Oklahoma's 25-point comeback gives Baylor first loss, 34-31

WACO, Texas - Baylor shot out to a 28-3 lead before Oklahoma stormed back to win 34-3, handing Baylor their first loss of the season.

Shot out of the gate: Did you think it was possible for the whole team shoot out of the gate? Well, that’s exactly what they did in this game. The offense was on fire. They scored 4 touchdowns and a field goal and managed to gain 238 yards in the first half. The defense did not allow a touchdown until the middle of the second quarter, which is unheard of against this Oklahoma offense. Not to mention, they also forced two turnovers in the first half. This gave Baylor a 31-10 lead heading into halftime.

Struggled: It’s safe to say the entire team struggled in the second half. There were some bright spots, but they did not make the plays when it counted. They were outscored 24-0 in the second half. That cost them the game. So yes, as a unit, the whole team shot out of the gate in the first half before struggling mightily in the second half. 

Decisive Moment: There were several moments down the stretch that led to Baylor’s demise, but ultimately it was Charlie Brewer’s late interception that was the biggest moment of this game. Baylor was driving with a bit of time left to try and either win the game or send it to overtime. The so-called “Cardiac Bears” seemed to be giving themselves a shot to win another close game. Ultimately, Charlie made a poor read and underthrew the ball, which ended the Bears’ chance to reclaim the lead late.

MVP: The best player in this game was Jalen Hurts, and everyone knew it. He had the turnovers early in the game, but his second half was special. He finished with 297 yards and 4 touchdowns through the air, while completing 30 of his 42 passes. He tore up the defense with his legs too, as he gained 114 yards on 27 carries.

Key stat: In the second half, the offense only managed to gain 69 yards and the defense gave up 368 yards. That is inexcusable across the board. The offense looked conservative and lacked the spark that they had in the first half. The defense was on the field for just about all of the second half because of the offensive woes, so they looked incredibly tired. They could not seem to stop much of anything that Oklahoma was doing offensively.

Game Notes:

• Baylor hosted ESPN College GameDay for the third time in program history. The last time was in 2015 against Oklahoma, when the 4th ranked Bears lost to the 12th ranked Sooners, 44-34.
• Heading into the game, Baylor was one of four remaining undefeated teams in FBS.
• Before the game, Baylor was 23-29-1 all-time as a ranked team playing against a ranked opponent.
• The last time Baylor beat Oklahoma was in 2014, when Baylor was ranked 10th and Oklahoma was 16th. Baylor won the game 48-14 in Norman.
• Baylor has never beat Oklahoma at McLane Stadium.
• Oklahoma’s 25-point comeback victory is their largest in school history. The Bears led 28-3 in the second quarter before being outscored 31-3 the rest of the game.

Game Summary

First Quarter

9:25 OU: FG – K Gabe Brkic makes 39-yard field goal: Drive: 8 plays, 31 yards, 3:23 – Baylor 0 – Oklahoma 3

5:26 BAY: TD – QB Charlie Brewer 2-yard run: Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 3:59 – Baylor 7 – Oklahoma 3

1:51 BAY: TD – WR Denzel Mims 30-yard reception: Drive: 5 plays, 54 yards, 1:43 – Baylor 14 – Oklahoma 3

0:01 OU: Turnover – LB Blake Lynch forces QB Jalen Hurts fumble, Terrel Bernard recovers

Second Quarter

14:56 BAY: TD – QB Charlie Brewer 4-yard run: Drive: 2 plays, 27 yards, 0:05 – Baylor 21 – Oklahoma 3

11:09 OU: Turnover – DB Grayland Arnold intercepts QB Jalen Hurts, returns for 71-yards

11:02 BAY: TD – WR Denzel Mims 9-yard reception: Drive: 1 play, 9 yards, 0:07 – Baylor 28 – Oklahoma 3

5:06 OU: TD – WR Austin Stogner 5-yard reception: Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 5:56 – Baylor 28 – Oklahoma 10

0:03 BAY: FG – K John Mayers makes 28-yard field goal: Drive: 14 plays, 61 yards, 5:03 – Baylor 31 – Oklahoma 10

Third Quarter

9:16 OU: TD – WR Austin Stogner 3-yard reception: Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 5:44 – Baylor 31 – Oklahoma 17

9:06 BAY: Turnover – DB Parnell Motley forces RB JaMycal Hasty fumble, DB Pat Fields recovers

4:29 OU: Turnover – DL James Lynch forces QB Jalen Hurts fumble, DL James Lynch recovers

Fourth Quarter

12:58 OU: TD – WR Theo Wease 5-yard reception: Drive: 13 plays, 90 yards, 4:59 – Baylor 31 – Oklahoma 24

5:25 OU: TD – TE Brayden Willis 2-yard reception: Drive: 13 plays, 77 yards, 6:01 – Baylor 31 – Oklahoma 31

1:45 OU: FG – K Gabe Brkic makes 31-yard field goal: Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 2:30 – Baylor 31 – Oklahoma 34

0:29 BAY: Turnover – LB Nik Bonitto intercepts QB Charlie Brewer