By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher

Baylor (6-5, 4-4) at No. 23 Texas (7-4, 5-3)
Site: Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin
Time/Day: 11:00 a.m. Friday
TV/Radio: ESPN/ESPN Central Texas
Betting Line: Texas -8.5
Series: Texas leads, 78-29-4

How could there not be a mix of emotions for the 2022 Baylor Bears.

In August, the excitement built toward meeting the preseason expectations of repeating as conference champions and starting No. 10 in opening polls. Those were offset with the humility of putting them in their place while striving to reach those goals.

Then there was the frustration of losses to BYU followed by Oklahoma State and West Virginia. Energy and hope returned with a three-game winning streak that placed the Bears in the middle of the Big 12 title game chase.

However, the final two home games ran into bewilderment in a blowout loss to Kansas State and the heartbreak to TCU. Dreams to repeat ended.

What this team faces going into the regular season finale at Texas is probably anyone’s guess. That’s what finales with nothing on the line typically reveal.

The Bears could be driven to play their best and deliver a performance similar to the ones they delivered in the win streak and against TCU. They could let the hangover of TCU linger to where it impacts them.

A season that had what ifs between West Virginia, TCU and BYU now is what it is. The Bears have to put what happened between Labor Day weekend and Thanksgiving behind them.

They want to give Texas its own version of Black Friday. The Bears are playing to clinch a winning season and end the Longhorns’ hopes of playing for the Big 12 championship.

“I think you find out so much about yourself, especially when there’s trials, tribulations and all of it,’’ Baylor head coach Dave Aranda said. “And when people can fully put their heart out, and then kind of have it crushed at the end, I think it’s so vulnerable to do that and for guys to do that. And then, to make the decision to do it again I think speaks to just a strong growth with the team. We’re aiming to do that.”

As for injuries, the Bears hope wide receiver Gavin Holmes (leg) can play. He left the TCU game early. Running back Taye McWilliams (concussion) has been out since BYU.

Baylor is looking to end a three-game losing streak in Austin. The Bears have not win in the state capitol since 2014.


Here are some key elements to look for
>If Baylor is looking to claim personal honors, running back Richard Reese (908 yards) needs 92 to reach 1,000 for the season. Of course, he has the bowl game to help as well. It could be difficult for him to do that since there has been a balanced approach between him, Sqwirl Williams and Qualan Jones.

>The Bears know Texas linebacker Jaylan Ford is a turnover machine. He’s created five by himself. He has recovered two fumbles (forced three) and come up with three interceptions. Ford and Oklahoma State defensive back Jason Taylor are the only ones who have created five turnovers in the Big 12.

>It’s not really a good or bad thing. But it is an interesting thing. Baylor has attempted the fewest field goals in the league (nine) and is tied with Kansas for the fewest makes (seven). Part of those low figures is because the Bears have the second most Red Zone appearances in the league with 50. But they’ve converted just 40 of them.

>That Red Zone offense ties into how Texas’ defense is inside the last 20 yards. It has the second-best defense in the conference (27-36, 75%). Go beyond that. Of those 36 trips, opponents have scored touchdowns half the time (18).


Notable
With a win Friday, the Bears would win their fourth road game of the year in Big 12 play and would equal the program record for road league wins, also done in 2019 (4-0), 1991 (4-0) and 1980 (4-0).


Keys to the Game
>Resilience – It’s been a bit of everything that this team has had to endure emotionally over the last two weeks against Kansas State and TCU. A fast start would be preferred. But what the Bears need to do is at least keep the game in front of them and not fall behind fast and big early.

>Don’t Blink Blake – This is a broken record. However, QB Blake Shapen has got to be decisive with his skills in tight situations and not be afraid to fail. Maybe the third down call in the last possession was a product of his 11 turnovers in the last seven games. He can’t let the past gain on him.

>Make Ewers beat you – That starts with containing Texas running back Bijan Robinson and not letting him get loose to where he’s breaking off big runs. Given how erratic Texas QB Quinn Ewers has been this year, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for Baylor to force him to make plays. If he does, then simply adjust.

>Repeat TCU – Minus the last two minutes last week, Baylor needs to play the kind of game it did against the Horned Frogs. The running game performed brilliantly. Shapen played well except for two bad decisions. The defense shut down TCU’s running game. If the Bears can dial up something close to that, they’ll have a chance.


Prediction
I do think Baylor will be fine to play this game. Maybe fans have felt the sting of TCU longer than the players. However, the distraction of Thanksgiving and family may have helped that burn subside faster. It’s a different week. Just go out and play. Baylor helps its cause creating a couple of turnovers and scoring when it’s in the red zone. Should the Bears accomplish this, that’s the formula to win this. However, I believe Texas has an advantage because it doesn’t have to scoreboard watch Kansas State-Kansas. If it wins, it puts the pressure on the Wildcats who play Saturday. Texas’ defense is solid, and I think will make enough stops to hold off the Bears.

Texas 34, Baylor 27

Bears trying to clinch a winning season, snap a 3-game losing streak in Austin and eliminate Texas from the Big 12 title game race.
We'll keep you posted.

Login to view embedded media They'll play at 4 pm Saturday against either Belmont or Villanova.

Game book attached. The Bears will face the winner of Belmont/No. 23 Villanova tomorrow at 4 p.m. CT. Updated notes to come.



POSTGAME AUDIO



No. 21 Baylor (4-1) 92, Saint Louis (1-6) 58

Estero, Fla. (Hertz Arena)

Friday, Nov. 25, 2022

• Baylor won the first-ever meeting with Saint Louis, 92-58, to open the 2022 Florida Gulf Coast Showcase on Friday, moving to 4-1 on the year.
• The Bears’ 92 points were the most put up in a game since notching 95 in a win over Kansas State at home last season and most in a non-conference contest since scoring 94 in a victory over Alcorn State last December.
• Baylor outrebounded the Billikens, 47-39, marking the fourth time the Bears have grabbed more boards than their opponents this season. The 47 boards are the second-most in a game by BU this year.
• Freshman Darianna Littlepage-Buggs continued to make an impact, notching her second-career double-double, finishing with 13 points and 14 rebounds.
• Littlepage-Buggs’ 14 boards matched a career-high for the rookie and tied the single-game tournament record. She has put up double-digit rebound figures in three-straight contests.
• Junior Sarah Andrews led the Bears in scoring for the third-straight game, turning in a game-high 16 points.
• Graduate Ja’Mee Asberry notched a season-high 14 points, going 6-for-8 from the floor and 2-for-4 behind the arc.
• Freshman Bella Fontleroy recorded her third double-digit performance of the year, scoring 10 points, while securing a career-high nine rebounds.
• Senior Jaden Owens turned in her second point-assist double-double of the season, finishing with 11 and 10, respectively. She matched a career-high with five rebounds and fell a steal shy of tying a career-best, finishing with a team-high three.

