By Krista Pirtle
After not scoring a point in the first quarter, the No. 24 Baylor football team bounced back to win on the road against the University of Louisiana at Monroe 47-42
Senior quarterback finished throwing 26-39 for 351 yards, a career high four touchdowns and two interceptions, both in the first quarter.
The teams combined for 63 first downs and 1,109 yards of total offense and there were only three punts in the game. The Bears have scored more than 40 points in seven consecutive games and have accumulated over 500 yards of total offense in all nine games in the winning streak. The streak is the second-longest in the nation, one behind TCU.
“It was a dogfight,” Baylor coach Art Briles said. “They are an extremely hot football team right now that has a tremendous amount of confidence. We walked into an environment that we knew would be a great football atmosphere to begin with. They have been good for a while. They just play a tough, tough nonconference schedule.”
Baylor fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter after Florence’s two interceptions set up two touchdowns – Kolton Browning’s 22-yard scoring pass to Tavarese Maye, and Monterrell Washington’s 9-yard TD run.
The Bears were down 21-7 midway through the second quarter, then rallied on senior running back Glasco Martin who had a 1-yard touchdown run, Aaron Jones’ 34-yard field goal, and Williams’ 48-yard touchdown reception.
“The thing about football is that you are always in it,” Briles said. ”All you got to do is make a play on either side of the ball. We knew it was going to be a fight because they are good. They are a dangerous football team, but so are we. Our guys believe they are going to win, and that’s something that gives you a leg up.”
With Baylor (3-0) trailing 35-34 in the fourth quarter, Florence led a 14-play, 73-yard drive that ended with junior inside receiver Levi Norwood’s 9-yard touchdown run off a pitch. Florence added a 22-yard scoring pass to senior wide receiver Terrance Williams to put the game out of reach.
“Baylor is a very good football team. The margin of victory is so small, just a few inches here and there. You can’t turn the ball over like we did, that was very uncharacteristic of us on the offensive side of the ball. Defensively, we didn’t play very well. Our discipline in terms of playing our assignments and also staying onsides will have to be corrected and it will be corrected next week.”
