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Baylor upsets No. 14 Iowa State in defining win for Dave Aranda, 31-29

September 25, 2021
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WACO, Texas — Baylor (4-0) made a statement on its home turf against No. 14 Iowa State (2-2) in a defining win for Dave Aranda, 31-29. 

That. Was. Awesome. Dare I say perfect? No. Dare I say easy? No. Dare I even say smooth? No. But it was awesome. That was an unnerving gut check for a full 60 minutes, but Aranda and the Bears found a way to topple a top-15 team and two former Heisman hopefuls. 

From a 2-7 record last season and a 42-3 loss to cap the year to a 4-0 record with a win over Iowa State to start this campaign, it’s hard not to recognize what Aranda is putting together. Apart from my typical jest and antics in postgame recaps, it’s worth taking time to notice how improbable this win was with a new quarterback, new offensive coordinator and renovated o-line coming into the year. 

Hats off to this team. Most talking heads had Baylor next to Kansas in the Big 12 cellar before the year, and here they are making noise. 

The first half was a weird dream. Apart from an Iowa State touchdown with ease on possession one, a fantom roughing the passer call and a couple of weird facemask penalties, the first 30 minutes was a breeze. You may now be saying, “But wait, Drake, you can’t just omit that stuff from the first half?” And you’d be exactly right. I couldn’t omit it, and neither could Baylor. 

In a war clearly won by the Bears, Aranda’s squad only led 21-13 at the break due to five penalties for 70 yards and an 18:30 to 11:30 differential in time of possession. The offense was churning and the defense was meeting par, but there was never comfortable separation. Granted some calls could be questioned, the good guys could’ve been up by far more than one possession at the break. 

The second half was an absolute grind. It was no longer a football game, it was a war of attrition. Both teams built trenches and scoring was tough to come by. Iowa State seemed to control most of the half with Baylor’s defense waning, but all that mattered was keeping the Cyclones from a three-yard gain on Purdy’s last play.  

Iowa State didn’t make many mistakes, but their final one was fatal — a Purdy interception on the potential game-tying two-point conversion. Baylor sealed the book. 31-29. 

Baylor fans — party. 

Discussion from...

Baylor upsets No. 14 Iowa State in defining win for Dave Aranda, 31-29

5,189 Views | 6 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by historian
canoso
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Just a gutty, overcoming win. Bears had every opportunity to choke it away and didn't. "Hey, now, what's that sound..."?
Freedomb3ar
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Iowa state has to wait another year to
Maybe finally be elite.

We are so spoiled at Baylor with so many elite teams over the years in basically all sports
historian
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Great description of a great game. I love the World War I analogy.
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
VKNIGHT
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I still found it impossible to believe that we hadn't beaten a ranked foe at home since 2015. Played through adversity and got the dub, all that matters.
jdkingbear
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Woulda, coulda, shoulda. The fact is most pundits (TV, print, or otherwise) saw Iowa State a winner ... in Baylor's own house. The Bears were a 7 point underdog coming into this game. BU-Cylcone games are almost always nail biters (just check the history). Reality? The Bears not only covered the point spread but beat it by 9. Even though the 2nd half was sloppy, a game is decided in 60 minutes, not 30, and these Bears used all 60. And if having to endure TWO onside kickoffs back to back and win both is not proof that these Bears are real - not sure what will to the naysayers. And lest we forget that Ebner's kickoff TD was his 2nd of the young year - its just a shame the first one was negated by a Bear penalty. And then JT Woods picks off another INT to seal Purdy's fate in the waning seconds of a gut-wrenching game that made sure there would be NO TIE, and NO OT. All in all, a damned fine win. Need to get better still? Oh yeah! BUT .. this team can and will. For NOW - Baylor sits at the top of the Big 12 at 4-0 and 2-0. Will that stay that way? Who knows? Life comes one day at a time. And on this day - we be #1.
jdkingbear
historian
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We will stay atop the Big 12 this season so long as we continue winning. And it's all because of the fluke in our schedule playing a conference game a week before everyone else!

Sic 'em Bears!!
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
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