Baylor wins Significant 12 ‘Just heartbreak’ for Okay. St.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Dezmon Jackson came up inches shorter on a desperate, fourth-down dive in the last seconds for Oklahoma Condition, knocking the fifth-ranked Cowboys out of competition for a place in the four-team playoff.
“Just heartbreak,” Cowboys guard Josh Sills stated.
Baylor safety Jairon McVea knocked Jackson out of bounds with out permitting him access the pylon with 24 seconds remaining in the Major 12 championship video game Saturday, preserving a 21-16 victory for ninth-ranked Baylor.
The Bears’ acquire arrived a yr right after they went 2-7 in coach Dave Aranda’s debut last time.
“This second is anything they can in no way take absent,” Bears linebacker Terrel Bernard mentioned.
Aranda recalled Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy telling him “that winning is difficult” prior to an previously meeting involving the groups. The title sport was a guaranteed illustration of that.
Blake Shapen, starting yet again for injured Gerry Bohanon (right hamstring) threw 3 TDs while finishing his initial 17 passes as Baylor (11-2) took a 21-3 guide in the very first fifty percent.
But the Cowboys (11-2) rallied back, then went 89 yards on 17 performs on that final travel before their Big 12 and nationwide championship hopes wound up just shy.
Just after obtaining 1st-and-aim from 2 adhering to a pass interference penalty, Jackson acquired a yard and was held for no obtain before an incomplete pass by Spencer Sanders.
On fourth down from the 1, Jackson attempted to sweep wide left, but with McVea in pursuit, he hardly skipped though trying to arrive at the pylon in the front corner of the end zone.
“When I noticed the operating back with the ball, I imagined I have bought to operate this dude down,” McVea said, who was not even guaranteed where by the ball was when the tackle was manufactured. “The ref signaled not a landing, so when I observed that I was really happy.”
“They produced a fantastic play. It is really not 27′s fault,” Gundy mentioned, referring to Jackson.
Sanders threw 4 interceptions, a single by McVea, and the Cowboys were being with no leading rusher Jaylen Warren for the reason that of his lingering ankle and shoulder challenges.
There would will need to be some chaos, in the variety of an upset or two in other meeting title video games later in the day, for 3rd-time Big 12 winner Baylor to have a probability to be in the closing four for the initially time when the CFP rankings appear out Sunday.
Aranda passed on politicking for the playoff. Baylor’s 11 wins match a faculty history and arrived soon after the 2-7 report past 12 months, when the pandemic wiped out spring drills when he was coming off a countrywide championship as LSU defensive coordinator.
“I am positive it will work out the way it really is intended to,” he explained.
Baylor gained with 242 full yards of offense, only 36 right after halftime. Shapen finished 23 of 28 for 180 yards passing overall.
Oklahoma Condition had a 3- guide on Tanner Brown’s 23-yard area goal established up after all-function Baylor back Trestan Ebner fumbled on the opening travel of the game. Sanders threw picks on the next two drives, setting up Baylor with shorter fields for a few-enjoy TD drives — a 2-garden TD move to vast-open tight open Ben Sims and Drew Estrada’s 4-lawn scoring catch.
Baylor’s 21-3 guide, and the Cowboys’ major deficit this year, came just after an extraordinary 13-property diving catch by Tyquan Thornton with a defender on his back with 5½ minutes still left in the initial fifty percent.
The Cowboys acquired within just 21-16 on Brown’s 20-lawn field goal with 8:17 still left. That was established up right after Ebner muffed a punt recovered by Korie Black, who had finished the initially fifty percent by deflecting a field aim endeavor that arrived up woefully quick.
McVea had his interception early in the next half, but Baylor failed to get a 1st down. Instead of punting from their personal 36, the Bears went for it on fourth down and Shapen experienced to just throw the ball away with out an open receiver. Eight plays afterwards, Dominic Richardson scored on a 4-property operate for the Cowboys.
“I told the group in the locker area how very pleased I was that they’ve done every thing we’ve asked them to do given that January,” Gundy stated. “Came up just a several inches quick, but I also built them conscious of that does not have everything to do with what they have achieved this calendar year.”
Significantly Various
The Bears’ year previous calendar year ended with a 42-3 household decline to Oklahoma Condition.
Questioned if he could contrast the way final period ended with how his 2nd yr played out, Aranada simply just explained: “No.”
THE TAKEAWAY
Baylor: The Bears gained the 2013 Large 12 title outright and shared in 2014 with TCU, both equally of people coming through a 6-time extend when there was not a championship recreation for the convention. Baylor misplaced to Oklahoma in the title video game two many years in the past.
Oklahoma Point out: Sanders had 7 interceptions in the two video games this time versus Baylor, nevertheless the Cowboys received the first meeting 24-14 on Oct. 2. The initial choose Saturday was proper to the defender, and the second one particular was picked off by leaping linebacker Matt Jones when Sanders, under strain, experimented with to throw off his back again foot towards the sideline. The other two interceptions have been tipped passes. … Oklahoma Point out, also with no standout center Danny Godlevske had only 70 yards hurrying on 40 carries (1.8 yards for each carry).
UP Subsequent
Baylor: A New Year’s Six bowl game, likely to the Sugar Bowl if not in the playoff.
Oklahoma St.: Ready to come across out which bowl video game awaits.
