Sawyer Robertson threw two touchdown passes, Bryson Washington rushed 28 times for 113 yards and Baylor stayed alive for a berth in the Big 12 championship game by defeating host Houston 20-10 on Saturday night.
Baylor (7-4, 5-3) is one of nine teams with a mathematical chance to play for the Big 12 title with one week remaining in the regular season. The Bears got help from losses by other opponents earlier in the day, then took care of business by holding an inept Houston offense to 239 yards.
Robertson finished 15-of-23 passing for 204 yards and threw three interceptions. Tight end Michael Trigg had four catches for 96 yards and a score and Ashtyn Hawkins added six receptions for 65 yards and a TD.
Zeon Chriss completed 13 of 24 passes for 126 yards and three picks for Houston (4-7, 3-5). Jeremiah Wilson had two interceptions in the first quarter and returned the latter for the Cougars’ only touchdown of the game.
Both quarterbacks threw an interception on their first drives of the game, with Devyn Bobby picking off Chriss’ pass in the end zone.
On third-and-goal from the 5-yard line, Robertson threw a high pass to Trigg, who made a difficult one-handed grab despite tight coverage. Trigg tucked the ball behind his back as he landed for a stylish touchdown.
Two Baylor drives later, Robertson passed to the left sideline and Wilson jumped in front of it for his second pick of the first quarter. He hustled 41 yards for a game-tying touchdown with 32 seconds left in the period.
Not long after Trigg made another one-handed catch for a 42-yard gain, the Bears had a third-and-goal at the 2-yard line in the final minute of the half. They attempted a direct snap to Washington but the snap sailed over his head and he ran back to fall on it, a loss of a 25.
Isaiah Hankins’ 45-yard field goal as time expired gave Baylor a 17-7 halftime lead.
Houston wasted a 13-play drive that lasted 6:45 to open the third quarter, as Jack Martin missed a 47-yard field-goal attempt.
After forcing a three-and-out, the Cougars marched 74 yards on another 13-play drive, the drive lasting into the fourth quarter. Martin connected from 24 yards to trim Houston’s deficit to 17-10 with 14:52 to play.
With 6:26 left, Chriss’ pass was tipped high in the air and Lorando Johnson came down with the interception in Houston territory. Baylor made it a two-possession game with Hankins’ 50-yard field goal, effectively quashing any hopes of a comeback.
–Field Level Media
