Baylor won its first bowl game since the 1992 John Hancock Bowl (a 20-15 victory over Arizona State) by beating Washington 67-56.

A lot of the attention was understandably on Baylor’s Heisman trophy winning quarterback, Robert Griffin III. As usual, Griffin was quick to make sure that the attention was where it belonged.

"I want Baylor nation to enjoy this," Griffin said. "It's not about me. I've got about two weeks. I'll enjoy this the next day, and then the next day, and then I'll make it."

He was referencing whether he will be going pro or staying in college for his senior season. The question has been on the minds of many of the Baylor faithful. With Griffin, they have become one of the most exciting teams in college football. What will they become without him?

It is not surprising for programs to suffer once they lose a marquee player; especially one of Griffin’s ability. However, a review of the stats from the Alamo Bowl shows why Griffin has always been so quick to turn the attention off of him and onto the program.

Compared to what Griffin has gotten fans accustomed to, his night was nothing special. All he had was 350 combined yards (295 passing, 55 rushing) and two touchdowns (one on the ground and the other via the pass).

If anyone were to be said to have carried the night for Baylor it is running back Terrance Ganaway. The senior running back carried the ball 21 times for 200 yards and five touchdowns (possibly guaranteeing that he will be at least a mid-round draft pick come April). He got some help from Jarred Salubi (101 yards, two touchdowns) and Tevin Reese (101 yards).

Reese also recorded another 66 yards on five catches, second to Kendall Wright who had seven grabs for 91 yards and one touchdown in his final game for Baylor.

With the win the Bears stand to finish in the top ten for the first time in school history. This of course will result in expectations in 2012, and lots of eyes ready to see if the Bears are a one hit wonder, or if they are a solid program on the rise.

Should Griffin return, the team will likely do well once again; whether they will be able to match the success they had this season will depend on how well they are able to replace the loss of Ganaway and Wright. If Wednesday night was any indication they might already have the next generation of offensive stars ready to go (Salubi and Reese).

The bigger question mark for the Bears is whether they can do anything about their defense. Overall the defense ranked 114th in the nation this past season (102nd against the run and 112th against the pass).

While there is some talent on the roster coming back, with or without Griffin the key for Baylor’s 2012 season will be in the recruiting and the number of impact players that Art Briles and his staff can convince to go to Waco next year.

They have a pair of junior college players that have signed their letter of intent that could contribute early on defense, linebacker Eddie Lackey from Riverside Community College and tackle Joey Searcy from Navarro Junior College.

If the history behind Briles and Griffin is any indication, Baylor will do fine when it comes to recruiting. Griffin had committed to playing for the University of Houston when Briles was still coaching the Cougars, but switched to Baylor when Briles got the job in Waco.

Apparently Griffin saw something in what Briles could do with a team to take that chance. If Briles can continue to weave his magic the nation will be seeing a lot more of his football team in the years to come.

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites