Baylor Football: 3 takeaways from overtime win at TCU in Week 11
By Zach Bigalke
1. Kickers made all the difference on Saturday in Fort Worth
The Horned Frogs won with their kickers, launching a 47-yard Griffin Kell field goal on the opening drive. The two teams proceeded to shut out one another over the next 27 minutes. Things got interesting in the final minute leading into the intermission.
The Horned Frogs got a more field goal, this time on a 37-yarder from Jonathan Song, with 29 seconds before the halftime. Then Cole Bunce kicked a squib that was poorly fielded by Trystan Slinker, as he punched it laterally and sent it right to Derius Davis for the recovery by the Horned Frogs. Baylor shut them down in the red zone, but TCU’s third field goal of the game sent them into the locker room up 9-0.
In the second half, the game became about John Mayers and his ability to respond for Baylor. After missing a 32-yard attempt in the second quarter, Mayers atoned for his errant kick with a 36-yard kick five minutes into the third quarter and a 24-yarder less than a minute into the fourth quarter. Mayers got a chance to tie the game in the final minutes of regulation, and he capitalized on a 51-yard kick that sailed true.
Next. Is there an increasing divide in the Power Five?. dark
Their role proved less critical once the game went to overtime, but both teams would have lost the contest in regulation if not for the efforts of their kickers. Baylor won despite their missed field goal, yes, but they were also able to walk away from Fort Worth still undefeated in large part because of Mayers.