Bears hold off Cowboys for Big 12 title
No. 9 Baylor 21, No. 5 Oklahoma State 16: Dezmon Jackson came up inches short on a desperate, fourthdown dive with 24 seconds and Oklahoma State (11-2) fell to Baylor (11-2) in the Big 12 championship game in Arlington, Texas, knocking the Cowboys out of contention for a playoff spot.
Blake Shapen threw three TDS while completing his first 17 passes as Baylor took a 21-3 lead.
The Cowboys rallied back, then went 89 yards on 17 plays on their final drive. But their Big 12 and national championship hopes came up just short.
After having first-and-goal from 2 following a pass interference penalty, Jackson gained a yard and was held for no gain before an incomplete pass by Spencer Sanders.
On fourth down from the 1, Jackson tried to sweep wide left, but with Jairon Mcvea in pursuit, he barely missed while trying to reach the pylon in the front left corner of the end zone.
There would need to be some chaos, in form of an upset or two in other conference title games later in the day, for third-time Big 12 champion Baylor to have a chance to be in the final four for the first time when the CFP rankings come out Sunday.
Sanders threw four interceptions, one by Mcvea, and the Cowboys were without leading rusher Jaylen Warren because of his lingering ankle and shoulder issues.
Shapen started his second game in a row for injured quarterback Gerry Bohanon (right hamstring), and the Bears won even with only 242 total yards of offense. They had only 36 yards after halftime, while Shapen finished 23of-28 for 180 yards passing overall.
After Oklahoma State took a 3-0 lead on Tanner Brown’s 23-yard field goal set up after Baylor fumbled on the opening drive of the game, the Bears scored 21 consecutive points. Sanders threw
picks on the next two drives, setting up Baylor with short fields for three-play TD drives – a 2-yard TD pass to wideopen tight open Ben Sims and Drew Estrada’s 4-yard scoring catch.
Baylor had a 21-3 lead after an incredible 13-yard catch by Tyquan Thornton with a defender on his back with 51/2 minutes left in the first half.
No. 14 Utah 38, No. 10 Oregon 10: Devin Lloyd returned an interception for a touchdown, Cam Rising threw for another score and No. 14 Utah clinched the first Rose Bowl berth in school history with a victory over No. 10 Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game Friday night.
This game was a near carbon copy of the one in Salt Lake City two weeks ago
when the Utes (10-3, No. 17 CFP) jumped out early and won 38-7.
While that game all but ended the playoff hopes for Oregon (10-3, No. 10), the rematch delivered coach Kyle Whittingham and the Utes the Rose Bowl prize they had been seeking since joining the Pac-12 in 2011.
It capped an emotional last 12 months for the Utes program that has dealt with the deaths of two players.
Utah had lost its first two trips to the conference title game, including two years ago to Oregon, but left little doubt this time.
Rising engineered a TD drive on the opening possession after converting a sneak on fourth down near midfield. Tavon Thomas capped it with a 2-yard run.
Lloyd then returned an interception 34 yards for a score later in the first quarter and Utah put the game away by scoring twice in the final 27 seconds of the first half.
Rising hit Dalton Kincaid on an 11yard pass with 27 seconds left. Then Malone Mataele intercepted an ill-advised pass from Anthony Brown to set up Jadon Redding’s 50-yard field goal on the final play of the half to make it 23-0.
Thomas and T.J. Pledger added TD runs in the second half for the Utes to the delight of the huge contingent of Utah fans among the 56.511 in attendance for the first title game in Las Vegas.