By Foster Nicholas | Sports Editor, Braden Murray | LTVN Sports Director
Behind the most rushing yards in a single game in three years, Baylor football snapped an eight-game home losing streak to Big 12 opponents, knocking off Oklahoma State 38-28 on Saturday at McLane Stadium.
On Homecoming, the Bears (4-4, 2-3 Big 12) combined for 343 rushing yards, the most against a Power 5 team since a 45-42 victory on Oct. 1, 2016. Sophomore running back Dawson Pendergrass led the way for the green and gold with six carries for 142 yards and a touchdown.
“[I’m] proud of the fight. I thought that was a big step for us,” head coach Dave Aranda said. “The fight of the team and the belief in each other is really cool. And I think it’s inspiring to me to see it, and I think it bodes well for the future.”
Pendergrass broke free on three explosive plays, a 48-yard carry on first-and-10 from the Baylor 1-yard line in the second quarter, a 39-yard run on the same drive and a 55-yard rushing touchdown to seal the game with 3:37 in the fourth quarter. The sophomore kept his head down as he bodied multiple defenders before being pushed through the pile by redshirt junior tackle Sidney Fugar and sprinting the rest of the way to the end zone.
“Man, I just trust in my O-line. I hit the hole. I mean, the person who deserves the credit, I would say Sidney (Fugar). He kind of dragged me through there,” Pendergrass said. “He did all the hard stuff for me. He’s just playing for me. Just play for each other. And that’s how we end up winning.”
Redshirt junior quarterback Sawyer Robertson became the first Baylor quarterback to throw for three touchdowns and rush for a 40+ yard touchdown since Robert Griffin III on Nov. 12, 2011. Robertson completed 11 of 19 passes for 222 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, while adding eight rushes for 73 yards and a touchdown.
“I hate thinking about those losses early on, just because those should have been wins and we could have laid down at that point in the season. I think, honestly, that’s kind of what we did last year,” Robertson said. “It was honestly really good to win a close game, because it’s something [that] hasn’t happened in a while.
“I haven’t felt that in a while so, you know, I’m just so, so proud of everybody, because it’s a gradual thing. You have to, you have to learn how to win. I’m so proud of everybody. The team is starting to gel. We’re not done yet.”
Redshirt freshman running back Bryson Washington (17 carries, 78 yards) and running back Richard Reese (6 carries, 52 yards) added to the run production and helped the Bears average nine yards per carry.
Robertson opened the game with a 38-yard completion to redshirt junior tight end Michael Trigg, but the Bears were unable to capitalize on field position and the drive resulted in a turnover on downs. Behind the stop, Oklahoma State (3-5, 0-5 Big 12) took its only lead of the game with a 45-yard field goal with 10:00 in the first quarter.
The Bears matched back out onto the field and Robertson once again completed a deep pass as he launched a 53-yard pass down the left sideline to senior wide receiver Hal Presley. Baylor broke into the red zone but settled for a field goal to even the game.
Oklahoma State junior running back Ollie Gordon II, the 2023 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, was locked in a battle with sixth-year senior linebacker Matt Jones all game long. The green and gold held Gordon to 18 rushes for 77 yards and two touchdowns.
“He’s a great player. I respect him a lot. He’s one of the best backs in the nation, he’s going to talk. The best players talk,” Jones said. “Talking on the field, it helps you, it keeps you going. It’s just all competition and I got a lot of respect for him. But we came out on top and that’s how it’s supposed to go.”
With Oklahoma State set up with first-and-10 from the Baylor 12-yard line, Gordon wiggled his way to the 1-yard line, where Jones lowered his shoulder and popped the ball out of the running backs’ grip. Sixth-year senior linebacker Steve Linton scooped the ball up and the Bears took over.
Jones led the Bears with 12 tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack. Sixth-year senior outside linebacker Garmon Randolph and redshirt senior defensive end Treven Ma’ae each tallied a sack, and redshirt freshman cornerback LeVar Thornton hauled in an interception.
With the ball on their own 1-yard line, Pendergrass took two carries for 87 yards and Robertson found Presley for a 12-yard touchdown completion, giving Baylor a 10-3 lead with 12:42 in the second quarter. The Cowboys cracked back with the equalizer on the next drive, but Baylor regained the lead on a 6-play, 73 yard drive.
“I think [Dawson] sparked the entire game on the 99-yard drive. Everybody just feeds off that, it’s not just … for me,” Robertson said. “If he can play that hard, that means everybody can play that hard, so, I mean a lot of credit goes to Dawson, man.”
Robertson completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Matthew Klopfenstein, whose first career touchdown put Baylor back in the driver’s seat, 17-10.
Oklahoma State brought the game back to 17-17 at halftime after draining the clock with a 10-play, 64 yard drive. But when the Cowboys came out of the locker room, they couldn’t get out of their own way. The visitors were flagged 12 times which resulted in 84 penalty yards, while the Bears’ eight penalties resulted in 93 penalty yards.
Baylor extended its lead with 8:32 in the third quarter when Robertson threw a 50-50 ball down the far sideline to fifth-year senior Ashtyn Hawkins. The wide receiver threw his hands behind his head and snagged the ball from above a defender’s head and spun his way into the end zone.
After an OSU field goal, Robertson took matters into his own hands, trotting 41-yards to the house to put an exclamation point on an 8-play, 95 yard drive. The Bears closed out the contest with one final touchdown as Pendergrass sprinted 55-yards, giving Baylor a 38-28 win.
“The team has sacrificed so much, and I think they’re just so tired. I know a fan base is tired of it too, with the losing and just not not performing well,” Aranda said. “I think our mindset is to out-effort, out-hit and out-physical. It’s good to see.”
The Bears will be back in action against TCU (5-3, 3-2 Big 12) at 7 p.m. Saturday at McLane Stadium. The “blackout” game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
