Baylor Earns Much-Need Homecoming Win, Defeats Oklahoma State, 38-28

WACO, Texas – Baylor (4-4, 2-3) earned its first conference victory at McLane Stadium since 2022 with a narrow 38-28 homecoming win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-5, 0-5) on Saturday.

Quarterback Sawyer Robertson (RJr.) threw for 222 yards, an interception and three touchdowns on 11-19 passing. He also rushed for 73 yards and a score on eight attempts.

Meanwhile, running back Dawson Pendergrass (So.) had his best game of the season, rushing for 142 yards on just six carries. He sealed the victory with a game-winning 55-yard bruising touchdown up the gut of the Pokes' defense with just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Baylor totaled 565 yards of offense and 343 on the ground, the most rushing yards since beating Texas Southern (419) in 2022.

"It was really good to win a close game," Robertson said post-game. "That hasn't happened in a long time, and I haven't felt that in a while. I'm so proud of everyone. It's a gradual thing. You have to learn how to win. The team is starting to gel, but we're not done yet."

Throughout the game, the Bears struggled with self-inflicted mistakes, totaling 93 yards in penalties, missing numerous tackles and having several broken coverages.

"I thought there were so many mistakes in the first half and the middle part of the game, and I wish that wasn't the case and that we were past that," head coach Dave Aranda said after the win.

"But the ability to fight through it, to not accept it, to battle and get off the field when we needed to in those long drives was so cool to see. The fight of the team and the belief in each other is really cool and inspiring to me to see it." 

Despite the up-and-down afternoon, Baylor's defense got stops when it mattered most in the second half. Linebacker Matt Jones (6Sr.) led the way with a team-high 12 tackles, picked up three tackles for loss and forced a fumble. Cornerback LeVar Thornton (RFr.) iced the game with a late interception.

"It was fun, very fun," Jones said post-game. "It's homecoming; that's what you expect. You expect to win. Alumni, fans and former players came back to town, and a win was what they wanted."

Early in the contest, both teams exchanged field goals and red zone turnovers. Linebacker Steve Linton (6Sr.) recovered an Ollie Gordon II (Jr.) fumble on the Bears own one-yard line. It was the reigning Doak Walker Award winner's first fumble of the season.

A pair of big runs from Pendergrass, including a 48-yarder, flipped the field position in Baylor's favor. On the ensuing play, Robertson lobbed a ball to the back left corner of the endzone, and wide receiver Hal Presley (Sr.) came down with the 12-yard touchdown grab.

"It makes all of the difference in the world," Robertson said of Pendergrass' effort. "I think he sparked the entire game on that 99-yard drive. Everybody feeds off that; it's just me with the passing game. Linemen see that and block harder. I see it. The receivers see it, and the defense sees it too. If he can play that hard, everybody can play that hard. Credit goes to Dawson – he sparked the whole thing." 

The Bears had an opportunity to take a two-score lead after having wide receiver Brennan Presley (Sr.) dead to rights behind the line of scrimmage on third down, but he broke a pair of tackles, spun inside and ran up the sideline for a 33-yard touchdown.

Presley finished with a game-high 183 receiving yards on 15 receptions. Quarterback Alan Bowman (7Sr.) threw for 359 yards on 28-42 passing.

The Bears continued pounding the rock with a 24-yard rush from Richard Reese (Jr.), helping them move into OSU territory. On second and goal, Robertson faked a run and found tight end Matthew Klopfenstein (So.), who leaked out for a one-yard score for his first career touchdown.

Oklahoma State was out-gained on the ground in the first half, 169-to-26.

Baylor's special teams woes allowed the Cowboys to tie the game going into half-time. With 3:30 remaining in the second quarter, a roughing the punter penalty that could have extended the Bears drive was offset by an illegal formation on Caleb Parker (RSr.).

A couple of plays later, Baylor forced a fourth-and-medium, but a successful fake punt by Oklahoma State gave the Cowboys new life. Gordon II capped off the possession with a two-yard touchdown to tie the game at 17 apiece going into the half-time locker room.

The Bears took back the lead, 24-17, in the third quarter when wide receiver Ashtyn Hawkins (5Sr.) had single coverage on the outside and mossed his defender for a spectacular 33-yard touchdown after a perfect throw from Robertson. Hawkins was Baylor's leading receiver on Saturday, hauling in four catches for 74 yards.

Oklahoma State added a field goal with 2:49 remaining in the third quarter to cut into Baylor's lead, 24-20.

The Bears responded with a methodical drive that started deep in their territory. Running back Bryson Washington (RFr.) had a pair of physical runs where he broke tackles in the backfield and made something out of nothing.

After a holding call brought back a Pendergrass touchdown, Robertson made up for it with a season-long 41-yard rushing touchdown up the heart of the defense on second and long near midfield. It was Robertson's fourth rushing score of the season.

With the game on the line, the Cowboys drove down the field and converted a crucial fourth down, where Presley made a circus catch to extend the possession. 

Gordon II later found pay dirt on a three-yard score, and Oklahoma State's two-point conversion successfully brought Baylor's lead to within a field goal, 31-28, with 4:51 remaining in the fourth quarter.

"We were in somewhat of a similar situation on the road against Colorado a couple of weeks ago," Aranda said. "I look back at that and the team we were there; we're a completely different team now, and I think that was evident."

The Bears (4-4, 2-3) will now welcome rival TCU (5-3, 3-2) to Waco next Saturday, Nov. 2. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN2. The 2013 and 2014 Big 12 championship teams will be honored during the game.