52 UCF (12-1, 8-0) 15/15/15 |
Box Score | Notes | Quotes | USATSI Gallery Glendale, Ariz. • Attendance: 65,172 |
42 BAYLOR (11-2, 8-1) 6/5/6 |
Antwan Goodley caught 4 passes last night for 20 yards. Tevin Reese, 5 for 43. Corey Coleman actually led the team in receiving with 7 catches for 88 yards followed by Jay Lee (5 for 80). Bryce Petty finished 30/47 for 356 yards, 2 TDs, and one disastrous INT that I will go to my grave questioning.
We don't have highlights yet this morning because I suspect most, if not all, of the athletic staff is either heading back to Waco or waking in Arizona from a despondent haze over what happened last night. For me, as I said in the teaser above, I spent most of the night trying and failing to write a Thoughts post that made any sense. I'd write 300 words and delete all but 20. Write 400 more and cut everything. It's impossible to me to convey the simultaneous magnitude and seeming irrelevance of losing a game like the Fiesta Bowl in which you weren't even expected to play when the season began and only reached because you won the conference for the first time ever. Disappointment seems so natural and, at the same time, disappointing. Baylor won 11 games, a Big 12 title, and gave us memories that will last forever (to paraphrase myself from twitter). Why am I so upset today about that?
Losing sucks. Baylor fans know that better than almost anybody. Losing games you feel like you should win sucks, if possible, even more than just losing. That's something we know less about. In a way, I take it as a positive that this hurts so badly. I'd rather do this a hundred times, feel this pain, than get our teeth kicked in repeatedly, that's for sure.
Oh, and just in case anyone accuses of me saying differently (not sure how they could), UCF was the better team last night. Clearly. Unequivocally.
News News News News News:
No. 6 Football Falls to No. 15 UCF in Fiesta Bowl, 52-42 - Baylor Bears Official Athletic Site - BaylorBears.com
Bryce Petty completed 30 of 46 passes for 356 yards and two touchdowns in a losing effort against UCF in the Fiesta Bowl.
2014 Fiesta Bowl: Blake Bortles leads UCF over Baylor, 52-42 - SBNation.com
UCF quarterback Blake Bortles threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns to lead UCF over Baylor 52-42 in a Fiesta Bowl upset on New Year's Day.
The Numerical: Michigan State, New Year's goodbyes, and the world's coolest dork - SBNation.com
South Carolina and North Texas dominated the fourth quarter (as they tended to do in 2013), Jeremy Hill's yards were concentrated and in high volume, Nebraska makes a hell of a play call, Blake Bortles catches fire, and Michigan State's D adjusts.
Blake Bortles, UCF Knight get defining win in Fiesta Bowl - ESPN
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Blake Bortles stood on the podium, holding his trophy as the offensive MVP of the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, a broad smile on his face as he soaked in the moment.
Instant analysis: UCF Knights 52, Baylor Bears 42 - ESPN
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- With two of the country’s top quarterbacks helping two explosive offenses, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl promised plenty of scoring...
Bears fall in Fiesta Bowl: Baylor upended by UCF in 1st BCS game, 52-42 - WacoTrib.com: Baylor Bears Football
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Baylor knew Central Florida didn’t come to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl just to enjoy the desert and mountain scenery.
Baylor fans tense as Bears struggled to catch underdog UCF - WacoTrib.com: Baylor Bears Football
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Baylor fans were on the edge of their Fiesta Bowl seats as the Bears struggled and ultimately failed to catch the lower-ranked University of Central Florida in Baylor’s first BCS bowl game.
UCF Knights knock off Baylor Bears in Fiesta Bowl - College Football News | FOX Sports on MSN
Central Florida Knights knock off Baylor Bears 52-42 in Fiesta Bowl.
Baylor's Bears lose their claws away from Waco again in Fiesta - CBSSports.com
It's not that Baylor was overrated. It's that they weren't any good away from home. (And that UCF was underrated, yeah.)
Baylor quarterback flips into the end zone and terrifies his mother | For The Win
Baylor's Bryce Petty flung himself into the end zone for a touchdown in the first half of Wednesday's Fiesta Bowl loss. It was a pretty heroic play, which brought the Bears to within a point of UCF.
Baylor Football and the 2014 Fiesta Bowl - Grantland
The lovable losers of the Fiesta Bowl.
Texas Longhorns lock in on two coaching candidates, but donor thinks Art Briles would stay at Baylor | Dallas Morning News
Major Baylor donor Bob Simpson left a post-game conversation with Art Briles hopeful that the football coach would stay at the school.
The big 2014 Sugar Bowl breakdown: Oklahoma vs. Alabama - SBNation.com
Quite honestly, Oklahoma didn't deserve a BCS bid in 2013. Now it's up to "Big Game Bob" and the Sooners to take advantage of the opportunity against Nick Saban's Crimson Tide. Will they?
TWEETS TWEETS TWEETS TWEETS TWEETS:
I could fill this section with a million tweets from a million people pro- and anti-Baylor. I'll try to find the best ones.
A disappointing finish shouldn't sour what's been an historic season for Baylor.
— Dave Campbell's TF (@dctf) January 2, 2014
Can't thank @CyRich68 @DaKingRoundHere and #twitterlessStefan enough for the past 3 years Love y'all #Family #TheWall
— Spencer Drango (@Drango58) January 2, 2014
After tonight's game, Art Briles told prominent donor and Texas Rangers co-owner Bob Simpson that he was staying at Baylor.
— Jason King (@JasonKingBR) January 2, 2014
Bryce Petty... This is not going to define what this program is or where it's going. pic.twitter.com/4NbnxhfZBJ
— J.B. Smith (@JBSmithTrib) January 2, 2014
Briles: Extremely proud of our FB team. We've got to do a better job, I've got to do a better job w/ what we have on-campus and coming in.
— Craig Smoak (@CraigSmoak) January 2, 2014
This senior class came in when Big 12 Championships seemed impossible, BCS bowls were pipe dreams, and McLane Stadium was an apparition.
— Derek Smith (@ImDerekSmith) January 2, 2014
I would have gone with "fantasy" over "apparition," but the spirit of the tweet is still there.
Thank you to Baylor fans for your fantastic showing at the Fiesta Bowl. We appreciate the support. Bigger and better in store for 2014.
— Baylor Football (@BUFootball) January 2, 2014
"I'm proud and honored to be sitting here with these student-athletes. Extremely proud of our football team and University." - Coach Briles
— Baylor Football (@BUFootball) January 2, 2014
Highlight from last night—a Texas fan's observation of the #FiestaBowl: pic.twitter.com/D5LPH0iCHt
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) January 2, 2014
Thank u 4 everything BUnation. Unfortunately, everythin must come to an end. It was an honor 2 play 4 yall & I thank u 4 all yalls support.
— Jordan Najvar (@jnaj18) January 2, 2014