Bears 49, Bruins 26

Baylor manhandles UCLA in decisive Holiday Bowl victory

Quarterback Nick Florence broke Robert Griffin III's record for single-seasonpassing yards in the first half of the Holiday Bowl.
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Tevin Reese gives Bruiser, the Baylor Mascot, some love after scoring atouchdown.
Baylor University
Baylor showed its resiliency with an eight-win season, despite losing RobertGriffin III.
Baylor University
Head coach Art Briles has led Baylor to two consecutive bowl game victories.
Baylor University/Facebook

In seasons past, knocking off a top-ranked opponent like Kansas State would have been the only trick Baylor had up its sleeve. But a new dawn is rising on the Brazos River.

Baylor manhandled No. 17 UCLA for four quarters in San Diego, building a strong 21-0 lead in the first half and scarcely giving up an inch of it en route to a 49-26 victory. The Bears, not the Bruins, looked like the ranked opponent, as they executed exciting scoring drives and came up with devastating defensive stops.

This didn’t look like the same Baylor team that started conference play 0-4. The team that could score 63 points yet give up 70. No, this resembled an entirely different roster. So much so that a rumor circulated on Twitter that Baylor president Ken Starr (yes, that Ken Starr) used early spring tuition payments to buy a new defense.

This game was about Baylor establishing itself as a force to be reckoned with for the long haul.

One way or another, the Bears managed to sack UCLA’s mobile quarterback Brett Hundley six times. Baylor had only 13 sacks for the entire season heading into the Holiday Bowl. The Bruins finished with a measly 33 yards on the ground; they came into San Diego averaging 202 rushing yards per game.

Baylor quarterback Nick Florence had a red-letter night, completing 10 of 13 passes for 188 yards. He also broke Robert Griffin III’s record for single-season passing yards (4,309 to Griffin’s 4,293).

You remember, RGIII, right? The 2011 Heisman Trophy winner. The No. 2 pick in the NFL draft, and a 2012 Pro-Bowl selection. Florence surpassed him in the first half.

But the game wasn’t about Florence, or other standouts such as running backs Lache Seastrunk and Glasco Martin or wide receiver Tevin Reese. This game was about Baylor establishing itself as a force to be reckoned with for the long haul.

It’s the nature of college football that players come and go, and no matter how good RGIII was, he’s not the face of Baylor football anymore. Nick Florence, already a senior, isn’t either.

But Baylor needn’t worry about finding an RGIV or a NFII. Under the leadership of head coach Art Briles, the Bears have matured into a resilient program that can take the loss of a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback and turn it into new records and stunning victories.

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Baseball News

Texas Rangers and MLB set jam-packed schedule for All-Star week

Photo by Kelly Gavin / Courtesy of Texas Rangers

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The 2024 annual MLB All-Star Game, along with its accompanying All-Star Week festivities, were awarded to the Texas Rangers and the Cities of Arlington and Fort Worth way back in 2022.

The week has finally arrived, now with events taking place in Arlington, Fort Worth, and Dallas.

Also known as the "Midsummer Classic," the All-Star Game is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National League (NL).

The 2024 game will be played on Tuesday, July 16, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, for the first time since it opened in 2020. The last time the Rangers hosted an All-Star Game was back in 1995 game at their previous home, then known as The Ballpark in Arlington.

The schedule of events is as follows:

Friday, July 12: HBCU Swingman Classic at Globe Life Field, which highlights the history and legacy of HBCU baseball programs while also providing HBCU baseball players with the opportunity to showcase their talent on a national stage.

July 12-15: Two MLB youth tournaments, the All-Star Commissioner’s Cup and Jennie Finch Classic, both of which will be played at the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy in Dallas.

The All-Star Commissioner’s Cup features teams of youth baseball players (ages 17 and under) from MLB Youth Academies from around the country and in Puerto Rico.
The All-Star Jennie Finch Classic features teams of youth softball players (ages 17 and under) from MLB Youth Academies and Jennie Finch softball programming.

July 13-16: The Capital One All-Star Village, a one-of-a-kind baseball theme park that will also encompass Esports Stadium and the North Lawn, will be open at Choctaw Stadium (formerly Globe Life Field in Arlington). It will feature a variety of family-friendly activities, including current and former player appearances.

July 14: MLB Draft Opening Night will take place at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth and will be open to the public. This is the fourth consecutive year that the MLB Draft will also take place during All-Star Week. The draft will continue on July 15 and 16.

July 15: The T-Mobile Home Run Derby will feature a variety of the best home run hitters in the league. Given his participation in the Derby in 2023, his performance in the 2023 playoffs, and this being a hometown game, don't be surprised to see Ranger right fielder Adolis García as one of the participants again.

July 16: MLB All-Star Game, at Globe Life Field in Arlington.

Event-specific ticketing and broadcast information will be announced in the coming months. For additional details, fans can go to AllStarGame.com.

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This story was updated on July 11, 2024.

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