2002 Statistics

written by James Johnson

Senior running back Rashad Armstrong returns as the feature back for new head coach Guy Morris' offense. Armstrong earned the starting spot with five games remaining in 2002. He finished strong, becoming the first Baylor back with consecutive 100-yard games against Big 12 opponents since 1997. Armstrong was the Junior College Offensive Player of the Year in 2001 and will be an important weapon in the Bears' offense.

Wide receiver Robert Quiroga becomes their "go to guy". He was the Bears' second leading receiver, but more importantly had a strong finish, catching 42 passes in Baylor's final seven games. Quiroga was primarily a possession receiver in 2002, but his speed (he is also a star of the Bears' track team) will make him the primary weapon to stretch opponents' defenses.

Junior quarterback Aaron Karas set the school single-season record for completion percentage last season (59.8%), but that did not earn a vote of confidence from Coach Morris, who said about his offense "I think the biggest question is the trigger man-do we have one?"

How is this possible? Karas' 13 INTs vs. only six TD passes last year is definitely a cause for concern. Another factor - when opponents lead by three touchdowns or more, which all but three of Baylor's did last season, passes between the 20-yard lines are much easier to complete.

Whether Karas will have success while a game is still in doubt remains an unanswered question. His backups are both unproven with only 23 pass attempts between them, so Karas will have plenty of opportunity to reestablish himself as the Baylor quarterback.

Will any Bear quarterback be able to stay in an upright position long enough to be effective? Baylor gave up an alarming total of 52 sacks in 12 2002 games. Now we don't want to say the Bears' offensive linemen were a bit chubby, but hiring Richard Simmons as an offensive line coach is a good plan. Large OLmen are very much in vogue these days, but not if they can't move. Baylor's current starting guards on the depth chart, redshirt freshman Akeen Rettig and sophomore Lequalan McDonald, are listed at 362 and 352 pounds respectively. Given the speed and agility of defensive linemen in the Big 12, that is not going to work when the season starts.

Morris gained a reputation as an offensive wizard at Kentucky, where he helped put together some prolific offenses. At Baylor, he inherits a team that was shut out four times last season and, during a six-week stretch of conference games, put up a total of only 30 points. The offensive line will improve over 2002's version, which will give the Bears a more potent offense, but still far short of Morris' Wildcat teams.

WR Robert Quiroga

written by James Johnson

Defensive Coordinator John Goodner brings his unusual defensive scheme with him from Kentucky. For his basic defense, he uses four down linemen, two linebackers, and five defensive backs (4-2-5), but two of the backs line up near the line of scrimmage to often present an eight-man front (4-4-3). Movement and stunts keep opponents off balance, creating favorable match-ups, if done well. This scheme should be a good fit with the personnel on hand since their strengths are at defensive back and linebacker. We'll let Head Coach Guy Morriss explain:

"The closest thing I could compare us to is like Joe Lee Dunn's defense over at Mississippi State with the two outside safeties, the two inside linebackers, the four down linemen and a three-deep shell. We're not a soft, sit back and read, soft cover two, or anything like that and watch people snitch down the field on us. We're going to be more of an aggressive style of defense. We'll blitz a little bit. I think recruits enjoy playing that kind of game: offensively wide open and defensively very aggressive."

The top returning tackler is outside safety Derrick Cash. He has made big plays throughout his career and is fifth in school history with 189 career yards in interceptions returns. Cash will be counted on to fortify against the run.

The DB's will shoulder a very heavy load while the front wall attempts to stop teams from ramming the ball down Baylor's throat for another season. Matters became a little more difficult in the secondary when team interception leader and punt return specialist Bobby Hart got dismissed from the team for disciplinary reasons. The local talent from Waco leaves a huge void at CB to which only the spring can divulge answers.

Senior John Garrett will be counted on to anchor the middle of the defense. Garrett suffered a season-ending knee injury in the fifth game of 2002, and was limited during spring practice while he recovers. He is expected to be at full strength when the season starts, and his playmaking is sorely needed. In 25 career games, he has 21 tackles for loss, three sacks, three fumble recoveries, and six passes defended.

The biggest concern by far is the defensive line. When a team's defense allows over 41 points and over 405 yards per game, it is hard not to improve on that the following season. Baylor should accomplish that this year, but not by a whole lot. The defensive line is small, which will make the Bears vulnerable to teams running right up the gut, and it will probably take some time for the players to adjust to the new defensive scheme(s). It is unlikely Baylor will allow over 60 points three times like they did last year, but opponents still won't have much trouble scoring.

LB Derrick Cash