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[ Silence ] [ Music ] >> 1984, the year it rained on the Baylor Bears and rained on the Baylor Bears and rained some more on the Baylor Bears.

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In 1984, the word for the year was parody. And in this new era of equality in major college football, Baylor was forced to play the second toughest schedule in the nation according to USA Today. Many of those games were on the road and eight of the eleven opponents faced by the Bears in

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1984 were ranked in the top 20 at some time during the year. Baylor began the season by playing the eventual national champion Brigham Young Cougars on the road. Now BYU has not lost a game since they were beaten by the Bears at Baylor Stadium in September of 1983. The Bears played five top ten ranked teams in only seven hours.

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These young Bears had little room for error in the early goal. The 1984 season was indeed challenging and at times frustrating. But this group of comparatively young players came through the year with a tremendous character and spirit. Caught the imagination of sports fans all over the conference.

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And when you look at the talent that returns on this team, one wonders what will grow out of the reins of 1984. Statistically speaking, Baylor lost 72% of its 1983 offense as it entered the 1984 season.

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But in 1985, the situation is more than reversed, as 92% of its 1984 offense will return. In fact, Baylor could easily have the top rated offense in the nation in 1985, with three

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of the most talented quarterbacks in major college football. Both Cody Carlson and Tom Mickey have been national statistical leaders at some point

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during their careers, displaying exceptional skill in both the pass and the run. Equally matched in capability, both quarterbacks averaged a 45% completion rate, and together,

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threw for over 2,000 yards and 16 touchdowns in what many people felt was an off year. For his short-yardage offense, Coach Taft has again discovered the extraordinary talent

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in the versatility of running back Ron Francis. In the tradition of Alan Rice, Francis has the potential to be one of the great running backs in the game of football.

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His natural balance coupled with the strength to break tackles results in the kind of power running that Baylor University is known for. The Baylor running back tradition

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has gained so much notoriety that during the past NFL season, Baylor had more active running backs than any other college in the country, as Don Meredith took great pleasure

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in explaining to OJ Simpson on a Monday Night Football telecast. Francis rushed for 558 yards, on average of 4.3 yards per carry while scoring five touchdowns.

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In addition to his quarterback and running back duties, Francis is also a sure-handed receiver coming out of the backfield, adding an additional threat to Baylor's offensive arsenal.

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Francis caught 12 passes during the year for 119 yards and two touchdowns. Oh, and by the way, he's pretty good at returning kickoffs, too.

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In the passing department, Francis batted 1,000 with two attempts and two completions. Although hampered with hamstring injuries for almost the entire season, Francis

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should return strong in 1985 as a junior. Another injury which surely hampered the Bears' 1984 season was suffered by nationally ranked quarterback Cody Carlson.

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Although he missed much of the season, Carlson played enough to assure Baylor fans that he would continue to be a major contributing factor to the Baylor Air Force, passing for over 600 yards

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and six touchdowns in 1984. Like Tom Mickey, Carlson can throw pinpoint passes to any part of the field. And the 1984 Bader offensive line

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did a good job of giving both quarterbacks time to throw. John Addicks, Mark Bates, Brian Kent, Mark Cochran, Terry Hancock, and Joel Porter were the unsung heroes in the trenches in 1984.

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All will return for the 1985 season, with the exception of Brian Kent. Although hampered by a groin pull, Carlson ran the option effectively

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and recorded 22 carries from the quarterback position. Carlson should also return strong in 1985 as a junior. Tom Mickey will return in 1985 as Baylor's senior quarterback. And his 1984 performance illustrates

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why Baylor's upcoming opponents will have their hands full in designing ways to stop the bear offense. Mickey passed for 1,400 yards during 1984,

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which was the 11th best passing record in the history of Baylor football. Mickey's pinpoint passing talents were well displayed during 1984, as he threaded

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the needle for 10 touchdowns. Like Cody Carlson, Mickey must be respected for both his ability to throw the football, as well as run the option.

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And if his receivers are covered, Mickey can get the ball downfield on his own. He was the Bears' fifth leading rusher for the season, the longest a 45-yard scamper against TCU.

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One of the best developments for Coach Grant Taft during 1984 was the maturing of his talented core of receivers. Glenn Pruitt led all Pruitt receivers with 32 receptions and six touchdowns.

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Pruitt really developed during the 1984 season after playing behind the Bears' famous duo of Bruce Davis and Gerald McNeil. Pruitt will return in 1985 as a senior.

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Forrest Aitz followed with 20 receptions for 314 yards and one TD. Aitz thrilled fans with his ability to make the circus catch. He also returns in '85 as a senior. Leland Douglas is an exciting receiver to watch, both before

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and after he catches the ball. An extremely physical player, Douglas was the Bears' third leading receiver in 1984. He caught 17 passes for 258 yards and one touchdown,

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and will return in 1985 as a junior. Graduating senior Bobby Joe Conrad made his presence known, although he also spent much of the season hampered by injury. Conrad caught 13 passes for 190 yards,

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including this touchdown against Rice. The big tight end for the '84 Bears was Joel Barrett, whose size and strength made him hard to bring down.

