Slow Start, Failed Comeback Dooms Bears in 34-28 Loss to No. 22 BYU

WACO, Texas – In front of a half-empty McLane Stadium, Baylor (2-3, 0-2) dropped its eighth consecutive home conference game on Saturday, losing to No. 22 BYU (5-0, 2-0), 34-28.

In the loss, quarterback Sawyer Robertson (RJr.) started his third game in place of an injured Dequan Finn (6Sr.) and played exceptionally, throwing for 324 yards and two touchdowns on 27-of-48 passing; he also rushed for 29 yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts.

Wide receiver Josh Cameron (RJr.) was Robertson's primary target on Saturday, hauling in two touchdowns and totaling a career-high 125 receiving yards on seven receptions. Wide receiver Hal Presley (Sr.) also had a big afternoon, bringing down a career-high eight passes for 82 yards.

Baylor trailed 31-14 at halftime and came up just short in a miraculous second-half comeback attempt. Down 34-28 on the BYU 25-yard line, the Bears offense couldn't pick up a first down, and Robertson failed to connect with wide receiver Ashtyn Hawkins (5Sr.) on fourth down, giving the Cougars back the ball.

“Disappointed at the start of the game,” head coach Dave Aranda said postgame. “There was great fight throughout the game, whatever the score was. Early in the game, it wasn’t very good, but throughout the rest of the game, we thought we were going to win that game.”

Baylor's defense got a quick stop, thanks partly to a critical unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on BYU, giving the Bears the ball back with 1:24 remaining in the fourth quarter at the Baylor 39-yard line.

On second down, a holding penalty on left tackle Sidney Fugar (RJr.) stalled the drive, and on a replay of the down, Robertson threw an interception to BYU safety Crew Wakley (RJr.) to seal the loss.

“These losses are heartbreaking; they hurt pretty good,” Parker said. “How do we move forward? We put on tape what we can do when we play full speed; we just have to start that way. That’s two weeks in a row where it’s come down to the last drive, and we couldn’t finish.”

In the defeat, the Bears were also missing over 10 key contributors in the contest: EDGEs Garmon Randolph (6Sr.), Steve Linton (6Sr.) and JaQues Evans (5Sr.); tight ends Kelsey Johnson (Jr.) and Michael Trigg (RJr.); offensive lineman Campbell Barrington (Sr.); defensive backs Kendrick Simpkins (5Sr.), Caden Jenkins (So.) and Chateau Reed (RSr.).

Defensive back Lorando Johnson (RSr.) exited the game after the play with an apparent injury, and defensive lineman Cooper Lanz (RJr.), who has been dealing with an ankle injury, played sparingly. 

However, given the slow start and the questionable energy throughout the first half, it's impossible to say how big of an impact the absence of those players had.

Not even three minutes into the game, BYU scored its first touchdown when quarterback Jake Retzlaff (Jr.) found running back Miles Davis (RJr.) up the right sideline for a 26-yard score. Retzlaff finished the game with 216 yards and two touchdowns on 17-of-31 passing.

On Baylor's opening offensive possession, Robertson's pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage and intercepted into the waiting arms of defensive lineman Blake Mangelson (Sr.). It was Robertson's first turnover of the season since taking over as the starting quarterback.

The Cougars swiftly took advantage, and a few plays later, Retzlaff connected with wide receiver Chase Roberts (Sr.) on a screen pass from two yards out to extend BYU's lead to 14-0.

To make matters worse, on the following drive, the Bears were cruising down the field after a few easy completions, but running back Bryson Washington (RFr.) was stuffed on fourth and short at the BYU 29-yard line. Baylor is 9-of-17 on fourth-down conversions this season but has struggled in short-yardage situations.

The Cougars marched down the field without resistance and found the endzone for the third time in the first quarter, this time on a 17-yard rushing touchdown from Retzlaff.

Robertson valiantly kept the Bears in the game, leading Baylor's offense down the field and capping off the drive with a 20-yard rushing touchdown on fourth and short; it was his third rushing touchdown of the season.

The momentum was short-lived when BYU scored again, this time on a 44-yard passing touchdown from Retzlaff to wide receiver Darius Lassiter (RSr.) to extend the Cougars lead to 28-7.

Midway through the second quarter, Baylor forced a BYU punt for the first time on the afternoon, and Robertson promptly took the Bears down the field and found Cameron in the back corner of the end zone for a touchdown.

Baylor had a chance to make it a two-score game going into the halftime locker room, but Connor Hawkins (Fr.), in place of usual starting kicker Isaiah Hankins (RJr.), missed a 50-yard field goal at the buzzer, allowing the Cougars to lead 31-14 at the end of the second quarter.

To open the third quarter, the Bears converted two crucial fourth downs to keep their drive alive. Robertson eventually connected with Hawkins for a 15-yard touchdown to cut BYU's lead to 31-21; it was Hawkins' second score of the season.

Baylor's defense opened the second half strong and got a quick stop; a successful fake punt by the Cougars extended the drive, however, allowing BYU to finish the possession with a 37-yard field goal. 

The Bears had opportunities to cut the Cougars' lead even further, but wide receiver Ketron Jackson's (Sr.) crucial drop on third down and Robertson's failed fourth-down run on a later drive stalled the comeback attempt.

It wasn't until a missed field goal by BYU early in the fourth quarter that the Bears regained their momentum. Robertson marched Baylor down the field and found Cameron in the back corner of the endzone for a spectacular 23-yard touchdown, cutting the Cougars' lead to 34-28.

“For us, our second halves have been really good – our offense and defense stepped up,” safety Caleb Parker (RSr.) said after the loss. “We know the kind of team we are, and we’re the better team, but we have to start fast and trust that we can win.”