Bears struggle, corral ’Horns
AUSTIN, Texas — Bryce Petty and No. 7 Baylor’s top-rated offense were misfiring and the quick-strike touchdowns were nowhere to be found against Texas.
So Baylor turned to some new wrinkles — defense, special teams and a punishing running game — to roll to a 28-7 victory Saturday that planted the defending Big 12 champions firmly back at the top of the conference at the start of what should be a rugged month.
Terrell Burt returned a blocked field goal 62 yards for a score in the first quarter, and Shock Linwood ran for 148 yards and the clinching touchdown in the fourth. Petty shook off a bad passing day with two second-half touchdown passes for the Bears (50, 2-0).
“It was just a grind out win. I think we’re a better team than last year,” Baylor Coach Art Briles said. “This is a mature, tough minded, confident team that knows how to win.”
Texas held Baylor to 390 total yards, but only narrowly avoided its first shutout at home since 1976. Longhorns quarterback Tyrone Swoopes had three turnovers, including a fumble at the Baylor 1 just before halftime that prevented a tying touchdown.
Baylor was derided for its soft early season schedule, but the defending Big 12 champions are 20-2 since knocking off then-No. 2 Kansas State in 2012 and rank as the league heavyweight. The Bears also have completely flipped a rivalry the Longhorns have mostly dominated the last 100 years, winning four of the last five.
But Saturday’s victory won’t answer all the questions about Baylor nationally. The Bears struggled to move the ball against a solid Texas defense for much of the game, and Petty, who was counted among the top Heisman candidates when the season started, was 7-of-22 passing for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns.
“I saw more looks today than I could swing a bat at, if that makes sense,” Petty said. “My head is still spinning. I can’t even get my analogies right.”
For Texas, a close game getting turned into a blowout could be a demoralizer.
The Longhorns were on the verge of tying it late in the first half after Swoopes deftly drove Texas 98 yards to the 1, but a fumbled snap and Baylor’s recovery snuffed a potentially huge momentum swing.
Texas Coach Charlie Strong’s first season has been far more notable for his discipline — nine players dismissed and several others suspended — than the product on the field.
The Longhorns are off to their worst start after five games since 1993 and have now lost nine in a row at home to ranked opponents. Texas has been outscored 69-14 in two home games this season.
“We don’t know how to win yet,” Strong (Batesville, Central Arkansas) said. “We can move the football … We caused our own destruction.”
Texas throttled Baylor’s flashy offense in the first half and chewed up minutes and yards but produced no points. Petty was out of sync on 4-of11 passing in the half with only one throw deep down the field.
In other games involving Big 12 teams, Desmond Roland ran for 95 yards and two touchdowns and Tyreek Hill returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown for
Oklahoma State (4-1, 2-0) in a 37-20 victory over Iowa State (1-4, 0-3) in Stillwater, Okla. … Clint Trickett threw for 302 yards and a touchdown, Mario Alford returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown and West Virginia (3-2, 1-1) beat Kansas (2-3, 0-2) 33-14 in Morgantown, W. Va. ... Jake Waters threw for 290 yards and 4 touchdowns, ran for 105 yards and another score and led No. 23
Kansas State (4-1, 2-0) to a 45-13 rout of penalty-prone Texas Tech (2-3, 0-2) in Manhattan, Kan.