Editor’s Note: For now over 75 years, The Baylor Line has been publishing vivid storytelling from across the Baylor Family. I don’t think our archives full of deep, inspirational features should live solely on shelves, so we are bringing them back to life in BL Classics. This February 1980 Classic talks about the journey it took for Baylor football to get to the Peach Bowl in 1979.
The Peach Bowl, December 31— Baylor and the Clemson Tigers in Atlanta, Georgia.
It was a super bowl for Baylor fans, who have been getting just enough taste of post-season games lately to begin to remember the good old days.
Before the Bears went to the Cotton Bowl in 1974, it had been eleven long and dismal years back to their last bowl appearance — the Bluebonnet Bowl in 1963.
At the Cotton Bowl Baylor fans and players alike took a rather cavalier attitude. After all, we had won the Southwest Conference championship for the first time in fifty years. What more was there to prove?
But the 1979 squad was not through when they packed up their 7-3 record to head for Atlanta. Some were saying that the businesslike attitude of team leader Mike Singletary, the junior linebacker who won All America honors, had permeated the team. There was a job to be done in Atlanta, done to the Tigers who had impressed a lot of people in their victory over Notre Dame during the regular season.
When Baylor finished that job, 24-18, on a cold and cloudy day before 57,000 fans in Atlanta-Fulton County stadium, people were talking about the Bears as a team with class.
They methodically played devastating defense, and brought a revamped offense to life when it was needed most. The game had it all, even three blocked punts and a cliff-hanging climax.
Offensive MVP honors went to Bear quarterback Mike Brannan, who received a knee injury in the first half that will keep him out of spring practice. Baylor defensive end Andrew Melontree won the defensive honors, having sacked the Clemson quarterback five times, for 36 yards.
The mascots had a private baggage compartment en route to Atlanta, complete with an overlooked carton of canned soft drinks. After a quick pre-game bath, they joined other enthusiastic Baylor fans.
Defensive coordinator Corky Nelson got what he asked for as the inspired Bears repeatedly devoured the Tigers. That’s Andrew Meiontree in the top and middle pictures, Doak Fields below.
The Baylor players dedicated the game to their teammate, Kyle Woods, left, who received a serious neck injury in an early season workout. Coach Teaff, like the other team members, wore a towel with Woods’ number on it. Two blocked punts (one is shown above) took a lot of momentum away from CJemson and left the jubilant Bears convinced they were No. 1, in the Peach Bowl at least.
One last enthusiastic Bear Claw, one last tolling of the Bear Bell, and the delighted Baylor players collected the rewards of victory.
