Bowl bound again: Baylor invited to 2012 Holiday Bowl in San Diego

Many outside the Baylor family openly questioned whether BU football could sustain its success in the post-RG3 era. A hard-fought three-game winning streak to end the regular season — including wins over then-No. 1 Kansas State and longtime nemeses Texas Tech and Oklahoma State — upped the Bears’ record to 7-5 and showed the world that yes, Baylor football is here to stay.

The reward for head coach Art Briles’ squad? A third-straight bowl appearance, something no other coach in Baylor history has ever accomplished. The Bears are headed to the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl in San Diego on Dec. 27, where they will face 17th-ranked UCLA, the Pac-12 runner-up.

The game — the Bears’ first bowl outside of Texas since 1991 — will feature two of the nation’s best offenses. In the just-completed regular season, Baylor led the country in total offense (579 yards/game) while the Bruins were No. 20 (475 yards/game). While quarterback Nick Florence (No. 1 in the nation in total offense) and wide receiver Terrance Williams (No. 1 in receiving yards/game) lead the Bears, UCLA’s offense runs behind running back Johnathan Franklin (No. 9 in rushing yards/game), the Pac-12’s sixth all-time leading rusher.

Baylor’s allotment of 11,000 tickets from the Holiday Bowl offers fans the chance to sit with their fellow Bears at the best price. Tickets for these sections are priced at $65, $75 and $85. Bear Foundation members and 2012 season ticket holders can place their orders online at BaylorBears.com/tickets, by calling 254-710-1000 or in-person at the Ferrell Center box office between 8:30-5, Monday-Friday. Bear Foundation members and season ticket holders must place their orders by noon on Dec. 5.

If any tickets remain from the allotment, they will be made available to all fans beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6. Baylor students may purchase tickets for $65 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Bill Daniel Student Center Ticket Office from Dec. 5-7 or until supplies are exhausted. Additional tickets are available to all fans through the Holiday Bowl website.

Baylor fans interested in travel packages to San Diego for the game may sign up for information with Anthony Travel. Travel options will be sent via email from Baylor’s travel partner as soon as they become available.

The Baylor Alumni Network will also be coordinating a pep rally, tailgating and other events in San Diego; we’ll share that and more as details get nailed down between now and the big game. Stay tuned to Baylor Proud and BaylorBears.com.

Sic ’em in San Diego, Baylor football!