Get the gift for your Baylor fan for only $22 for the first year. Heck, Tim can even pay that.

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Hope it’s a wonderful day for you and family.

Bears had some defensive things to fix at halftime. But when they did, they stepped on the gas in the second half scoring 50 points.

As noted below, they were phenomenal sharing the ball with 30 assists for 34 made field goals. They wound up shooting 56.7 percent and were strong from the arc at 40 percent.

Keyonte George led the way with 17. LJ Cryer scored the first 10 points and finished with 16. Slow start for Adam Flagler but he had eight points in a burst that fueled the second half run that created separation. He finished with 13.

Bears are off until Tuesday when they head to Milwaukee to take on Marquette in the Big 12-Big East Challenge. That's a 7;30 pm start (FS1).

• Baylor is 76-4 in its last 80 non-conference home games dating back to Dec. 12, 2012.
• Baylor is 141-16 in non-conference home games in the Drew era, including 113-8 since 2007-08.
• The Bears have won 10-straight home games.
• Baylor is 57-8 in home games against unranked opponents (including Big 12 play) since 2016-17.
• Baylor is 42-4 against unranked teams over the last three seasons.
• The Bears finished with 30 assists, the first game with 30+ assists since BU had 33 against Nicholls State on 11/15/21.
• LJ Cryer scored the first 10 points of the game (10-0 run), and finished with 16 points, his fifth game in double figures this season.
• Cryer is averaging 20.8 points over the last three games, and has made multiple three-pointers in 13-straight games.
• The reigning Big 12 Player of the Week has scored in double figures in 4-straight games.
• Keyonte George had a game-high 17 points, his fifth game of 13+ points.
• Dale Bonner set a new career high with 12 assists. His previous high was 11 assists at Fairmont State against Bowie State (11/30/19) and Concord (2/8/21).
• Langston Love scored in double figures (11) for the second time in his career.
• Adam Flagler scored in double figures for the eighth-straight game.
• With 12 points and nine assists today, Flagler has had 12+points and 4+ assists in every game this season.
• With eight points on Wednesday, Jalen Bridges eclipsed 500 points in his career (501).
• Flo Thamba started his 70th-consecutive game.

Lower section 32 Row 25
I was informed we were not going.

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Baylor must quickly bounce back from an emotionally draining 29-28 loss to TCU this past Saturday to close out the home portion of the season at McLane Stadium. Baylor finished 3-3 on the Brazos.

With the Bears (6-5, 4-4) eliminated in the Big 12 title game chase, they now get to play spoilers when they travel to Austin on Friday to play Texas (7-4, 5-3) in the regular season finale. Baylor can ruin the Longhorns Big 12 title game hopes with a win.

So what was trending from a buying and selling mode from TCU? SicEmSports continues its new segment that began with the conference opener against Iowa State and runs through the rest of the season.


Buying: Rushing attack
Really, the performance against Kansas State wasn’t mysterious because Baylor never had the ball. What this outing against the Horned Frogs signaled was a continuation of what has been going on since West Virginia. Baylor rushed for 232 yards, averaged 5.0 yards per carry and saw Sqwirl Williams (112) produce his second 100-yard game in the last two weeks.

Selling: Final offensive play
It was already talked about in the Baylor Breakdown on 3rd-and-10 at the BU 18. A running play will pick up nominal yardage and is a waste of a play. The middle of the field was open. What quarterback Blake Shapen needs to do is trust the situation, trust his arm and make a throw. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. That’s what he was doing. Hopefully, it won’t be that way in 2023.

Buying: Devin Lemear
The redshirt freshman safety from Mano has come on in the latter half of the season. His confidence has been growing. Lemear had a big pass breakup in the game and was solid in run support. He led all Baylor defenders with nine tackles (seven solo). Perhaps a career-changing season for him.

Selling: No physical WR play
There’s nothing wrong with what Monaray Baldwin’s play. He had a tremendous day (6-123, long of 74). But this offense lacks a big body receiver who is going to be physical enough to fight for 50-50 balls and win more of them and just present a matchup problem. Hal Presley can be that, but he had to grow this year. It’s too early to say what other candidates are there to be that kind of receiver. Maybe he's not on the roster yet.

Hold: Last game mentality
Talked about this last week in preparing for TCU. But with their fate sealed, the outcome of this game against Texas really means. A better bowl could be in play. Obviously, a rival 100 miles down I-35 who is about to leave for the SEC should summon something. But this game kind of has the feel of major programs who just missed the NCAA tournament and wind up going to the NIT. That first game reveals if they want to be there. That’s what we don’t know about this team. You find what kind of competitors you have in your locker room in situations like these.

PFF OL Grades
Thanks to Rivals’ relationship with Pro Football Focus, each week we’ll share with you how Baylor’s offensive line graded from the previous week. This one comes following TCU. We’ll break it down from run blocking, pass blocking and overall in that order.
Grant Miller: 76 snaps, 64.2 run, 80.7 pass = 66.8
Jacob Gall: 76 snaps, 79.6 run, 79.0 pass = 84.8
Khalil Keith: 76 snaps, 72.5 run, 80.9 pass = 72.9
Micah Mazzccua: 24 snaps, 75.6 run, 78.3 pass = 76.6
Connor Galvin: 76 snaps, 66.5 run, 83.2 pass = 72.3
Mose Jeffery: 52 snaps, 64.3 run, 67.3 pass = 60.7

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Baylor wraps up the regular season at 11:00 a.m. Friday at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin to play Texas.

The Bears (6-5, 4-4) are looking to clinch a winning season, possibly improve their bowl situation and ruin Texas’ chances of trying to get to the Big 12 Championship game. The Longhorns (7-4, 5-3) would need to win and have Kansas win at Kansas State for that to happen.

This could be the final meeting ever between the Bears and Longhorns in Austin. This will be the 112th clash between the two schools.

A look at the Longhorns.

