WACO, Texas (AP) – Playoff-contending Baylor had a quick start Saturday followed by its longest drive of the season, and now has made a significant forward push.
The No. 5 Bears traded places with Big 12 co-leader TCU in the new AP Top 25 poll Sunday.
”I think our team’s record speaks for itself,” coach Art Briles said after a 49-28 victory over Oklahoma State late Saturday night. ”I think good teams find ways to win, and that’s kind of what we did.”
With two weeks left in the regular season, Baylor (9-1, 6-1 Big 12), TCU and Kansas State remain in a three-way tie for the conference lead.
There are also three more College Football Playoff rankings, the next one coming out Tuesday night, and the final poll in two weeks to determine the four playoff teams. TCU (9-1, 6-1) was idle this week after being No. 5 in the recent playoff ranking – two spots ahead of the Bears – and the five other teams ahead of Baylor all won Saturday.
On a rainy night along the Brazos River, the Bears did what they had to do against slumping Oklahoma State (5-6, 3-5).
Bryce Petty threw TD passes of 65 and 54 yards on Baylor’s first two drives, which took about a minute combined. The Bears added a 19-play touchdown drive later in the first quarter that lasted more than 7 minutes – with 15 runs and four passes in a steady rain.
”I like having the ball in my hands, but that stuff’s tough, it really is,” Petty said. ”The ball gets slick and you don’t have any control over it. It gets irritating, gets frustrating on my end, but you’ve got to get it done”
The Bears won their 15th consecutive home game, matching No. 2 Alabama for the longest active streak. Baylor plays Texas Tech in the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium Saturday before its Dec. 6 home finale against Kansas State (8-2, 6-1).
Baylor had 239 of its 262 yards passing before halftime against OSU, including 149 in the first two drives. Receivers Antwan Goodley and Corey Coleman each ran three times, and Petty capped the scoring with a redemptive 21-yard run.
A year ago, the Bears were 9-0 with ranked No. 3 in the AP poll. But their 49-17 loss at Oklahoma State knocked them out of the national championship race, even though they recovered to win their first Big 12 title.
Petty inexplicably tripped at the 1 with a clear path to the end zone early in that game at Stillwater before the Bears fumbled. The Cowboys then had a 99-yard TD drive.
On Saturday night, Oklahoma State got within 42-28 after consecutive TD drives in the fourth quarter, and was driving again when freshman quarterback Mason Rudolph’s pass was picked off by Orion Stewart with about 5 minutes left. Five plays later, Petty broke free with the end zone in front of him.
”I think there were 12 steps I took,” Petty said. ”Every one of those steps, `Don’t trip, don’t trip, don’t trip.’ It was great that the game ended like that.”
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