By Jackson Posey | Sports Editor, Aiden Richmond | Broadcast Reporter
Connor Hawkins lined up on the golden Baylor logo, the weight of McLane Stadium on his shoulders. He’d kicked a game-winner before, a walk-off shot against No. 17 SMU in September, but never from this far. The 53-yarder would tie his career long.
Hawkins took a deep breath and swung.
Money.
LTVN’s Aiden Richmond brings you field level for Baylor’s dramatic victory.
“When our backs are against the wall, I feel like that’s when we’re at our best,” redshirt junior linebacker Keaton Thomas said. “It’s just that being tenacious about it and being determined. We’re never giving up.”
Baylor (4-2, 2-1 Big 12) rallied to knock off Kansas State (2-4, 1-2 Big 12) Saturday, 35-34, overcoming a 14-point second-half deficit behind a late pick-six and major contributions from redshirt senior tight end Michael Trigg (8 catches, 155 yards). The Bears blocked a potential game-winning field goal at the horn to secure their first home victory over a Power-conference team this season.
“It is a rollercoaster for sure, an emotional rollercoaster,” redshirt senior quarterback Sawyer Robertson said. “We put ourselves in a position to win, and that’s what happens with people and teams that fight.”
Avery Johnson’s legs, perhaps the most dangerous part of the Wildcats’ offense, found plenty of room to run in the first quarter. With the Baylor defense stretched horizontally after a series of sideline screens, Johnson split the pocket up the middle for a 31-yard touchdown scamper.
— Locked On Baylor Bears (@lockedonbaylor) October 4, 2025
Baylor took the points in the red zone, foregoing a fourth-down conversion to kick a short field goal. The following drive, Baylor again fell short of the end zone, as Wildcat STAR Daniel Cobbs read a wheel route perfectly to pick off Robertson.
Redshirt sophomore running back Bryson Washington, a game-time decision after suffering an injury against Oklahoma State, suffered a similar bite from the turnover bug, fumbling the ball away in Kansas State territory. The Wildcat recovery marked the Bears’ sixth lost fumble of the season, tied for most in the country, and the Bears’ third trip inside the 30-yard line without a touchdown.
Senior wide receiver Kobe Prentice answered the call immediately, streaking upfield for a 30-yard score — his sixth receiving touchdown in just 17 catches, tops on the team. Prentice is as dangerous in the seam as skipped stitches.
— Locked On Baylor Bears (@lockedonbaylor) October 4, 2025
Freshman tailback Michael Turner wormed past a would-be tackler for his first career touchdown, giving the Bears a 17-10 lead with two minutes to play in the second quarter.
Then Baylor collapsed.
Johnson led a textbook two-minute drill, bookending the Wildcats’ first-half effort with a pair of touchdowns. Garrett Oakley’s catch knotted the game up at 17 at the break.
Johnson whipped another touchdown pass in the third quarter, this one on a slant route to Jayce Brown. Star halfback Dylan Edwards slithered in off right tackle to cap off a 27-play, 21-point run, which saw the Wildcats gain an average of 7.9 yards per play.
The Bears, meanwhile, struggled to get anything going offensively. In the three drives following Turner’s touchdown, they ran 13 plays for five total yards.
When the offense finally maneuvered back into the red zone, Baylor burned a timeout to avoid a delay of game penalty on fourth down, then promptly threw an incomplete pass to end the possession.
“On both the offense and the defensive side, we’re seeing a bunch of stuff that we’re not — that we’re prepared for, but a lot of stuff is being cooked up just for us, because of the things that we’re putting up on tape,” head coach Dave Aranda, who calls plays for Baylor’s defense, said. “You’d like to be able to make a play, or call something better, right? Talking specifically about myself.”
A pair of highlight-reel catches by Trigg set up the Bears deep in Wildcat territory with a chance to avenge their earlier struggles.
Washington caught the ball in the flats and punched it in from 11 yards out, setting up a bold 2-point conversion attempt. Robertson converted on a quarterback draw, cutting the lead to six with nine minutes to play.
Referees ruled that Baylor forced — and recovered — a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, which would’ve marked a massive momentum swing. The play was overturned upon replay review.
The defense took matters into its own hands. Redshirt sophomore safety Jacob Redding picked off Johnson and ran it all the way home, weaving down the sideline and through the scattered Wildcat offense to tie the game. Hawkins’ extra point split the uprights, giving the Bears a 32-31 lead, their first of the second half.
“What Jacob is, and what he represents, is a really strong care factor, really, really, really hard work, leadership, empathy — he’s a great teammate,” Aranda said. “You wish you had 11 of him.”
Kansas State mounted a come-from-behind scoring drive, featuring a would-be touchdown called back after the receiver’s helmet was ripped off at the 28-yard line. The Bears held firm at the goal line, forcing a tackle for loss and consecutive incompletions at the goal line to set up a field goal.
Wildcat kicker Luis Rodriguez converted from 22 yards out to take a 34-32 lead with 1:48 to play.
“One of our defensive sayings is ‘Don’t let ‘em in,’” Redding said. “That’s our end zone … We still had a couple timeouts, but it’s like this-is-our-last-chance kind of deal.”
Washington rushed for one first down. Robertson ran for another, which was called back for holding, sending Baylor back to the near 47-yard line.
Three plays later, Baylor sent out Hawkins for a 53-yard attempt. He lined up on the centerfield logo, preparing for a line-drive kick that would tie his career long.
It split the uprights with room to spare.
Kansas State swerved into borderline field goal range with five seconds on the clock, but redshirt senior defensive lineman Cooper Lanz swatted the kick into oblivion to secure the victory. Robertson knelt out the clock’s final second to close the game.
“He’s selfless and he thinks of the team first,” Aranda said of Lanz. “There’s just a toughness that comes with him. … It’s his attitude, it’s the way he attacks things, it’s the look he gives guys when guys are making plays and when they’re not. There’s a great leadership that comes from him. And so we’re a much better team with Coop.”
Baylor now sits at 4-2, its best start since the 2021 season. The Bears will take a bye week before their next game, an Oct. 18 rivalry tilt with TCU (3-1, 0-1 Big 12) in Fort Worth.
