No. 3 Texas opens Big 12 schedule with dominating win over Baylor
Quinn Ewers passed for 293 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score as No. 3 Texas dominated throughout in a 38-6 win over Baylor on Saturday in Waco, Texas, in the Big 12 Conference opener for both teams.
The game was the 113th meeting in the all-time series and the final scheduled between the two longtime Southwest Conference and Big 12 rivals as Texas moves to the Southeastern Conference beginning next season.
Ewers completed 18 of 23 attempts as the Longhorns (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) have started the season with four victories for the first time since 2012.
Jonathon Brooks rushed for 106 yards and two TDs on 18 carries and Ja’Tavion Sanders caught five passes for 110 yards for the Longhorns.
Texas allowed just three points on three Baylor possessions in the red zone over the second and third quarters, turning over the Bears on downs twice and intercepting a pass in the end zone.
Sawyer Robertson threw for 203 yards and an interception for Baylor (1-3, 0-1 Big 12). Monaray Baldwin, one of 13 Bears to catch a pass, had a team-high three receptions for 81 yards.
Brooks got the Longhorns on the board via a 40-yard TD run at the 5:15 mark of the first quarter. Baylor answered with a 22-yard field goal by Isaiah Hankins with 1:07 to play in the first quarter.
Ewers got loose around the left end and tight-roped the sideline for a 29-yard TD to push Texas’ lead to 14-3 with 9:07 to play in the second quarter.
The Longhorns used some trickery to set the table for their next touchdown, with Xavier Worthy catching a backward pass and throwing downfield to Sanders at the Baylor 7-yard line. From there, freshman CJ Baxter ran for a TD with 7:03 to play until halftime.
Brooks added a 2-yard TD with 2:26 remaining in the second quarter before Baylor took advantage of a muffed punt by Worthy late in the quarter to tack on a 36-yard field goal by Hankins and pull within 28-6 at the break.
Texas tacked on a 37-yard field goal from Bert Auburn early in the fourth quarter and then a touchdown on a 21-yard Ewers-to-Worthy pass that capped off a 95-yard, seven-play drive.
–Field Level Media
