Oklahoma State Football: Cowboys upset on the road against Baylor
By Zach Bigalke
Baylor kept the pressure on the Cowboys through most of their battle and Oklahoma State football crumbled. What did we learn on Saturday in Waco?
After Oklahoma State failed to make the first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2018 season, conventional wisdom said that the Cowboys would take down Baylor in convincing fashion to make their case to the selection committee. The oddsmakers make Oklahoma State a six-point favorite on the road, and even that felt low.
Instead, Baylor pushed their visitors all afternoon long in Waco. The Bears continued to keep the game within a field goal for the bulk of the day, and a late score in the final seconds gave Baylor a 35-31 victory in front of their home fans to pull within a game of bowl eligibility.
Taylor Cornelius had a solid day passing the ball for Oklahoma State, finishing with 264 yards and a touchdown on 24-of-41 passing. Cornelius added 26 rushing yards and a touchdown on a keeper, but a sack on fourth down with 1:31 left set up the Bears with great field position for a chance to tie the game or take a lead late in the game.
Charlie Brewer worked the ball downfield, getting the Bears into position for the winning touchdown. With seven seconds remaining, Brewer found Denzel Mims for a jump ball in the endzone. Oklahoma State ran out of time, and now both teams sit on five wins.
Justice Hill led a strong day on the ground for the Cowboys, as the veteran running back finished with 119 yards and a touchdown on the ground. But the Pokes couldn’t get the job done in the end.
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Oklahoma State now looks ahead to their Week 11 bout of Bedlam at Oklahoma that will help decide where the Pokes fall in the postseason pecking order this year. If they beat the Sooners in the rivalry, a visit from West Virginia awaits the following weekend before the Cowboys take on TCU in the regular-season finale. But a New Year’s Six bid is out of reach even if the Pokes run the table.
Baylor, exhilarated after pulling off the upset against Oklahoma State, is now a single win away from bowl eligibility. A road trip to Iowa State awaits next weekend, and the Bears also face TCU and Texas Tech at home as they try to reach their sixth win of the year.