[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 490-491]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                          BAYLOR'S 2015 SEASON

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 13, 2016

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the Baylor Bears football team entered 
into this season with lofty expectations to go along with a pre-season 
top-5 ranking in the polls. The coach, the players, and the fans all 
expected the Bears to vie for a national championship or a berth in the 
College Football Playoff. However, it wasn't meant to be. Despite an 8-
0 start, the Bears went on to drop 3 of their remaining 5 games, 
finishing with a record of 10-3.
  At the start of the season, a 10-win season would have been a huge 
disappointment for the Bears. But given what happened in the last 
couple of months, 10 wins ain't so bad.
  With an 8-0 record, one of the best offenses in recent memory, and 
perhaps the nation's best quarterback-receiver tandem, this team was 
looking more and more like a shoo-in for the Playoffs. But, that 8th 
win came with a price. Baylor's quarterback, Seth Russell, left the 
game in the third quarter with what appeared to be a strained back. As 
it turned out, Russell broke a bone in his neck, and would soon be 
ruled out for the rest of the season. The team now had to turn to a 
true freshman quarterback in Jarrett Stidham. Stidham--though a highly 
touted prospect with loads of talent--was still only a teenager and had 
never played in a meaningful college football game in his young career. 
His first start came on the road against Kansas State. Stidham would go 
on to have one of the best performances by a true freshman quarterback 
in NCAA history, going 23-33 for 419 yards and 3 touchdowns. As a 
reward for that performance, Stidham got to play top-10 Oklahoma the 
following week.
  In his second career start, Stidham wasn't nearly as fortunate as he 
was in his first. He threw two interceptions in the game and was 
punished by the Sooner defense, often seen limping. Baylor would go on 
to lose on their home turf, 44-34. The season could still be salvaged, 
especially with a trip to Oklahoma

[[Page 491]]

State coming up, ranked sixth in the nation. Stidham was only able to 
play a half as he left the game in the third quarter, but the Bears 
would wind up with a win on the road against the undefeated Cowboys, 
obliterating them 45-35, though the game was never as close as the 
final score indicated.
  After leaving the Oklahoma State game early with an injury, Stidham 
was soon also ruled out for the rest of the season, meaning the Bears 
would have to turn to third-string quarterback, Chris Johnson, for the 
remainder of the season. Given how he played in relief of Stidham 
against Oklahoma State, the Bears felt pretty confident in Johnson's 
abilities. But in Johnson's first career start on the road against an 
equally battered and bruised TCU, he faced an additional opponent--the 
weather. Near freezing temperatures coupled with nonstop rain and gale-
force winds messed up with both offenses, as the typically high-scoring 
Baylor Bears and TCU Horned Frogs were held to just 14 points each 
through 4 quarters. TCU would end up pulling off the win in double 
overtime, 28-21.
  In the regular season finale, Baylor played an old rival at home, the 
Texas Longhorns. After Johnson, Baylor's third-string--and only 
remaining--quarterback left the game in the first quarter, Baylor was 
forced to play the remaining game with a receiver at quarterback, 
almost solely running the football. Baylor went on to lose that game 
23-17, though it wasn't for a lack of effort. After falling behind 20-0 
in the third quarter, the Bears came storming back with 17 unanswered 
points. After a Texas field goal made the score 23-17, Baylor would get 
the ball back with a chance to win the game in the closing minutes, 
though not having the ability to throw the ball competently made this 
prospect all the more daunting. After a failed Hail Mary attempt in the 
closing seconds--which was thrown by the team's third-string running 
back--the Bears fell to the Longhorns 23-17.
  There they were, sitting at 9-3, after coming into the season hoping 
for a 12-0 record and a berth in the College Football Playoffs. As 
disappointing as 9-3 might have seemed, the team and its fans had to be 
proud of the way this team overcame the many obstacles put in front of 
it. Coach Briles and his team never gave up, despite all of their 
setbacks.
  Riddled with injuries, the Bears were now looking forward to playing 
the top-10 ranked, 11-2 North Carolina Tar Heels in the Russell 
Athletic Bowl, fresh off a close loss to number 1 ranked Clemson in the 
ACC championship game. About a week before kickoff, the Bears learned 
that not only would they be without their first- and second-string 
quarterbacks, but that they would also be without their first-string 
running back and their best receiver, Bilitnekoff winner and NFL-bound 
Corey Coleman. Nobody in the world of college football would have 
batted an eye if the Bears lost, as they were expected to. But, much to 
the chagrin of the number 10 team in the land, the Bears tossed out the 
script and wrote their own version of the game.
  The Bears put together one of the best performances of the season, 
amassing a record-breaking 645 rushing yards against a previously stout 
defense. The Bears, known for their prolific pass offense, only threw 
for 111 yards. But with the way the team was running the ball they 
didn't need to throw it. The Tar Heels were no match for Baylor's quick 
running backs and powerful offensive line. The Bears' physicality and 
Coach Art Briles' ability to adapt to ever-changing circumstances led 
to the team's 49-38 victory in the Russell Athletic Bowl, but once 
again the game was never as close as the final score indicated. With 
the win, the Bears finished the season at 10-3, their third-straight 
10-win season and fourth in the past five years. This is a far cry from 
where the program was 10 years ago.
  Though the Bears came into the season with national title hopes, this 
team should be proud of what it accomplished. Given the hand it was 
dealt, nobody would have blamed the Bears if they finished at 8-4 or 8-
5. But this team pushed through the pain and battled, defeating two 
top-10 teams in their last four games of the season, despite missing 
several of its best players.
  I'd like to congratulate the Baylor Bears for their successful 2015 
season and exhilarating win over the number 10 North Carolina Tar Heels 
in the 2015 Russell Athletic Bowl. They made the state of Texas proud. 
I look forward to watching the team play next season. If the Bears got 
the injury curse out of the way in 2015, then watch out. I'm not a 
betting man, but if I were, I wouldn't bet against a healthy Bears 
squad in 2016.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________