By Jackson Posey | Sports Editor
Swamped by intermittent rain and over two hours of lightning delays, Baylor slumped to a 42-36 loss to TCU in the Bluebonnet Battle Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth.
The Bears (4-3, 2-2 Big 12) struck first but never led again, struggling to contain a high-flying Horned Frog (5-2, 2-2 Big 12) offense after a shutout first quarter. The loss marked the program’s ninth loss to TCU in 11 years, and fifth in six years under head coach Dave Aranda, as a frantic fourth-quarter comeback wasn’t enough to overcome star performances by TCU quarterback Josh Hoover (231 yards passing, 3 TDs) and running back Kevorian Barnes (106 yards rushing, 2 TDs).
“Disappointed with the outcome,” Aranda said. “Disappointed with the execution coming off the bye week.”
A pregame downpour drenched the field and everything on it, leading to a smattering of dropped passes for both teams throughout the first half. The game’s first 14 plays saw only 34 offensive yards.
Redshirt senior quarterback Sawyer Robertson found sixth-year wideout Ashtyn Hawkins downfield for a dramatic 41-yard catch over two defenders, then went back to the same well to draw an end-zone pass interference call to set the Bears up in the red zone. Redshirt sophomore running back Bryson Washington toppled into the end zone three plays later.
Aside from that drive, the motor sputtered. The Bears gained 17 yards on their first eight plays, punted twice, roared to life for a 92-yard touchdown march, then fell back to earth. They gained 19 yards across their next two drives, turning the ball over on downs and a Washington fumble inside their own 20-yard line.
Hoover, who trailed only Robertson on the national yards and touchdowns passing leaderboards entering Saturday, opened the floodgates in a rain-soaked second quarter. After an uninspiring opening frame, he led the Horned Frogs’ offense to 162 yards and three touchdowns before halftime. The Bears entered the break down 21-10.
“They’ve got really good playmakers and they made it hard on us, but it shouldn’t have been as easy as some of those [plays],” Aranda said.
Robertson stumbled in the first half, completing 9-of-23 passes for 105 yards, unbuoyed by a rushing attack that also struggled to acclimatize. Washington, who leads the Big 12 in carries, turned his 10 first-half touches into 21 yards and a lost fumble. He only touched the ball once in the second half as he battled an injury that Aranda described as “day-to-day.”
“He knows what he needs to fix, he knows what he needs to work on,” redshirt senior wide receiver Josh Cameron said. “Shoot, that’s my guy, that’s our QB. We’re going to ride with him.”
Hoover vacuumed through the defense, leading the Horned Frogs to a third consecutive scoring drive to open the half. Robertson answered, hitting sophomore wide receiver Jadon Porter on a fade route for the first touchdown reception of his career. Redshirt senior wide receiver Josh Cameron toe-tapped in the back of the end zone to convert the 2-point try.
Cameron rattled off a highlight-reel punt return to put the Bears back in prime scoring position, but penalty flags lit up the field for a block in the back. The preseason All-Big 12 kick and punt returner also lost multiple potential touchdowns to penalties last season.
Redshirt freshman kicker Connor Hawkins hit a 40-yard field goal to tighten the deficit to 28-21 with 14:55 to play. It didn’t last long. TCU running back Trent Battle burst through the first line of defense into the open meadows of tomorrow, breezing 65 yards for a touchdown.
Everything froze for a lightning delay. Trailing 35-21, with dark clouds still rolling overhead, Baylor spent 59 minutes scheming up an offensive strategy for a fresh set of downs.
When they returned to the field, the Bears gained 14 offensive yards in four plays — including a 15-yard pass interference penalty. Then a second lightning delay hit. As the players warmed up, two more lightning delays extended the pause, which ultimately lasted 78 minutes.
“You’re just sitting there, waiting,” Cameron said. “Staying mentally in it, trying to get your mind right, make sure other guys are still focused.”
On the first play back from the break, Barnes broke through the line for a 14-yard touchdown rush; on the second, cornerback Jamel Johnson picked off Robertson to quite nearly put a fork in the Bears.
“I think if anything, you can overthink the situation too much because you’ve got nothing else to do but do that,” Aranda said.
Somehow, Baylor bounced back. A second TCU interception was followed by a scoop-and-score touchdown by redshirt junior linebacker Keaton Thomas and another 2-point conversion by Robertson. A drive later, he hit senior wideout Kole Wilson for a diving touchdown with 30 seconds to play.
Six-point game.
Redshirt sophomore safety Jacob Redding recovered the onside kick, injecting unforeseen hope into a team that had looked dead in the water. But it was too little, too late. Robertson threw his third interception in four drives to end the game. Six hours after kickoff, the Bears trudged back to the locker room for the sixth and final time, losing 42-36.
Baylor will be back in action against No. 24 Cincinnati (5-1, 3-0) at 3 p.m. Saturday at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati.
