Baylor takes down No. 2
Bears end Wildcats’ title hopes in rout
WACO, Texas — Baylor just guaranteed another chaotic November for college football.
In the process, the Bears might have even helped Johnny Manziel’s Heisman hopes. They were sure celebrating in South Bend and Tuscaloosa and especially in Waco on Saturday night.
Kansas State came to Floyd Casey Stadium ranked No. 1 in the BCS and left reeling after a 52- 24 Baylor upset. Baylor fans stormed the field at game’s end.
“This week, we refused to be denied and came away with the big win,” Baylor defensive back Ahmad Dixon said. “We beat the socks off these guys.”
On a night when Stanford upset BCS No. 2 Oregon, Baylor’s Lache Seastrunk, a former Duck, ran for 185 yards. His 80- yard dash up the middle late in the third quarter signaled a major shakeup coming in Sunday’s BCS standings.
The nation’s worst- ranked defense stymied and harassed Heisman front- runner Collin Klein.
For the first time this season, Kansas State looked human, fallible and vulnerable. The Wildcats’ greatest strength had been their amazing efficiency.
Against Baylor, every Bill Snyder principle got skewered, from turnover margin ( a nation- leading plus- 20) to an amazing lack of penalties.
Klein, who entered the game with just three interceptions, was picked off three times by a Baylor defense ranked 120th and last in the Bowl Subdivision.
Maybe the biggest message Baylor sent came with Kansas State desperately trying to close the margin in the fourth quarter. Klein carried the ball four straight times beginning at the Baylor 6 — and twice was denied at the goal line.
“Stopping them on the 1 was the icing on the cake,” said Baylor quarterback Nick Florence, who threw for 238 yards and two touchdowns.
Kansas State was averaging just 3.2 penalties per game before committing seven penalties for 60 yards.
For weeks, Baylor had talked about being due, about being oh so-close to a complete game after narrow losses to West Virginia, Texas and Oklahoma.
The Bears wanted to reach a bowl for the third consecutive season, something that had never been done before in school history. And to do so, they needed wins in two of their last three games, beginning with Kansas State.
“We had to put it together and tonight we did,” Florence said. “That’s the kind of locker room I want after every game. We’ve still got to get one more.”
Things started unraveling early for the Wildcats. By the time Baylor senior receiver Terrance Williams beat man- coverage on a post pattern, Baylor was up 21- 7 midway through the second period. At halftime, Baylor led 28- 17.
Any doubts about Baylor’s ability to seal the upset were put to rest in the third quarter. Sam Holl intercepted Klein on Kansas State’s first possession and Glasco Martin bowled over from 4 yards for a 35- 17 lead.
Not even a major mistake could derail the Bears. Florence was intercepted at his own 1- yard line by Randall Evans, leading to a Klein sneak. But Baylor responded with 17 straight points in the quarter. Seastrunk’s sprint up the middle provided the exclamation point, as Baylor churned out 580 yards.