Baylor looks for 5-0 start on road against Iowa State

For the fourth-consecutive season the No. 13 Baylor Bears (4-0) are eyeing a 2-0 start as they travel to Ames to face the Iowa State (1-3) for their first Big 12 road game of the 2016 season.

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IOWA STATE SERIES HISTORY

Saturday will be the 15th meeting between Baylor and Iowa State, the 13th as Big 12 Conference opponents. Baylor leads the all-time series 8-6, but ISU holds a 4-3 advantage in games played in Ames. The first meeting was a 35-0 Baylor victory at Ames, Iowa, in 1988. The Bears also won the first meeting as Big 12 foes, a 49-21 decision Oct. 26, 1996, in Waco. However, the Cyclones won the next four meetings: 24-17 at Ames in 1997, 31-17 at Floyd Casey Stadium in 2000, 41-0 at Ames in 2001 and 26-25 at Floyd Casey Stadium in 2004. The Bears  snapped that streak with a 23-13 victory at Ames in 2005 and won 38-10 in Waco in 2008 before falling in 24-10, in Ames in 2009 and picking up a 49-26 home win in 2011. Iowa State’s last win in the series was in 2012 - a 35-21 victory in Ames. In ISU’s last visit to Floyd Casey Stadium, the Bears recorded 71-7 victory over the Cyclones in the final Homecoming at that venue. In 2014, BU collected its first win in Ames since 2005 with a 49-28 victory at Jack Trice Stadium. Last season, the Bears captured a 45-27 win in the first meeting at McLane Stadium. Baylor has won six of the last eight, four of the last five and three in a row vs. the Cyclones.

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RUSSELL, BLANCHARD CARD BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS

QB Seth Russell was named Offensive Player of the Week and NB Travon Blanchard was tabbed as the Defensive Player of the Week, Big 12 Conference officials announced Monday. The two recognitions mark the ninth time in program history that a pair of Bears has been honored in the same week and the first since KD Cannon (offensive) and Andrew Billings (defense) accomplished the feat on Nov. 23, 2015. Russell threw for 387 yards and four TDs on 18-of-28 passing in Baylor's 35-24 Big 12 opening win over Oklahoma State Saturday in Waco. He was also BU's leading rusher in the game with 10 carries for 65 yards. Blanchard had 11 tackles (8 solo), including a career-high 4.5 TFLs in Baylor's victory over the Cowboys. He also had one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one PBU and one QB hurry.

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STORY LINES

• In its first Big 12 road game of 2016, Baylor travels to Iowa State Saturday at 11 a.m. on FS1.
• The Bears have won 5-straight dating back to last year’s bowl - tops in Big 12 & tied for 11th in FBS.
• BU has started 4-0 in each of the last 4 years - a program first and the only FBS program to do so.
• Baylor is looking to start 5-0 as well as 2-0 in Big 12 play for the 4th-straight year.
• Baylor and Iowa State will meet for the 15th time on Saturday. The Bears lead the all-time series 8-6, but in Ames the Cyclones hold a 4-3 advantage. BU has won each of the last 3 meetings.
• Baylor has won 23 of its last 28 Big 12 games, including 9 of the last 11 away from Waco.
• Baylor is 12-3 in true road games over last 3+ years, after going 7-17 in the previous 5 years.
• BU has won 18 of last 23 games played outside of Waco.
• Baylor moved up 3 spots to No. 13 in the AP Top 25 and 2 places to No. 13 in the Amway Coaches Poll.
• BU’s been ranked in a school-record 54 straight AP Polls, FBS’ 4th-best streak.
• BU leads the country in team pass efficiency defense (74.40), while ranking 5th in team TFLs (10.3).
• The Bears are 4th in the country by forcing 7.0 3-and-outs per game.
• Baylor is 2nd in the Big 12 and 11th nationally in scoring defense, giving up just 13.5 ppg.
• The Bears are 4th in conference and 24th in FBS in scoring offense, averaging 42.0 ppg.
• Averaging 548.8 yards of offense in 2016, BU is ranked 3rd in Big 12 and 8th nationally.
• Giving up just 310.0 ypg, the Bears are 2nd in Big 12 and rank 22nd nationally in total defense.
• BU has #AmericasTopOffense, which has led the NCAA in total and scoring offense for past 3 years.
• Baylor is playing its 114th season of football and 1st under acting head coach Jim Grobe.
• Baylor won at least 10 games for a 3rd-straight season, earned a program-high ranking of No. 2 and was 2015 Russell Athletic Bowl champions last season.
• Baylor returns 41 lettermen and 11 starters (4 o; 5 d; 2 st) from the 2015 squad.
• Senior RB Shock Linwood (3,679yds.) became BU’s career rushing leader vs. Rice breaking Walter Abercrombie’s record of 3,665. He also needs 2 rushing TDs to set a new BU career mark.