By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
WACO – Oklahoma State used a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half and then a 50-yarder to set up its second score of the third quarter as the No. 9 Cowboys upended No. 16 Baylor, 36-25, at a sold out McLane Stadium.
Baylor (3-2, 1-1) saw its 9-game home winning streak end.
The Cowboys never trailed in this game after taking a 7-3 lead in the middle of the first quarter. In the loss Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen threw for 345 yards and two touchdowns, 49 and 70 yards to Monaray Baldwin. However, he was hounded by interceptions on consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter that led to an OSU field goal or put the game out of reach.
In what was billed as the rubber match from two extraordinary matchups in 2021, Cowboys quarterback Spencer Sanders rebounded from those two games – where he threw a combined seven interceptions – and played very poised. He threw for 181 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 75 yards, 72 in the first half.
Oklahoma State built a 16-3 halftime lead on Sanders QB sneak in the closing seconds. It became 23-3 Nixon’s kick return. The Bears scrapped to 23-17 on their next two possessions. Shapen found Baldwin on a 49-yard shot. Christian Morgan came up with his second interception in as many weeks to set up the Bears at the Cowboys’ 37. Richard Reese finished the drive with a one-yard run.
However, Oklahoma State (4-0, 1-0) answered when Brennan Presley returned the ensuing kickoff to midfield. Sanders then threw 49 yards to Braydon Johnson to the Bears 1-yard line. Dominic Russell finished it off with a one-yard score.
Two points where this game turned was when Baylor trailed 7-3 early in the second quarter with the ball near its own goal line. The Bears ran a toss sweep to Reese who was tackled seven yards deep in the end zone for a safety.
Late in the second quarter, the Bears drove to the Oklahoma State 7-yard line. They were denied when Cowboy linebacker Mason Cobb shot the lane and tackled Reese for no gain.
Forced to chase the game throughout, the Bears were 3-5 on fourth down including an attempt from their 33 in the middle of the third quarter. That was stopped and led to an OSU field goal.
But Baylor used one of those fourth down conversions on the 70-yard catch and run touchdown to Baldwin – along with the 2-point conversion – to narrow it to 33-25. However, that was it. The interceptions were the enders. Shapen had thrown only one through the first four games.
Baylor has a bye on Oct. 8 and then returns to action on Oct. 13 when it travels to Morgantown, WV to play at West Virginia.
Publisher
WACO – Oklahoma State used a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half and then a 50-yarder to set up its second score of the third quarter as the No. 9 Cowboys upended No. 16 Baylor, 36-25, at a sold out McLane Stadium.
Baylor (3-2, 1-1) saw its 9-game home winning streak end.
The Cowboys never trailed in this game after taking a 7-3 lead in the middle of the first quarter. In the loss Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen threw for 345 yards and two touchdowns, 49 and 70 yards to Monaray Baldwin. However, he was hounded by interceptions on consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter that led to an OSU field goal or put the game out of reach.
In what was billed as the rubber match from two extraordinary matchups in 2021, Cowboys quarterback Spencer Sanders rebounded from those two games – where he threw a combined seven interceptions – and played very poised. He threw for 181 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 75 yards, 72 in the first half.
Oklahoma State built a 16-3 halftime lead on Sanders QB sneak in the closing seconds. It became 23-3 Nixon’s kick return. The Bears scrapped to 23-17 on their next two possessions. Shapen found Baldwin on a 49-yard shot. Christian Morgan came up with his second interception in as many weeks to set up the Bears at the Cowboys’ 37. Richard Reese finished the drive with a one-yard run.
However, Oklahoma State (4-0, 1-0) answered when Brennan Presley returned the ensuing kickoff to midfield. Sanders then threw 49 yards to Braydon Johnson to the Bears 1-yard line. Dominic Russell finished it off with a one-yard score.
Two points where this game turned was when Baylor trailed 7-3 early in the second quarter with the ball near its own goal line. The Bears ran a toss sweep to Reese who was tackled seven yards deep in the end zone for a safety.
Late in the second quarter, the Bears drove to the Oklahoma State 7-yard line. They were denied when Cowboy linebacker Mason Cobb shot the lane and tackled Reese for no gain.
Forced to chase the game throughout, the Bears were 3-5 on fourth down including an attempt from their 33 in the middle of the third quarter. That was stopped and led to an OSU field goal.
But Baylor used one of those fourth down conversions on the 70-yard catch and run touchdown to Baldwin – along with the 2-point conversion – to narrow it to 33-25. However, that was it. The interceptions were the enders. Shapen had thrown only one through the first four games.
Baylor has a bye on Oct. 8 and then returns to action on Oct. 13 when it travels to Morgantown, WV to play at West Virginia.