Opponent: Texas Longhorns
Head Coach: Steve Sarkisian (12-11 2nd season at Texas; 58-46 9th season overall)
2022 Record: 7-4, 5-3
Record vs. Baylor: Texas leads, 78-29-4
Returning Starters: 6 offense, 7 defense
Key Returners: RB Bijan Robinson, WR Xavier Worthy, WR Jordan Whittington, LB DeMarvion Overshown, NT Keondre Coburn, DB D’Shawn Jamison
Common Denominator: The Bears and Longhorns have the same turnover ratio, +2
Offensive Formation: Multiple but base out of one back; will use two TEs
Defensive Formation: 3-man front but can play with a fourth

About Texas on Offense: Everything starts with the uber talented RB Bijan Robinson (1,401, 16 TD, 6.1). He’s the heartbeat. It’s not clear if backup RB Roschon Johnson (477, 3 TD) will play. He suffered a lower leg injury last week at Kansas. Texas’ offensive line is anchored by freshman Kelvin Banks who is having a really good season and should be in the running for Big 12 OL of the year. While QB Quinn Ewers (1,614 yards, 55.4, 14 TD, 4 INT) has had his moments, he’s been wildly inaccurate ever since Oklahoma State. His deep ball accuracy is a problem which is why vertical threat Xavier Worthy (46-614, 13.3, 9 TD) isn’t having a bigger season. Jordan Whittington (43-560, 13.0, 1 TD) has been good. However, TE Ja’Tavion Sanders (47-512, 5 TD) has been a matchup problem.

About Texas on Defense: As linebacker Jaylan Ford goes, so goes this defense. He’s been very productive (96 total tackles, 2 sacks, 3 INT) and is in the running for Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Texas’ defensive front has been pretty sound this year. The Longhorns rushing defense has been consistent all year allowing just 125 yards per game, second in the Big 12. DE Barryn Sorrell has been the primary pass rush specialist with 5.5 sacks. The Longhorns 24 team sacks are fourth in the conference, just two behind leaders Kansas State and Texas Tech. Texas is fourth in the conference in total defense at just shy of 370 yards per game, two yards behind Baylor. DB D’Shawn Jamison and junior Jahdae Barron each has a Pick6.

About Texas on Special Teams: PK Bert Auburn has been good all season. There was the duck snort missed 20-yard field goal at the end of the first half against Alabama. However, he’s 18-23 for the season and hasn’t missed a PAT in 48 tries. Punter Daniel Trejo is averaging 41 yards per effort with 12 of his 40 landing inside the opponent’s 20 and seven traveling 50 yards or more. Keilan Robinson has a return of a blocked punt for a TD in the opener against Louisiana-Monroe. He’s also the primary KOR. Worthy is the No. 1 punt return specialist averaging 10.4 yards.

Bottom Line: This is a better season for the Longhorns in Year 2 under Sark. However, it’s still not up to Texas expectations. Texas let a golden opportunity slip against Alabama, blew games at Texas Tech and at Oklahoma and was shut down two weeks ago against TCU. However, when the Longhorns are on, they can be difficult to face. They won at Kansas State, which is why Friday is meaningful to them. They also have a 49-0 rout of Oklahoma in that longtime rivalry game. It’s a team that struggles to maintain consistency in games but has had the talent to win every one of them.

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
The two seniors met with the media on Tuesday. They reviewed the tough loss against TCU and playing the 2022 regular season finale in Austin on Friday.

Jacob Gall

(Been able to move on from the tough loss) Yeah, I think the time we’re given this week outside of classes has really helped us find what we want out of this week. It gave us time to reorganize and things like that.

(On motivation) That’s something we’ve talked about all week, and I think the thing that we’ve come back to is that this is another chance for us to prove ourselves. Everybody that’s still been doubting us all season, or after every loss, this is still another chance chance for us to prove to everybody who we actually are.

You try to do it every week. You try to prove to everybody what kind of team we are. You really know what kind of team you are inside the team, and not everybody is going to know that. And you have to show that every week. Despite the result, they’re a good team, I think we showed glimpses of what we can be. Maybe not 100%, because 100% I think we win that game. But I think we showed glimpses.

(Been able to have game-killing drives the last 2 years, what was the difference in those last two series against TCU) Yeah, we did it against Oklahoma just two weeks prior to that. It’s just different for every team. Sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t. All it takes right there is just one play, and you’re behind the sticks. So, I really think that’s what it is, it comes down to one play, to that first down, second down, third down, you’ve got to get it at some point. But, you just get unlucky sometimes. People try, you miss ID, somebody makes a good play. It’s just how it is.

(On how Blake Shapen has handled it all) Yeah, I think he’s a super resilient kid. Despite anything that happens to him, I think he just comes out here with the same mentality every day. And I think that’s a great attribute to have, especially being a quarterback. To come out here, despite anything that happens good or bad, I think he’s super consistent.

(Expecting out of the crowd in Austin, first full capacity game Baylor’s played there since 2018) I think it’s obvious, people are going to be off. It’s Friday, so families are going to be off, fans are going to be off work and things like that. So, it’s going to be packed. I think the guys are ready. It’s probably no bigger than Oklahoma or something like that. And it’s probably not going to be louder than BYU or other stadiums like that. So, I think we’re ready.

(What was the big adjustment after losing a couple of early road games, to winning at Tech and at OU) You really use those losses to learn something. You learn something from each of those losses on the road. You kind of figure yourself out and really your process and how you’re going to get things done the next time. We learned something from those and we took it and we just kept going with it.

(Confidence going on the road after those two road wins) I can’t speak for the whole time. But for me, I have the same confidence at home as I do away. Nothing really changes. I think some guys do get a confidence about being away. You’re kind of by yourself, your backs are against the wall, things like that. So, there’s a lot of guys who do feel like that. But for me, football is football, home or away.

(What was Senior Day like for you) Yeah, it was fun. Obviously, you want to get the result and things like that. But it was fun having family there, people on the field, things like that. All the seniors honored. We had a ton of seniors this year, so it was great to be out there with everybody. But yeah, it was a great experience.

(Not having the Senior Day distraction this week) We tried to downplay the emotional aspect of Senior Day, because you don’t want to be too high or be too low going into any game. Senior Day was fun, we don’t want to try to up-play it or downplay it or anything like that for emotional energy or things like that. Being past it is good, but we tried not to focus on it too much when it did come.

TJ Franklin
(Has the team moved on from TCU loss) Oh yeah, for the most part we have. I’ve mentioned this many times before, no game is more important than our next game, so we just always try to put the past in the past and focus on next week.

