Baylor "I-35 Surprise"?

LongJim · October 11, 2006

I like this kid.

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Baylor's Wilson forecasts 'The I-35 Surprise'

Cornerback anxious to match wits with Sweed.

By Cedric Golden

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Listening to C.J. Wilson hold his interviewers captive with his biting wit can overshadow the less obvious: he's a good football player.

Baylor's yappy senior is one part cornerback, one part comedian, and maybe one part "Looney Tunes."

Baylor senior cornerback C.J. Wilson says he expects nothing short of victory Saturday night — victory for the Bears, that is.

He will have you believe the unranked Bears (3-3, 2-0 Big 12) are going to stroll into Royal-Memorial Stadium this weekend and pull a Buster Douglas on the defending national champions.

Beat the 5-1 Texas Longhorns. Yes, those Longhorns. The ones who just whipped Oklahoma 28-10. The ones who have outscored Baylor 203-14 in the past four meetings.

A former star at Terrell High — the same school that produced quarterback/musician Eric Bishop, who now goes by the name of Jamie Foxx — Wilson displays bravado that is as refreshing as it is comical. He actually mentioned himself as a Heisman Trophy candidate in the past month, and calls his mother, Sandra, the most physical football player he's ever faced.

He hopes his latest prognostication, "The I-35 Surprise" will come to fruition and vault Baylor into sole possession of first place in the Big 12 South Division.

So what in the name of Mike Singletary makes Wilson think the Bears stand a chance when the oddsmakers have installed Texas as a 29-point favorite? A 29-point favorite over a team that just beat winless Colorado in triple overtime and lost at home to Army.

"If you beat Texas, the rest of the Big 12 will be scared,'' Wilson said. "People won't know what to do. You'll have Sports Illustrated down here trying to see what's going on. Dr. Phil will be down here asking questions."

Wilson is not just another pretty quote. He is tied for the Big 12 lead with four interceptions and is one of the players head coach Guy Morriss has entrusted with being a leader in the locker room. The 21-year-old is a mainstay on a Bears' defense that has forced a national-best 48 turnovers since the start of the 2005 season.

While he is never at a loss for words, the 6-foot-1-inch, 195-pound Wilson has been bored lately. He isn't getting as many balls thrown his way, something he expects to change Saturday when he expects to line up against 6-5 Limas Sweed, who has six touchdown catches this season.

No stranger to trash talk, Wilson grew excited when told the normally docile Sweed has been doing a little jawing of his own with rival cornerbacks this season.

Not one to make a habit of handing out compliments to opposing receivers, Wilson referred to Sweed as "a cool, classy guy" but would like nothing better than to cover him Saturday.

"I've been praying, 'Lord, please, I haven't been getting much action, but if you grant me this shot,' " Wilson said. "I hope Limas comes out talking a little bit. You may see my helmet moving a little, but I can't say if any words are going to come out."

Asked about Wilson's comments, Longhorns running back Selvin Young responded, "It's like a barking dog — when you hit them in the mouth, they usually fold up and back down."

As for Wilson, he came up with the I-35 Surprise theme in the days leading up to last season's home game against Texas. Of the resulting 62-0 undressing, Wilson quipped, "I guess we had to take a different route."

So why will this time be different for a Baylor team that's 1-12 in its past 13 games against Texas?

"Because this is our chance to set this program where it needs to be,'' he said. "Please don't miss this one. It's going to be a classic."

Edited October 11, 2006 by LongJim