Oklahoma Edges Baylor

By Chad Conine, The Sports Xchange

WACO, Texas — Third-ranked Oklahoma played mistake-ridden, flat football for more than 40 minutes versus Baylor, but the Sooners bounced back in time to preserve a victory.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield threw a long touchdown pass to wide receiver Jeff Badet and running back Trey Sermon broke loose for a long touchdown run to propel Oklahoma past the Bears 49-41 on Saturday night at McLane Stadium.
Baylor overcame an early 14-point deficit and took the lead over Oklahoma late in the third quarter.
But Mayfield’s 48-yard touchdown pass to Badet took the lead back for Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) with 55 seconds left in the third quarter.
On the Sooners’ next offensive series, Sermon sliced through the Baylor defense for a 34-yard touchdown run that put Oklahoma ahead 42-31 with 10:31 left.
Oklahoma then held off Baylor’s chance to tie the game in the final minute when defensive lineman Ogbonnia Okoronkwo sacked Baylor quarterback Zach Smith, forcing a fumble that linebacker Caleb Kelly recovered for the Sooners.
Although Oklahoma failed to control a game in which it was a heavy favorite, first-year Sooners coach Lincoln Riley didn’t fault his team’s effort.
“We’re very, very excited about the win,” Riley said. “Winning’s hard. You can’t take it for granted and we’re damned sure not too good to appreciate it.”
The Sooners piled up 342 rushing yards. Oklahoma running back Abdul Adams ran for 164 and a touchdown and Sermon added 157 and two scores.
“We ran it well the second half,” Riley said. “We moved them up front. Trey was running well, ran through a lot of tackles.”
Mayfield was caught on camera taunting the Baylor players before the game saying, “You forgot who daddy is. I’m gonna have to spank you today.” He didn’t have to eat his words after passing for 283 yards and three touchdowns, though he was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the play before he threw the go-ahead touchdown pass.
Riley did not scold his quarterback for the loss of composure in the key moment, but the Oklahoma coach said he won’t forget the mistake too quickly.




“For me, it’s not about what it looks like on TV,” Riley said. “My whole deal is, ‘What’s going to help us on the next play?’ I’ll get him later, trust me. Is me tearing him up right there going to help him?”
Baylor (0-4, 0-1), which has lost five straight at home, scored the first 14 points of the second half.
Bears quarterback Zach Smith hit wide receiver Chris Platt for a 72-yard touchdown pass in the first minute of the third quarter. Smith followed by connecting with Tony Nicholson on a two-point pass that cut Oklahoma’s lead to three points.
Connor Martin then booted field goals of 41 and 46 yards, the latter giving Baylor its first lead 31-28 with 2:45 left in the third quarter.
After losing their first three games against FCS Liberty, Texas-San Antonio and Duke, the Bears put up a surprisingly vigorous fight against the Sooners. But first-year Baylor coach wasn’t counting moral victories.
“Extremely disappointed for our kids that we lost that football game,” Rhule said. “What a great football game it was. A lot of credit to OU. I thought they made a tremendous amount of plays. As all great teams do, they made the final plays down the stretch and found a way to win the football game.”
Smith finished with 463 passing yards and four TDs, but Oklahoma held Baylor to 60 rushing yards on 35 carries.
“I’d still like to get the running game going a little bit more,” Rhule said. “But I think you just saw a true championship effort from a lot of guys and a quarterback finding a way to put the ball where it needed to be.”
Oklahoma staked an early 14-0 lead as Mayfield passed to wide-open teammates.
Mayfield found tight end Mark Andrews all alone behind the secondary for a 24-yard touchdown pass for the game’s initial score.
Next up, Oklahoma fullback Dimitri Flowers ran unguarded in the middle of the field, hauling in a Mayfield pass for a 52-yard catch-and-run touchdown on which Flowers easily pushed away a Bears defender near the goal line.
Baylor responded to the 14-point deficit with a big play on special teams that slowed the Sooners’ onslaught.
Bears punt returner Nicholson found a seam and raced down the home sideline before he was tackled at the Oklahoma 34. A late hit on Sooners cornerback Parnell Motley set up Baylor at the 19, and Smith quickly cashed in with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Denzel Mims on the first play of the drive.
The Bears appeared to build on the momentum when Oklahoma kick returner Badet fumbled the ensuing kickoff and had to fall on the ball at the Sooners’ 1.
But Oklahoma immediately turned the flub into a highlight as running back Abdul Adams burst through a hole and went the distance for a 99-yard touchdown run.
Still, Baylor stayed close through halftime.
Smith tossed a 71-yard touchdown pass to Mims midway through the second quarter, slicing the Sooners’ lead to 28-17.
Oklahoma didn’t score in the final 10 minutes of the first half and led by 11 at the break.