(Will road success help confidence) I don’t think whether we’re at home or away is going to be a big factor in it. It’s just going to be based off the week of preparation we’ve put in.

(Response after K-State drubbing) I was super proud, honestly, because all year we’ve been trying to fight to get to that point because we knew we were capable of doing it. Of course, it didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but that comes whenever you play football, sometimes you don’t get the outcome you expect. We finally got to where we were clicking on all levels like we were expecting to all year.

(Senior day and now two games left) People were on the field crying and stuff, and I kept telling everybody let’s cry after the game. Let’s focus on the game first. We got to turn that pain into aggression. We put the past in the past. It’s not our last game, there’s more to go, so let’s focus on that.

(Motivation level) Pretty much the same as it’s always been, just focus and try to be 1-0 on the week.

(Thanksgiving week) The focus is still where it needs to be. They’ve done a good job by making us practice in the morning and giving us extra time in the evening to watch extra film and take care of our bodies to do what we need to do for our final preparation for the game, so that’s going to help.

(Defending Bijan Robinson) He’s definitely one of those super agile athletes. He’s going to do stuff that we haven’t seen yet from previous running backs, so just being able to watch the film and getting everybody on defense to the ball will be a huge help.

(Playing good backs week after week) A lot of it is putting the importance on the D-line to be gap sound, and linebackers inside the box to be gap sound. This week and the past few weeks, we’ve been talking about staying in our primary gaps a little longer, and working to our secondary gaps once know the running back has declared which way he’s going to go.

(Were you out of your gaps vs. K-State) I wouldn’t say out of our gaps, but with Deuce Vaughn being as shifty as he was, there were a lot of times when we thought he was going into our secondary gap, and he would step into the primary gap after we released into our secondary gap.

(Ewers) Honestly, I would say it’s the same as most collegiate quarterbacks. A lot of them don’t have too much pressure in their face most of the time, but whenever they do they get a little bit antsy back there. I believe just getting into his face and moving him off his spot, and making him uncomfortable will be a big deal in our game.

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Each week, Big 12 coaches have their weekly meetings with the media at their press conferences during the college football season. Baylor head coach Dave Aranda’s comments have already been posted. Rankings are from the AP Poll. Here are some highlights elsewhere in the league. Quotes and notes are taken from those pressers if not specified elsewhere. All games are Saturday unless otherwise noted.

Steve Sarkisian, Texas (7-4, 5-3) – The Longhorns play host to Baylor Friday: Texas still has a chance to play in the Big 12 Championship game. It needs to beat the Bears and then have Kansas win at Kansas State Saturday. The Longhorns have the tiebreaker because they won at Kansas State. "It probably goes both ways," Sarkisian said. "I'm really proud of our guys, to stack road wins together and to play the style of football that we've been playing, I think is a physical brand of football. I think you can feel our effort in which we play the game, I think we're playing smart.
"Again, you can always look back and play the what-if game. What if this play and what if that play in a couple of other ball games, but in the end the resiliency our guys have shown, I'm very proud of that."

Lance Leipold, Kansas (6-5, 3-5) – The Jayhawks play at Kansas State: While KU didn’t do much in its home finale against Texas in a 55-14 loss, the program enjoyed three sellouts and attendance was up 17,000 from last year. “The game day environment here is night and day different than it was a year ago, and we appreciate that,” Leipold said. “We hope that is reflective and hopefully their belief in this program and our players moving forward. Hopefully, we'll see the uptick in season tickets and all the other things that we would like this place to be full and the booth to be full every game day possible.”

Brent Venables, Oklahoma (6-5, 3-5) – The Sooners play at Texas Tech: Venables knows this could have been the last time Oklahoma State played at OU. The Sooners won, 28-13. "A lot was at stake. Winning the state championship, incredibly important to us — one of our team goals for the season,’’ he said. “Having a chance to hand out a trophy, a lot is on the line. You're playing for, again, a trophy. Who knows how many more times, if at all, we'll play. I haven't seen any of the schedules for next year yet with new teams coming in. So having that trophy right now means a lot to these players. The seniors going out as winners the last time in the Palace, it means a lot to those guys. They've invested a ton in their careers. I told them earlier in the week, this will be a day that you'll never forget.

Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State (7-4, 4-4) – The Cowboys play host to West Virginia: Gundy talked about TCU’s chances of playing in the College Football Playoff: “At the point they’re at now, we should want them to be able to try to get in there. It elevates them, and it elevates everybody in postseason and all along, so on and so forth. For what they’ve been able to do, like they’ve been behind in the fourth quarter in six games, right? Or five? And to come back and do that and then what we were just talking about, so they put themselves in that position to kind of, you know, finish it off or whatever you want to call it. But yes, yes, we want each other to do good when we’re not playing against each other.”

Neal Brown, West Virginia (4-7, 2-6) – The Mountaineers play at Oklahoma State: Brown is possibly coaching his last game at WVU. And in a sign that scene control in the locker room isn’t right, defensive back Charles Wood tweeted he’s leaving the program. Brown was not amused. “I heard he put something out on social media. I try to protect these guys, but he shut it down,” Brown said with a shot directed right at Woods.

Chris Klieman, Kansas State (8-3, 6-2) – The Wildcats play host to Kansas: The Wildcats clinch their berth to the Big 12 title game with a win in the Sunflower Showdown. Offensive coordinator and former KSU QB Collin Klein is getting the hang of running this offense. KSU has broken 30 points seven times this season. “CK is doing a great job and excited for him in his first full year of doing this,’’ Klieman said. “ He's very calm. He's very relaxed. The kids feed off of him because of just the passion he has for our offense, for Kansas State and I know this; those kids in there would run through a wall for CK and it's fun to watch those guys.”

Matt Campbell, Iowa State (4-7, 1-7) – The Cylones play at TCU: Part of the reason why the Cyclones aren’t going to a bowl is because of their running game, especially short-yardage plays. Several times they failed to convert in those situations in the 14-10 loss to Texas Tech. “Yeah, obviously it’s frustrating. The inconsistency, as I’ve talked about multiple times. It’s very inconsistent, and they’re an offense that drives up and down the field. Then you get into some of those moments, and you picked up a lot of those throughout the game. The inability to do it there, in that moment, man, it’s critical, and it could cost you the football game, or at least be a huge piece of it.”

