West Virginia’s Reid Carrico rounds out Baylor’s ball carrier during a college football game in Morgantown on Saturday. (Photo by David Pennock)
MORGANTOWN (AP) — Sawyer Robertson’s composure helped Baylor snap a futile road win against West Virginia and clinch a bowl berth while setting a new personal best. .
Robertson ran for a career-high 329 yards and three touchdowns, Bryson Washington scored three points and caught a TD pass, and Baylor won its fourth straight with a 49-35 win over West Virginia on Saturday night. .
Baylor (6-4, 4-3 Big 12) earned its third bowl berth under fifth-year coach Dave Aranda. The Bears have made quite the turnaround since a 2-4 start to the season that raised questions about Aranda’s job security.
“Winning solves many things.” Aranda said.
Baylor averaged 46 points per game during the winning streak, but averaged 28 points in the first six games of the season.
Much of that is indicative of Robertson’s leadership, with just 20 TD passes and just four interceptions this season.
“It’s kind of crazy.” Robertson said. “It’s a testament to the guys in the locker room and it’s a testament to the coaches putting us guys in a position to be successful. It feels really good.”
West Virginia (5-5, 4-3) failed to convert two fourth-down chances in the Baylor area late in the game, including one at the 9-yard line, and its winning streak ended. It stopped at 2.
“The game was meant to be won in the third and early in the fourth, but we just couldn’t get it done.” West Virginia coach Neil Brown said: “We didn’t play well enough.”
Both teams combined for nine first-half touchdowns, with Baylor leading 35-28 at halftime. Baylor ended the game with two touchdowns by Washington and Dawson Pendergrass in the fourth quarter.
West Virginia quarterback Garrett Green returned from missing two games with an upper-body injury and finished with a season-high 129 yards and two TDs. He completed 19 of 39 passes for 237 yards and two scores.
momentum switch
West Virginia was looking for a winning point late in the second quarter when Justin Robinson dropped a fourth-down pass inside the Baylor 30. The Bears then drove 65 yards in five plays, with Robertson finding Monareh Baldwin in blow coverage for a 40-yard gain. A yardage and a touchdown kept Baylor in front.
The Bears then reached the end zone in just two plays after normally quick Oliver Straw completed a 20-yard punt out of bounds, allowing Washington to run 51 yards unscathed and put the Bears at their 28. They led by -14.
young rising star
Washington, a redshirt freshman, has gained 123 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in the past two games. On Saturday, he had TD runs of 8 and 9 yards and scored on a 22-yard jumping catch over a defender.
“Once he gets going, or the running back gets going, it just opens up more offensive opportunities for us and our receivers.” Baylor wide receiver Josh Cameron said. “I’m very happy and really proud of his journey and how far he’s come.”
Take-out
West Virginia: The Mountaineers lost four home games for the first time since 2019, Brown’s first season. This season, they have taken the lead in the second half in eight out of 10 games.
to the next
West Virginia: Hosts UCF next Saturday.