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Joel caught 10 passes for 103 yards. As a fitting end to his outstanding college career, Barrett was selected for the East-West Shrine game in which Coach Tapp coached.

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Matt Clark proved to be a clutch receiver for the 1984 season, catching 10 passes for 174 yards. Clark also saw action as the Bears' second string quarterback while Cody Carlson was injured,

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and as a puck returner as well. Coach Taff, however, made no secret of the fact he would prefer more depth at the quarterback position and stated that he would seek the top high school

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quarterback in 1985 to prepare for the large boy that Mickey and Carlson will lead. No one is harder to bring down after a pass reception than Ralph Stockamer, who, like Francis,

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is a sure-handed receiver as well as a powerful running back in the Baylor tradition. And speaking of tradition, Stockamer He inherited the designated score at least,

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once held by Walter Abercrombie and Alfred Anderson, flying through the air with the greatest of ease. He carried the ball 109 times in 1984 for 366 yards and four touchdowns, and caught eight passes

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for 58 yards and three TDs. Stockhammer returns in 1985 as a senior. Bronobic Sargent followed Stockhammer with 62 rushes for 203 yards.

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He too serves the Bears well in the receiving department, catching 10 passes for 92 yards. Rod returns in 1985 as a senior. Another talented running back receiver combination

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is Todd Conner. Todd carried the ball 27 times for 87 yards and caught seven passes for 83 more yards. He returns in 1985 as a junior.

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Derek McAdoo is another well-rounded component in the Bader offense. and a dangerous receiver out of the backfield, as this touchdown against Arkansas illustrates.

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An elusive runner, McAdoo has a distinctively slippery style of running that is especially frustrating to opposing defenses. McAdoo was also one for one in the passing department,

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and a tremendous asset as the Bears' leading kickoff return specialist, averaging 24 yards per return. McAdoo will return in 1985 as a junior. A real bright spot for the '84 Bears

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was the putting of Buzzy Sawyer, who led the Southwest Conference and broke the old Baylor record held by Luke Prestridge with a 44.9 average. His counterpart for place-kicking during 1984

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was Marty Jimmerson, who Grant Taft called the comeback player of the year in the Southwest Conference. Jimmerson, who graduates, was 12 for 14

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in the field goal department and made 16 out of 17 extra points. [MUSIC PLAYING] In 1985, Baylor could have the best defense this side of the Chicago Bears, with a wealth of talent

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returning. One person who will be sorely missed, however, is Irvin Randall. First team All-Southwest Conference

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in both 1983 and 1984, Irv anchored one side of the Bears' defensive line with an incredible 50 unassisted tackles out of a total of 80. Randall also blocked one kick and recovered three fumbles.

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His leadership, both on and off the field, will be missed. His counterpart, Derek Turner, will be back in 1985. Baylor fans are already looking forward to the next installment of the incredible show

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that he put on in 1984. Another all-conference performer, Turner followed Randall closely in the statistical department with 47 unassisted tackles out of 77.

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Turner specialized in blocking kicks, getting a piece of four field goals in 1984, and recovered five fumbles. In addition to Turner and Randall,

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the 1984 Brews Brothers defensive line consisted of Greg Baumkamp, Paul Mergenhagen, Steve Grumbine, and Pat Coriante. Baumkamp, who graduates, followed Turner statistically

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with 36 unassisted tackles out of a total of 52. Paul Mergenhagen was in on 51 tackles, 25 of which were unassisted. He also graduates.

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Steve Crumbine had 20 unassisted tackles out of 35, but is more remembered for his form after the tackle. Gastineau has to wait two more years before he gets pro competition from Steve.

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By the time Ray Berry is a senior in 1986, he may be all world. One of the best linebacking talents in Baylor history, Barry had a remarkable 63 unassisted tackles in 1984,

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and a total of 107 tackles to lead all Bear Tigers. Always around the ball, Barry had three interceptions for the Bears while punishing quarterbacks and running backs alike, many times in their own backfield.

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Another graduating senior whose leadership will be missed is Kevin Hancock. closely following Barry in the statistical department with 55 unassisted tackles out of a total of 104.

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Hancock had three key interceptions in one game against Rice, this one to stop a scoring drive. Here, he shows his running abilities after an interception with Irvin Randall and Ray Barry

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running interference. Robert Waters was the big play man for the Bears in 1984 and will be especially remembered for his clutch interception that iced the game against the Yankees.

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Waters will be a junior in 1985. Hard-hitting Aaron Grant will also return as a junior after a 1984 season that saw him make 19 unassisted tackles out of 37.