Joey McGuire, Texas Tech (6-5, 4-4) – The Red Raiders play host to Oklahoma: While the Red Raiders are going to a bowl in his first year, McGuire is not satisfied. Buying in, the buy-in historically Texas Tech has been so great on offense, almost an afterthought, the bus driver that Bus 1 was defense and not offense. We want to be a complete team and have a demeanor of having a good defense. Some of those guys had a chip on their shoulder that Tyree wasn’t going to play, about stepping up and playing at a higher level…meanwhile DE Tyree Wilson is having surgery on his broken foot. His college football career is over.

Sonny Dykes, TCU (11-0, 8-0) – The Horned Frogs play host to Iowa State: TCU trying to complete a perfect regular season before it makes its appearance in the Big 12 Title Game Dec. 3 at AT&T Stadium. Dykes word-for-word comment on the game-winning field goal at the horn. "Our guys just never quit. They just believe in each other," Dykes said. "We were well prepared, we practice that play every Thursday, and Griffin just came in, knocked it down. What a win.

"Looks more frantic than it is."

Still waiting for official numbers for Bryson Washington and Caden Jenkins. We lost a couple of more last week in the playoffs.

Performance Chart

The Rivals No. 171 recruit from Little Rock will be on campus to watch the Bears and Horned Frogs. Baylor hasn't offered him. I'm sure that will change. For now, the projections have him going to Ole Miss.

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From Gonzales LA

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It started later than usual today 3:15. They have to change some things around with Friday's 11:00 am kickoff in Austin. Transcript should come later.

A couple of notes:
*WR Gavin Holmes hurt his leg against TCU but Aranda said he hopes to have him for Texas.
*Aranda stressed that they aren't going away from Richard Reese. However, it's just a case that both Sqwirl Williams and Qualan Jones have experienced success. Aranda said Reese is not injurd.
*There was some emotion still from Sunday. However, Aranda said the energy for practice was pretty good.

*****
Opening Statement

We had a spirited practice today. So impressive just the team’s effort this past Saturday, the energy, the care factor, the speeds that we were playing with were all what we would like and striving for in all of it. The execution is still something we’re really working hard to improve upon. So much credit goes to TCU and just their ability to take a punch, and kind of keep swinging. They’re such an impressive team and hats off to them.

Excited for the opportunity on Friday with Texas. Their skill level and their fight, you watch them on defense, they run to the ball and they play with effort. Offensively, they’re such a quick strike, explosive outfit. Playing coaches on that team that we have relationships with and respect for and all of it, so it should be a really good one. We’re working to build on the practice we had today so we can be our best.

(Will it be hard to put TCU loss behind) We spent quite a bit of time when we came back yesterday, and that was really kind of a Sunday/Monday for us. It was very much on their faces, there were a couple of guys still emotional in the meeting from the game. We talked about there is a Scottish warrior who says something like “I’m going to lay down here and bleed awhile and then I’ll rise and fight again” and I think that’s totally it. I think the ability to really collectively kind of rise and fight is what it’s all about. So that’s all we’re talking about and the energy today was really good. We can continue to build on that. The more film we’ve shown, Texas kind of speaks for itself, and just the opportunity that’s presented there Friday morning, and just the whole of it, I know I’m really looking forward to it and I think the team will too.

(Blake’s performance) I think with Blake, there’s been continued improvement throughout the year. I think you look at the beginning of the year with ball security and the slides and all of it, I think he has progressed. Maybe not 100 percent, but I think it’s improved throughout. He’s really made an intentional effort to improve in those things. I think for him when the picture is clear and the coverage is diagnosed and he’s got a clean pocket, I mean he’s really, really good. I think there’s been improvement throughout the year when he can’t step up when there’s pressure in his face or when he’s out of the pocket, and ball security and keeping his eyes down the field, those are examples of things that maybe weren’t great at the start and then it’s gotten greater. I think he still wants growth in those areas, and I think some of those areas popped up on Saturday. He has been improving on it. But for all of us, and for me, I’d like to be so much better than I am. So I’m sure it’s the same for him. So he’ll stay and fight.

(Running the ball tougher late in game) I give credit to TCU. I thought they did a great job getting penetration right off the snap. I thought they won the line of scrimmage there right at the beginning. Our backs were running hard and they were churning their leg and all of it, and our linemen were trying to get behind them and push and do all the things. I think we just didn’t execute, and you give credit to TCU because there’s that drive and that drive previous too. To run the ball as well as we did and to move the ball as well as we did, and then to get to those possessions and not, I think kind of speaks to where we’re at. You take that and address the things that can be corrected in terms of those specific things, and then work to be better.

(Richard Reese less work load) He’s healthy. He’s had some explosive runs, and I thought in the throw game he was where he was supposed to be and did what he needed to be doing. So I think his growth and not being the primary ballhandler, so to speak, I think it just shows we have a healthy room once again. You’ve got Sqwirl and his continued emergence because he’s healthy now. Then you’ve got Qualan from the start of the year until where we are now, he’s up there in terms of most improved, and he’s running the ball like you’d expect from a guy who looks like he does. That was not necessarily the case at the beginning of the year, and the credit goes to him.

(What have you seen from Kelsey Johnson over the last few weeks) Physical, physical, physical. I think there is a great love of the game. He loves football. He can block with his hand in the ground, he can block from a two-point (stance), he can block when he’s in motion. And I think all of those things are kind of being exploited now. I think he’s a really good pass catcher. He had the run the other day. So, I think just his variable skills. One of the things that makes him unique is we can walk through something, we can teach something, and he can do it in a team period, and then he’s ready to go with it and play it with full confidence. And not kind of a question, or an anxiousness, just full confidence and full go. That’s much appreciated, and I think that’s continuing to show up on Saturdays.

(Gavin Holmes status) He started the game, and I think the very first kickoff return, he injured his leg. So, we’re hoping that we get him back. That’s the plan right now. He moved around some today, he did good. He’ll move around a little bit more tomorrow. The short week kind of compresses it, for sure, but he looked good today, so we’re hopeful.

(Being able to limit Bijan Robinson like you did last year) It’s always difficult. His film is very impressive. We played Kansas State a few weeks back, and Deuce had his patience, kind of his sliding back there; A, B, C, D, looking for a gap to hit, then he sees it and hits it. This guy is very similar in that, but then also, if there’s just a sliver of daylight there, he can take it and lower his shoulder and move the pile, too. So, a guy that can do it all. It’s the ability to withstand some of the big-play strikes, whether it’s in the run or the pass, and then continue to play technique when there’s a patient home-run hitter back there. That’s really going to be the key.

