No. 8 Baylor football secures 10-win season with 27-24 squeaker over Texas Tech

WACO, Texas — The No. 8 Baylor football team (10-2) squeaked past Texas Tech (6-6) on senior day 27-24. 

This game was reminiscent of Baylor’s regular-season basketball game against West Virginia last season that secured the team’s first Big 12 title. How so? Well, this was not pretty. There were times Baylor nearly gave this one away, but they didn't. And all that’s left is to bask. 

Dave Aranda started 2-7 as a head coach in the college ranks. It was bad. One year later, and after 9/10 analysts had your Bears in the bottom two or three teams in the conference, Aranda is 10-2 and has the No. 8 team in the nation. Read that again. This doesn't happen outside of movies. 

I take it back, this doesn't happen IN movies. This film would be a low-budget, feel-good story that everyone hates because it’s so unrealistic. But here we all are, living fiction. 10-2. 

Zeroing in on the first half, it simultaneously felt like Baylor would win by 24 and lose by three. There wasn’t really an in-between. Tech was getting all it wanted running the ball, and only two turnovers kept the Raiders down. Similarly, Baylor’s offense operated pretty freely but didn’t capitalize on the passing game as much as expected. 

Shapen had an unruly 153 yards on 9-12 passing with a score and the ground game was solid enough, but the Bears only had 17 points to show for it. Had it not been for Tech’s ineptitude passing, the 17-10 Baylor advantage at the break could have looked a lot different. 

The second half showed similar problems for the Baylor offense when it came to capitalizing. It’s not like Tech was stifling everything Jeff Grimes threw at them, but the Bears could not consistently finish drives with six. The Red Raiders, on the other hand, were throwing the kitchen sink. 

Sonny Cumbie got really, really comfortable. He drew up a screen play to a tight end that went 75 yards and put Tech within three at the 6:40 mark in the fourth. That’s when Shapen stepped up. 

Putting his body on the line, Shapen pulled Baylor within inches of a first down with a hardnosed carry that saw him take one of the biggest hits McLane has seen this season. Down on the sideline, it wasn’t clear he’d return — it looked like he might not even get up without help. 

One play later, Shapen was back. And just like that, he chanced carrying the football again to pick up a 12-yard gain and a first down that gave Baylor the leeway to chew the clock. Shapen gave it up for a team he’s only just now started for, and that was the difference.

A Tech 52 yard field goal missed wide left. Baylor won 27-24. 

Shapen finished 20-33 for 254 yards and two scores. He threw 33 passes on a rain-drenched, 55-degree day in his first game as a starter. Team, I don’t know if you can tell, but I am just in awe of what Shapen gave. 

Oklahoma State — please make this nailbiter of a game all the more worth it. Baylor nation turns its lonely eyes to you.