No. 11 Baylor needs 3 OTs against TCU to stay undefeated
FORT WORTH, Texas — Denzel Mims made a leaping 4-yard touchdown catch in the third overtime for Baylor, capping another comeback win for the No. 11 Bears and keeping them undefeated with a 29-23 win over TCU on Saturday.
Mims also made a lunging and reaching catch for a 20-yard touchdown on fourth down in the second overtime to extend the game. Charlie Brewer, who threw both TD throws, ran for a 3-yard score in the first overtime.
“I knew it was crunch time and it was time for like grown-man football,” said Mims, whose three catches in overtime matched his three in regulation.
The Bears (9-0, 6-0 Big 12, No. 12 CFP) finally had the win on Grayland Arnold’s game-ending interception of Max Duggan’s fourth-down pass in the end zone. That came six plays, and a facemask penalty that put the ball at the 1, after Duggan’s scramble and spinning move along the sideline on what was initially ruled a 20-yard touchdown before replay review showed he stepped out at the 3.
“There were a lot of times in that game where a lot of the world probably thought we were going to lose just from the situations we were in,” Arnold said. “Once we got that second chance, we were like we’ve got another opportunity to play football.”
Baylor forced overtime when John Mayers kicked a 51-yard field goal with 36 seconds left in regulation. The ball just cleared the crossbar to tie the game at 9-9.
“This is probably the most disappointed I’ve ever been, but I’m also real proud of our kids because it hurts more when you do something like we have a ballgame like this,” TCU coach Gary Patterson said.
This is the seventh time in two seasons that Baylor has won after a fourth-quarter comeback. This was the fourth this season — all in Big 12 games. They Bears have won 11 games in a row since losing to TCU last November.
All the scoring in regulation came on six field goals. The teams combined for five touchdowns in overtime.
“Winning is never ugly,” Baylor coach Matt Rhule said. “I’ve lost a lot, and I’ll take this any day of the week.”
TCU (4-5, 2-4) led 9-0 after Jonathan Song had field goals at the end of the first half. He kicked a 37-yarder with 29 seconds in the first half left before TCU squib kicked and the ball bounced off Baylor freshman linebacker Trystan Slinker.
Derius Davis recovered at the Baylor 24, setting up Song’s 31-yard kick on the last play.
Texas Tech 38, West Virginia 17
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Ta’Zhawn Henry and SaRodorick Thompson each had two short scoring runs, Jett Duffey moved Texas Tech’s offense at will in the first half and the Red Raiders used a fast start to beat West Virginia 38-17 on Saturday, handing the Mountaineers their fifth straight loss.
Texas Tech (4-5, 2-4 Big 12) broke a three-game losing streak and now has a bowl bid to fight for with three games left, two of them at home.
West Virginia (3-6, 1-5) fell into a last-place tie with idle Kansas.
Texas Tech scored touchdowns on its first five drives and led 35-10 at halftime. Duffey accounted for 281 of Texas Tech’s 337 first-half yards. He took advantage of a decimated secondary with four first-half passes of 20 yards or longer, including an 81-yard scoring toss to a wide-open Dalton Rigdon.
“I thought Jett took care of the ball, took control of the ball, ran it well, didn’t take any major shots,” said Texas Tech coach Matt Wells. “He’s really done a nice job of protecting the ball in the pocket better.”
Duffey finished 24 of 34 for 354 yards.
“A frustrating day all the way around,” said West Virginia coach Neal Brown. “We got off to an extremely poor start defensively. We didn’t get pressure on the quarterback all day.”
The Red Raiders managed just a field goal after halftime and didn’t allow West Virginia to mount a comeback. The Mountaineers outgained Texas Tech 549-481 but squandered several scoring chances.
West Virginia turned the ball over on downs four times after incompletions deep in Texas Tech territory.
West Virginia’s Austin Kendall was intercepted twice, one of them into triple coverage that Texas Tech’s DeMarcus Fields caught in the end zone in the third quarter. Kendall also fumbled the ball away on fourth down as he was hit attempting a first-quarter pass.
Kendall finished 26 of 43 for 355 yards before being replaced late in the third quarter by Bowling Green transfer Jarret Doege, who made his season debut. Kendall and Doege each threw a touchdown pass.
West Virginia wide receiver Sam James caught 14 passes for 223 yards.
West Virginia’s losing streak is its worst since losing five straight in 2012.