(Seen from Quinn Ewers) I think when he sees the coverages and he sees really clear, ‘Hey, this is what they’re going with, this is where my one-on-one is, here’s very clearly what my progression is.’ When all that stuff’s kind of lined up, he’s very, very good. I think when it’s kind of dirty or gray, it’s better for the defense. And his arm strength is such that he can make all the throws. So, if the ball’s on the hash and you’re on an out way on the other side of it, you’ve got to be able to stick your foot in the ground and drive three hard steps, close that distance, because that ball could be there and he could throw that guy open. So, there are plenty of throws of that. He definitely makes you work. And when you watch him on film, and you’re a DB, you see it right away.

(Dealing with all the variables of a short week, Thanksgiving, etc., how do you deal with all the variables) I think just try to focus on what’s right in front of you. I think the team the last two weeks, we’ve been through it some, but I think that’s all part of it. And I think we’re stronger for it. And we’re probably a closer team now than we were just two weeks ago. I think you find out so much about yourself, especially when there’s trials, tribulations and all of it. And when people can fully put their heart out, and then kind of have it crushed at the end, I think it’s so vulnerable to do that and for guys to do that. And then, to make the decision to do it again I think speaks to just a strong growth with the team. We’re aiming to do that.

You have your heart out there, and then kind of have a crushed at the end, you know, I think it's so vulnerable to do that. And to for guys to do that. And then to make the decision. Here to do it, again, I think speaks to just a strong growth with the team. We're aiming to do that.

(Not having the carrot of a Big 12 title game, is it trickier in terms of just motivation when you’re just playing for maybe a better bowl game) I think always the emphasis on intrinsic on, this is where I’m at right now, this is who I could become. And then further, just collectively, this is where we’re at right now, this is what we could become. You look at that game this past Saturday, and the effort, the speed and just all of it, that’s us right there. We just have to be able to execute better. But for really one of the first times this year, unfortunately, number-wise, that was us. And to be able to bring that back and to make people have to see that and face that, that’s our goal.

(Winning the last two on the road, does that give you confidence going on the road again) It’s crazy that you’re asking that question, isn’t it? Our guys have kind of mentioned that. I think they like being on the road because it’s just us in that. There probably is some of that. Just based upon this year, and just when we’re in the hotel, it’s whoever’s in that team meeting room specifically, that it’s us versus the whole thing in that meeting at night prior to the game. So, I think there is some of that. But again, I go back to the previous question of, it has come from inside out on things that you can control and things that that you want to be able to show and put on tape, because you’re choosing either courage or comfort. You can either kind of just hold back or you can put yourself out there again. And you really can’t choose both.

(How are you handling Thanksgiving) So, we’ll have Thanksgiving here for the team right after our walk-through. It will be just for our players and for our staff. And then, with the 11 o’clock game on Friday, we’ll kind of disperse and guys will be able to go with their families and all of it. So, I think there will be two Thanksgivings for guys, so that’s always a positive.

😂😂😂

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Baylor junior guard LJ Cryer picked up Big 12 Conference Player of the Week honors, as announced by the league office on Monday.

The Katy, Texas, native blistered tough competition at the Continental Tire Main Event, averaging 23.5 points in two games against No. 16 Virginia and No. 8 UCLA. Cryer helped lift BU to its 11th win in the last 12 games against AP Top-10 foes with a career-best 28 points in a career-high 35 minutes against the eighth-ranked Bruins. After opening the game with 10 first-half points, Cryer found his stroke in the second half, making five of his eight shots, including three of his four three-pointers and a pair of clutch free throws to seal the game down the stretch.

The junior opened the Continental Tire Main Event with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting against a No. 16 Virginia team that ranks 11th in the country in the latest KenPom defensive ratings. Cryer was three of five from beyond the arc against the Cavaliers to go along with a season-high four assists.

Cryer opened the week with 20 points and a career-high four rebounds against Northern Colorado, helping head coach Scott Drew capture his 400th career win at Baylor.

This was a game for guards. Bears execute very well when leading 68-67 late. Adam Flagler with a steal and two big shots. Then he and LJ Cryer perfect at the line to ice it.

They carried this team. Cryer 28. Flagler 24. Each 4-8 from long distance.

Flagler's steal inside of two minutes was just a veteran play where he knew the situation. Never flinched.

Bears excellent at the line 20-23.

Still concerning about the front court. When 6-10 freshman Josh Ojianwuna leads with seven points, that's not good. They got a combined one point between Flo Thamba, who had the one, and Jalen Bridges. Bridges really got shut down in these two days. Baylor got crushed in the paint, 42-20. Baylor had a problem with UCLA's Jaylen Clark who finished with 23 on 10-14 shooting. He's very impressive.

Very pedestrian day for Keyonte George with four. Bad shooting day at 2-10 and 0-6 from the arc. He got a baptism on what it takes to play against really good teams in these meetings with Virginia and UCLA. Hopefully, he'll grow from it.

But a good game with nine ties and 13 lead changes.

Baylor returns home Wednesday for a 3:00 pm meeting with McNeese State (ESPN+).

Postgame Notes - from Baylor SID

• BU is 23-7 against AP Top 25 opponents over the last four seasons
• In the first meeting between the two schools since 1975, BU won its first game over UCLA since Dec. 19, 1947.
• Baylor is 40-13 in regular-season tournaments under Scott Drew, and 27-5 since 2013-14.
• Baylor is 10-1 in its last 11 meetings against Pac 12 opponents, including 6-straight wins
• The Bears are 6-2 in their last eight games in Las Vegas
• LJ Cryer scored a career-high 28 points, in a career high 35 minutes
• It was Cryer’s seventh-career 20+ point game and his 2nd this year
• Cryer has now made a 3-pointer in 17-straight games
• Cryer also tied a career-high with four rebounds.
• Adam Flagler eclipsed the 20-point mark for the ninth time in his BU career.
• Flagler made 4+ three-pointers for a fourth time in five games this season, and has 6-straight games with 3+ made three pointers.
• With 6 made free throws, Dale Bonner set a new Baylor-career high.

These are the seniors with photos taken during the last home game.

Full gallery here.

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Baylor officially fell out of the Big 12 title game chase on Saturday with heartbreaking 29-28 loss to TCU at McLane Stadium. The Horned Frogs perfectly executed a fire drill field goal at the gun at when TCU’s Griffin Kell drilled a 40-yarder.

