Baylor falls to No. 21 BYU in double overtime, 26-20

PROVO, Utah – After a turn of tumultuous events and missed kicks, the No. 9 Bears (1-1) fell early on Sunday morning to the No. 21 BYU Cougars (2-0) by a score of 26-20 in double overtime.

BYU had the game all but won two times, in regulation and the first overtime, but junior kicker Jake Oldroyd missed multiple attempts to seal the victory and instead sent the game into double overtime.

The Cougars struck first in 2OT, scoring on a three-yard rush but failed to convert the two-point conversion, leaving another opportunity for BU to leave Provo with a ranked victory. 

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Shapen threw for 137 yards on 18-28 passing.

But the Bears were left stranded at the twelve-yard line after Blake Shapen failed to connect with Seth Jones on a fourth and goal pass that would have tied the game.

It felt like a fitting ending to an extremely sloppy game. Over the course of the night, Baylor racked up 117 yards on 14 penalties, including two crucial false starts on the final drive.

Shapen, in his first career start in a true road game, had a hard time getting into a rhythm against a stifling BYU defense. The redshirt sophomore finished with 137 yards and a touchdown on 18-28 passing. While on the ground, Craig Williams and Qualan Jones combined for 135 yards on 33 carries.

A storyline heading into Saturday night’s game was that BYU would be without their top wideouts, Puka Nacua and Gunner Romney. That didn’t sway Jaren Hall, BYU’s star quarterback, from leading the Cougars to victory, however. Hall finished with 261 yards and a touchdown on 23-39 passing.

Both offenses struggled in the first half but began to find life early in the third quarter. Baylor came out of the break refocused and finished off a 77-yard drive with a Qualan Jones rushing TD to go up 13-10.

Hall and the Cougars responded with ten straight points to take a 20-13 lead with 2:36 remaining in the third quarter.

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Hall led the Cougars with 261 passing yards.

A ground game of Williams and Qualan Jones marched the Bears back down the field, and Shapen finished the drive off with a four-yard TD pass to Ben Sims to tie the game at 20 apiece with 10:01 left in the fourth.

BYU had an opportunity to put the game away in regulation, but Jake Oldroyd missed a 35-yarder that sent the game into overtime.

In the first OT, Baylor’s kicker Isaiah Hankins, who had missed a PAT earlier in the game, missed a 43-yarder wide to the right. BYU returned the favor by missing a 37-yard field goal to send the game into 2OT.