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Although John Bright was in on 17 tackles as a linebacker, He may have to be moved to a running back position in the pros after the Scouts see this footage of his senior year touchdown.

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The 1984 Baylor defensive secondary remained much healthier than in 1983. And with every starter returning, the outlook for 1985 is better than it's

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been in quite some time. The defensive secondary for the '84 Bears was led by all-round performer Thomas Everett. With 59 unassisted tackles out of 99,

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Everett made sure opponents felt his presence on the field. In fact, many opponents felt his presence on the field for days after the game. His interception against Texas shows

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his incredible athletic ability and feel for open territory. That natural running ability was also showcased during Everett's conference-leading punt returns.

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He returned 27 punts for 286 yards. Everett returns in 1985 as a junior. Jack Hurd also made his presence known both in the secondary and in several opponents' backfields.

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With 19 unassisted tackles out of a total of 36 and two interceptions, Hurd will return as a senior. Johnny Subia also returns as a senior with 23 unassisted tackles out of 32.

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Anthony Coleman had 20 unassisted stops in 1984 with one interception and returns in '85 as a junior. Ronnie Thompson set a new Southwest Conference record for the most varied pronunciations

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of a single name, in addition to his 18 unassisted tackles and one interception. Ronnie, or Raina if you prefer, returns in '85 as a junior. Johnny Thomas was a real bright spot in the 1984 Baylor

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secondary, with 20 unassisted tackles and two big interceptions. He also returns as a junior. In addition to his 11 unassisted tackles,

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Clark Hood gained recognition for his amazing performances as a holder for Baylor's place-kickers. The 1984 Baylor Bear defense was a true team effort and included contributions from names such as Don Baker, Steve

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Malpats, Henry Green, Jackie Ball, Byron Johnson, Kevin Marsh, Trey Crouch, and James Smith, among others. The Bears were especially effective against the run, holding Texas Tech to a minus 13 yards rushing,

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and New Mexico to a minus 3 yards rushing for the entire game. Bears also held a potent Arkansas offense to a total of 177 yards for the game.

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All in all, the Bader defense looked strong for 1985. 1984 was the year that it rained on the Baylor Bears. But by the Texas game, the clouds had cleared, and the outlook for 1985 was bright and sunny.

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Head coach Grant Taff, who signed a new five-year contract at the end of the season, felt that 1984 was very similar to the 1973 season, in which the Bears, although frustrated in the win-loss column,

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set the stage for the miracle on the Brazos and won the Southwest Conference the very next season. In many ways, 1984 was a frustrating year for Baylor. Taft truly believes that the foundation

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has been set for something really exciting, something that has never before happened in the entire history of Baylor University. In fact, during the closing moments of his last television

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show of the 1984 season, Taft said two words that most fans probably didn't really hear. They'd better listen closely, because it's the first time Taft has said those two

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words about a football team his entire coaching career. The week before the game, Texas coach Fred Akers called Baylor Stadium the black hole of the Southwest Conference. He was right.

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The Longhorns got sucked right in and squirted out in some other dimension. and the University of Texas never quite recovered for the remainder of the season. (upbeat music) ♪ Hornbusters ♪

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♪ When the horns come round ♪ ♪ And they're caught in the band ♪ ♪ Who you gonna call ♪ ♪ Hornbusters ♪

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♪ The fun goes up ♪ ♪ And the stakes are down ♪ ♪ Well, who you gonna call ♪ ♪ Hornbusters ♪

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(upbeat music) ♪ I ain't playin' no clown ♪ ♪ I ain't playin' no clown ♪ ♪ They'll lose back and the horns will fall ♪

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♪ Who you gonna call, hard bastard ♪ ♪ And the call says, "Horns get off" ♪ ♪ Who you gonna call, hard bastard ♪ ♪ I ain't afraid of no cow ♪

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♪ Are you afraid of no cow ♪ ♪ Horns are going down, down, down ♪ ♪ Hornbuster ♪ ♪ When you call out for Fred ♪

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♪ Say Fred, the boys are dead ♪ ♪ Now we're gonna call ♪ ♪ Hornbuster ♪ ♪ Are you afraid of no cow ♪

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♪ I hear they like the grass ♪ ♪ He's really low-cal ♪ ♪ For a change in my ♪ ♪ Astro-tune ♪

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♪ Bustin' made me feel the gal ♪ ♪ Who you gonna call ♪ ♪ Hornbuster ♪ ♪ I think you better call ♪

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♪ Hornbuster ♪ ♪ Who you gonna call ♪ ♪ Hornbuster ♪ (audience cheering)

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♪ Second man ♪ (upbeat music) (upbeat music) [Music]

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[AUDIO OUT] [BLANK_AUDIO] [ Silence ] [BLANK_AUDIO]

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