The Bears were unable to run out the clock on their final possession when quarterback Blake Shapen was stopped two yards short of the first down and had to punt. TCU then traveled from its 31 to the Baylor 23 in the final 1:34 to escape and keep its national college football playoff hopes alive. TCU has won the last against the Bears.

Baylor (6-5, 4-4) finishes the regular season at 11:00 am Friday at Texas. The game will be shown on ESPN.

SicEmSports provides reflections, observations and three Golden Bears from this one.


Upon Reflection
The final 2:07 of this game will be what this game is all about. That’s after TCU scored and missed the tying 2-point attempt. Instead, the Bears clung to a 28-26 lead.

Let’s start with Baylor’s final possession. Everybody in the building knows they’re going to run the ball. Baylor is one first down away from putting this game away and fans storming the field.

TCU crowds the line of scrimmage. Baylor runs two off tackle plays. One to Sqwirl Williams that goes for two yards. The second to Qualan Jones that loses two yards. They burn about 10 total seconds between two TCU timeouts.

In that sequence, Baylor does what it’s supposed to do. Ball security is the No. 1 goal. You run a toss sweep and it goes awry, McLane becomes the Bastille in France during the French Revolution.

Perhaps you run RPO where Shapen reads the defensive end and either keeps or gives to Sqwirl or Jones. Maybe those two plays go for big yardage. Maybe they have the same outcome.

I don’t have the issue with those plays because I agree with Baylor head coach Dave Aranda. Baylor’s offensive line had done very well throughout game. This line has played well in the second half of the season and finished the game 232 yards.

Now, the third down call is where you can have the issue on the Shapen keeper. You need to throw it there. I don’t have a problem leaving TCU with one timeout if the Bears don’t make it. You have to play to win it.

I saw a picture where Shapen had a wide-open Ben Sims – who has disappeared in the last four games with just five catches for 48 yards – in the middle of the field and perhaps didn’t see him. Or if he did, Shapen has a defender coming at him and didn’t want to deliver the ball.

I don’t think the call was bad. That play is on Shapen. He’s got to throw it to win the game. If it’s incomplete, then you do what Baylor did anyway when Shapen was stopped short. And it would have been nice for someone to ask Aranda what they were looking for on that play. Of course, we didn’t get that.

Now, to the fire drill field goal. If you didn’t see my posts in the game story thread, my succinct point is that if I’m Baylor, I do the same all over again.

Why? Let’s begin with the substitutions. When you’re Baylor and you see the field goal unit run on for TCU you can run your field goal block team out there. But in the chaos, you risk getting flagged for too many men on the field. One player did run off for the Bears and one other came on for him.

Yet if TCU misses, it gets to try again on an untimed down. Maybe Baylor calls a timeout to ice, but we’re going down a long path.

Still, if Baylor tries to slow play that sequence with running that unit out there, the officials have every right to stop the clock. I’ve seen that.

Who is on the field for Baylor at that time? Well, a bunch of veterans in Apu Ika, Chidi Ogbonnaya, TJ Franklin, Dillon Doyle and Matt Jones. You got some big bodies out there.

Some of those guys are on special teams. Some of them aren’t. However, they’re not football idiots. They understand situations. Franklin has blocked kicks in his career.

The clock is running away from TCU. The Horned Frogs have no timeouts. The onus is on them to execute this play, which TCU head coach Sonny Dykes says they work on every Thursday. Everything has to go right. Unfortunately, it did.

It’s a terrible way to lose. However, that’s the game.


Missed opportunities
Of course, if Baylor converts any of its three opportunities in the first half, the entire second half is played differently.

The John Mayers’ 46-yard field goal that fell short stunned me because I thought he drilled it. That was his first miss between 40-49 this year. That would have made it 10-0.

When Baylor runs the toss at TCU 36 mid-second quarter, Sqwirl is dumped for a 3-yard loss. The people who complained about that play are the same ones who complained about the runs up the middle on the final possession. Baylor’s run that toss play a lot. The offensive line just didn’t block it well. That possession is iffy anyway because it wasn’t as if the Bears were at ground zero.

The biggest miss was Shapen’s end zone interception right before the end of the half. Baylor has three points in its pocket. He just underthrows Monaray Baldwin on a ball that needs to be thrown to where Baldwin is the only one who can catch it. Instead, TCU safety Bud Clark picks it. Baylor’s quarterback has 11 turnovers in the last seven games.


One last thought
The shame of this is that Baylor responded like I thought it would. It played a really good game. Did a lot of things well. Had more than 500 yards of total offense. Shapen completed 70 percent of his passes. Very balanced. Made TCU sweat.

By like so many times this year, it didn’t finish in tight games. Baylor is 2-3 in one-score affairs in 2022. And true to form, when Baylor needed its defensive line to be a difference maker, it wasn’t. The season’s biggest disappointment recorded no sacks and just two QB hurries.


Golden Bears
The yearly tradition returns where SicEmSports highlights the three players who stood out in their performance on a weekly basis. Win or lose, they deserve the recognition.

The following are from Baylor’s 29-28 home loss to TCU.

Kelsey Johnson, TE, Fr.: The future at this position is going to be exciting for the Bears between him and Drake Dabney. Johnson is athletic and could be as a hybrid wide receiver if Baylor wanted him to be. Heck, you don’t see a lot of jet sweeps to tight ends at the goal line.

Notable – Receiving: 3-30 1 TD; Rushing: 1-2 TD


Monaray Baldwin, WR, Soph.: The home run hitter is back. Give him a little space and he can take it the distance. Baldwin nearly did on the 74-yard play that set up the Bears final touchdown.

Notable – Receiving: 6-123; Rushing: 3-10


Sqwirl Williams, RB, Jr.: Ever since he returned from the concussion, he’s run with purpose and strength and fearlessness. Credit to him and running backs coach Justin Johnson getting him to play at another level. Sqwirl had his second 100-yard game in his last three.

