The Texas Longhorns (3-2, 2-2) overcame a sluggish start to break a two game losing streak, evening their record in Big 12 play with a 27-16 win over the Baylor Bears (1-2, 1-2).
Despite the lack of film to watch on the Bears this season, Tom Herman and company crafted a game plan that, for all practical purposes, was run-heavy on offensive and fairly mistake free. Sam Ehlinger threw for 270 yards and a touchdown and rushed for two more. Ehlinger also threw one interception. Junior running back Keaontay Ingram led the Longhorns in rushing with 57 yards on 16 carries. Tarik Black’s one reception for 72 yards was good enough to be a team high, while tight end Jared Wiley grabbed two passes for 70 yards.
The Texas defense held their own, limiting Baylor to 64 rushing yards and 316 total yards. Charlie Brewer threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns, while Gavin Holmes and and John Lovett each had receiving touchdowns for the Bears. Junior wideout RJ. Sneed led Baylor in receiving with 62 yards on four catches.
It was a game Tom Herman and Texas had to win, and they did so by dominating Baylor for most of the game.
Herman was pleased with the performance of his team.
“With a few exceptions, I thought we played much cleaner. Five penalties, very few missed assignments from what I could see. I thought the points of emphasis over the last two weeks – our punt protection was very solid, we ran the ball effectively, which opened up some downfield throws, and we stopped the run.”
Afterwards, the team stayed on the field for “The Eyes of Texas.”
The Longhorns head to Stillwater next weekend to face the undefeated Oklahoma State Cowboys.
GAME SUMMARY
It took almost a full quarter for the first points of the game to be scored, but Baylor capitalized on a 12 play, 67 yard drive that ended with a John Mayers 21 yard field goal to give Baylor a 3-0 lead.
Texas evened things up on their next possession, courtesy of Cameron Dicker’s 42 yard field goal at the 12:10 mark in the second quarter.
After taking a sack on first down, Sam Ehlinger found a wide open Tarik Black on the Longhorns next possession, with Black taking the pass 72 yards to the Baylor 21 yard line. Texas reached the Baylor 4 yard line, but couldn’t punch it in. Instead Cameron Dicker kicked his second field goal of the game, this time from 22 yards out to give the Longhorns a 6-3 lead with 6:15 left in the half.
The Longhorns weren’t done scoring in the half. Joshua Moore made a spectacular catch, reeling in Sam Ehlinger’s pass for 42 yards on the Longhorns’ next possession, setting the offense up inside the Baylor 10 yard line. Ehlinger rushed for four yards on the next play and found Moore in the left corner of the end zone on second down.
Texas took a 13-3 lead over Baylor into the locker room at the half.
True freshman tailback Bijan Robinson rushed for two first downs to open the second half and Sam Ehlinger scattered passes to Brennan Eagles and Jake Smith for double-digit gains, setting up the Longhorns in scoring position. After feeding the ball to Keaontay Ingram on consecutive carries, Ehlinger’s third down rush from a yard out found the Baylor end zone.
Texas extended their lead to 20-13 over the Bears with 10:25 left in the third quarter.
Baylor’s drive that began at the 7:12 mark looked promising, with Brewer and company moving the chains all the way to the Texas 18 yard line. John Mayers attempted his second field goal of the game from 43 yards away, but the kick sailed left of the goal posts.
After taking over at their own 25 yard line, the Longhorns’ offense went work again. Sam Ehlinger’s 42 yard strike to tight end Jared Wiley set Texas up once again in the red zone. Three plays later Ehlinger found the end zone on a quarterback keeper, his second rushing touchdown, extending the Texas lead to 27-3.
The Bears scored their first points since late in the first quarter on the ensuing possession. Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer hit four different receivers for 10+ yard gains before finding a wide open John Lovett from three yards out for a touchdown. The Bears went for two but failed to convert.
Sam Ehlinger was picked off by J.T. Woods on the Longhorns’ next drive.
With field position at the Texas 25 yard line, the Bears went to work quickly. Charlie Brewer’s touchdown pass to Gavin Holmes capped a five play drive that took just 2:14 off the game clock and cut the Texas lead to 27-16 with 7:37 remaining.
Baylor was forced to go for it on fourth down at the Texas 25 on its final possession, but Brewer’s pass to R.J. Sneed was incomplete. Texas took possession and was able to run out the clock by taking a knee.
FINAL: TEXAS 27, BAYLOR 16
