One could argue that no other game proved the team's toughness and fortitude like the game against TCU. To compound the devastation of laying an egg in Stillwater, Art Briles and his family had to endure the loss of his brother, Eddie. Less than a week after ESPN and other media outlets talked about Briles losing his parents while driving to his college football game, he lost his brother in a tragic accident while at home.
Compound all that with having to play a rival at their house, one could look back and understand why the Bears struggled with the under-performing Frogs. To call this one a nail biter would be an understatement as I'm sure many people felt like they lost a lot more than some fingernails watching this game. If not for the Baylor defense's knack for forcing turnovers (4, including 2 returned for touchdowns and a game winning interception by Burt in the final seconds), Baylor might have been sent home twice in 8 eight days without a victory.
Game highlights from BaylorBears.com:
• QB Bryce Petty completed 19-of-38 passes for 206 yards and 2 TDs. He's thrown for 200+ yards and at least 2 TDs in all 11 career starts.
• Petty broke Robert Griffin III's school record (209) for consecutive attempts without an interception, setting the new mark at 229 before throwing an INT in 3rd quarter.
• In his first appearance since Nov. 7 vs. OU, RB Lache Seastrunk had a career-high 24 carries for 94 yards.
• In his first appearance since Nov. 7 vs. OU, RB Glasco Martin had 17 carries for 69 yards.
• With 1 carry for 7 yards, RB Shock Linwood has 848 yards on the season, surpassing Robert Griffin III'sBaylor freshman record of 843 rushing yards in 2008.
• PK Aaron Jones extended his NCAA record for career PATs made to 267.
• Jones made 5 extra points and 2 field goals to bring his program-record career total to 435 points, moving him into 3rd place all-time in NCAA career kicking points. He passed Penn State's Kevin Kelly (2005-08, 425 points) and Louisville's Art Carmody (2004-07, 433 points), and is now 4 shy of 2nd place (Kyle Brotzman, Boise State, 439 points, 2007-10) and 31 shy of 1st place (Dustin Hopkins, Florida State, 466 points, 2009-12).
• Jones has now made a school-record 182 consecutive PATs.
• Jones has tied his Baylor record for PATs made in a season -- 75 in 2011 -- and surpassed his own program record of single-season consecutive PATs made - he went 71-for-71 in 2012 - as he is 75-for-75 this season. He is 2 more perfect PATs away from tying the NCAA single-season mark for a perfect PAT season set by Louisville's Art Carmody in 2004 (77-for-77).
• IR Levi Norwood has a team-high streak of 25 straight games with at least one reception.
• Over his last 4 games, Norwood has 23 catches, 400 yards, 5 TD catches and a punt return TD.
• IR Clay Fuller had his second TD catch of the season and of his career.
• S Orion Stewart made his first career interception and returned it 82 yards for a TD -- the 9th-longest interception return in Baylor history.
• TE Jordan Najvar set career highs with 4 receptions for 27 yards.
• LB Eddie Lackey notched his 6th career interception (2nd this season) and third career INT return for a TD (first this season -- 54 yards).
• CB Xavien Howard recorded his first career forced fumble in his 11th game.
• S Terrell Burt record his second interception of the season and of his career.
ODB Links:
Tragedy Strikes Briles Family Again
Thanksgiving Daily Bears Report: ODB is thankful for...
Baylor vs. TCU Preview / Prediction / Poll Thread
OurDailyPodcast Episode 23: Gobble Gobble Gobble!
Baylor Beats TCU 41-38 in Worst Game Ever Played
Gary Patterson calls out Briles, Dixon post-game for "class"
via i.imgur.com
Thoughts on Baylor over TCU, 10-1, and the BCS in general...
Baylor vs. TCU: The Morning After -- Highlights, Notes, Links, Tweets
Baylor Ranked #9 in AP, #7 in Coaches Poll for Week 15
Baylor Stays Put at #9 in BCS Rankings