Notable – Rushing: 19-112; Receiving: 3-5

Also projected to go to Liberty Bowl against either Arkansas or Liberty

From Baylor SID

TEAM NOTES
• Baylor is 6-5, 4-4 in the Big 12 Conference and TCU is 11-0, 8-0 in the Big 12.
• TCU leads the all-time series with Baylor, 58-53-7, with the series tied 34-34-5 in games played in Waco.
• TCU has won three consecutive meetings in the series.
• Baylor captains: Dillon Doyle, Jacob Gall, Gavin Holmes, Bryson Jackson
• Baylor is 20-14 under third-year head coach Dave Aranda.
• The Bears are 3-3 in 2022 at home and 12-5 under Aranda.
• Baylor is 5-2 in 2022 when scoring first and 14-5 under Aranda.
• Baylor has 62 takeaways and 39 giveaways in 34 games under Aranda.
• A kickoff at 39 degrees marked the coldest kickoff temperature in McLane Stadium history and the coldest since a 2013 kickoff vs. Texas, which was 24 degrees. This was
the fourth sub-50 degree kickoff in McLane Stadium history and the second consecutive.
• The Bears had 501 yards of total offense, including 232 yards on the ground and 269 yards through the air.
• Baylor has four games in 2022 with at least 500 yards of total offense and has over 200 yards rushing in six games.
• Six games with 200+ yards rushing marked the second consecutive year the Bears have accomplished that feet, going for 200+ yards in seven games in 2021.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES
• Junior RB Craig Williams had 19 carries for 112 yards.
• Williams eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark for the second time on the year.
• Freshman WR Josh Cameron had three catches for 68 yards.
• Cameron had a career-long 42 yard reception in the first quarter.
• Sophomore WR Monaray Baldwin had a team-leading six catches for 123 yards.
• Baldwin had a career-long 74 yard catch in the second half.
• Senior John Mayers was 4 of 4 in PATs.
• Mayers has 216 career points, moving into third in program history.
• Mayers is 117 of 119 in his career in PATs, ranking third in PATs made and attempted.
• Mayers has made 98.3 percent of his PATs, ranking fourth in program history.
• Mayers has made 78.6 percent of his field-goal attempts, ranking tops in program history.
• Freshman RB Richard Reese toted it 10 times for 56 yards and a TD.
• Reese rushed for his team-leading 14th TD.
• Reese broke the Baylor freshman rushing record, held by Shock Linwood (2013) and has rushed for 908 yards on the year.
• Junior RB Qualan Jones rushed five times for 30 yards and a TD.
• Jones rushed for his seventh TD of the year and the ninth of his career.
• Baylor senior OL Connor Galvin made his team-leading 48th-career start and made his team-high 37th-straight start.
• Galvin ranks tied with Spencer Drango (2012-15) for first place in Baylor history with 48 career starts.
• Senior LB Dillon Doyle finished with seven tackles, one pass break-up and one QB hurry.
• Doyle has two pass break-ups on the year and five in his career.
• Doyle has three QB hurries in 2022.
• Freshman S Devin Lemear led the team with a career-high nine tackles, adding a pass break-up.
• Lemear broke up his fourth pass of the year.
• Junior S Devin Neal had his second interception of the year.
• Freshman TE Kelsey Johnson scored his first two TDs, one passing and one rushing, going for a career-high three catches for a career-best 40 yards.
• Johnson rushed for his first career TD.
• Johnson caught his first career TD pass.
• Junior DL Siaki Ika had three tackles and a QB hurry.
• Ika has a career-high five QB hurries in 2022 and nine in his career.
• Freshman S Alfonzo Allen has two tackles for a loss on the year.
• Freshman LB Jackie Marshall made his first career start.
• Senior CB Mark Milton broke up his third pass of the year and has eight on his career, adding seven tackles.
• Senior DL Chidi Ogbonnaya played in his 57th career game, ranking third in program history.
• Jacob Gall played in his 57th career game over two institutions, Buffalo and Baylor.

By Michael Haag
Special to SicEmSports
WACO — Baylor was mere seconds away from upsetting No. 4 TCU at home, but the Horned Frogs walked off with a win thanks to a 40-yard field goal as time expired, saving their undefeated season and College Football Playoff hopes.

Griffin Kell drilled it, and it was not one of those set kicks where you have time to think about it. TCU had run the ball the previous play with no timeouts, so Kell hurried out with the kicking unit and had about five seconds of a running clock to work with.

But the senior drilled it and silenced the McLane Stadium crowd and halted a student section ready to rush the field on a miss. Baylor (6-5, 4-4) was officially eliminated from the Big 12 Title Game race.

“It's a tough locker room,” head coach Dave Aranda said following the game. “I told them that I wish that I could take the pain away. I wish you could say that you put together a great week and you bounced back from a hardship and put the pieces back together to fight for another day. And to do it all in the right manner. You wish that it would all work out in the end. We all know that's not the case.”

It was utter chaos as the Horned Frogs took down the Bears 29-28 in a classic Revivalry thriller that saw Baylor almost do what TCU did to them last season. The Frogs (11-0, 8-0 Big 12) were powered by quarterback Max Duggan, who had a shaky 24-35 day, but threw for 327 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Duggan also rushed eight times for 50 yards and one score. Aranda said the senior “did a great job of keeping plays alive” and that he made it tough on the Bears’ defense.

“I thought he was able to make some throws that were just bang-bang throws,” Aranda said. “We haven't seen that a ton from him, so I was impressed with him that way, too. To have someone in there where you kind of have to have it all together in terms of your rush lanes and your coverage, it makes it difficult.”

After missing a PAT earlier in the game, TCU was trailing 28-20 with 9:47 to go, but after consecutive punts, the Frogs dug in and saw Emari Demercado score from three yards out. Duggan and the offense stayed on the field and went for two, but Demercado dropped a would-be conversion.

There was 2:07 left on the clock for the Bears to kill after taking over possession, but TCU had all of its timeouts. Baylor failed to get a first down and the Horned Frogs took over with 1:34 on their own 31 following a punt.

Duggan drove the team down the field following a couple completions and scrambles and set up the game-winning field goal from 40 yards out.
The Bears opened the game with an impressive 11-play, 76-yard drive that took nearly six minutes of time off the clock to take a 7-0 lead. The Frogs were three-and-out and gave it back to Baylor, but John Mayers couldn’t connect on a 46-yard field goal into the wind.

TCU only needed seven plays to march 72 yards and tied things before the two programs traded scores again in the second quarter, making it 14-14. Baylor had another promising drive that also went 76 yards on 11 plays, but quarterback Blake Shapen threw a pick in the end zone with four seconds left before the half.
The third was mostly uneventful, but Duggan found Gunnar Henderson for a 26-yard score. The Frogs missed the PAT, ultimately resulting in the madness that ensued in the fourth.

The Bears will wrap their season up next week in a contest against Texas in Austin. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. on ESPN or ABC at Darrell K Royal Stadium.