No. 16 Baylor (7-1) rallies to dump Texas (4-4) in 31-24 battle

WACO, Texas — No. 16 Baylor (7-1) dumps Texas (4-4) with a 31-24 win, burying any Longhorn Big 12 title hopes. 

A Ben Sims rushing touchdown run. A spell of Cameron Dicker idiocy. A long Abram Smith score to ice it. And a Baylor comeback to down the Horns.

Despite being down 21-10 after the Horns’ first possession of the second half, Baylor refused to roll over. The Bears utilized a healthy dose of defensive stops and big offensive plays to boast 21 unanswered that led to the eventual win. 

The first half was a tale of two quarters. The first 15 minutes showcased an exhilarating shootout that saw the Bears play quite well outside of two costly plays. Those costly plays, an interception and cakewalk Texas deep ball, were the reason the Horns led 14-10 at the end of one. 

Now, had you accidentally fallen asleep around 11:47 a.m. and taken a siesta through 12:41 p.m., the remarkable Golden Wave Band would’ve been all you missed. The second quarter pretty much sucked. The teams combined for four turnovers in the opening half. 

That coupled with a Tyquan Thornton touchdown pass to RJ Sneed made for a bizarre first 30 minutes that led to a 14-10 Texas lead at the break.  

The third quarter opened with a Texas score that silenced McLane. That’s when it all changed. Rather than rolling into hibernation, Baylor notched the aforementioned 21 points on beautifully orchestrated offensive drives. 

Texas would threaten again, but a 10 point lead in the fourth quarter was just enough for the Bears to hold on for the 31-24 win. 

Baylor only punted twice, allowed just 42 rush yards for Bijan Robinson and had just one penalty. Abram Smith also logged 114 yards and a score in the heavyweight halfback duel. That's a pretty good recipe for a win. 

I like to think of it like this:

Texas dressed up as the Israelites for Halloween and Waco served as their Jericho today. The promised land, Arlington, was still in the Horns’ sights. This time, however, God’s favor shined on the obedient Baptists of Jericho and “they afflicted and crushed the sons of Israel that year.”

Baylor now sets its sites on TCU next week in a game that should make all Frogs question their fandom.