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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>BAYLOR ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS – Aug. 31, 2024<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Newcomers Lead Baylor FB to Season-Opening Rout, 45-3<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Bears travel to No. 12/13 Utah on Saturday<o:p></o:p></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><o:p> </o:p></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>For more information contact: </b>Brent Ingram; 210-845-8651,
<a href="mailto:brent_ingram@baylor.edu">brent_ingram@baylor.edu</a><u> </u> or Max Calderone; 254-265-1639,
<a href="mailto:max_calderone@baylor.edu">max_calderone@baylor.edu</a> or Josie Hutton; 254-709-7720,
<a href="mailto:josie_hutton@baylor.edu">josie_hutton@baylor.edu</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>By Jerry Hill, BaylorBears.com <o:p></o:p></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>WACO, Texas --</b> Making his Baylor debut, Dequan Finn threw for two touchdowns and ran for another to lead the Bears to a season-opening 45-3 win over the Tarleton Texans Saturday night before a crowd of 42,272 on the 10th anniversary
of the first game at McLane Stadium. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was the first-ever meeting between the two in-state teams, with Tarleton (1-1) transitioning from Division II to Division I FCS over the last five years. The Texans entered the game ranked No. 21 in the FCS top-25.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Baylor exploded for 21 first-quarter points, opening the scoring on a 39-yard option run by Finn, as the Toledo transfer found a seam over the right end and outraced the Texans’ defenders into the end zone for a quick 7-0 lead.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Finn went to the air for the second touchdown of the night, hooking up with Texas State transfer Ashtyn Hawkins for a 32-yard scoring strike and pushing the lead to 14-0. Hawkins, who finished with 37 yards on two grabs, caught his 12th
career TD pass. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another newcomer, linebacker Keaton Thomas picked off a Jaden Pete pass over the middle and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown, the first interception return for a TD by the Baylor defense since a 19-yard return at Texas Tech two years
ago. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Through the first quarter, Baylor had a 121-0 edge in total offense, with Finn passing for 66 yards and the running game picking up 55 yards in the period.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sophomore running back Dawson Pendergrass, a workhorse on the night with 17 carries for 62 yards, capped off a nine-play, 66-yard drive with a three-yard plunge for his sixth-career touchdown run. Besides eight runs by Pendergrass, the
only other play of the drive was a 39-yard pass from Finn to former Arkansas transfer Ketron Jackson.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Bears had a chance to put it away late in the first half, but Finn was intercepted by cornerback Kasyus Kurns in the end zone on a pass intended for tight end Michael Trigg.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tarleton also missed a scoring opportunity in the final minute of the half when Michael James missed badly on a 24-yard field goal attempt, leaving the score at 28-0 going into intermission.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In a drive led by backup quarterback Daniel Greek, the Texans got on the board when punter Adrian Guzman replaced James and connected from 34 yards out to make it a 28-3 game.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Going back to Trigg, a transfer from Ole Miss, Finn finished off a seven-play, 63-yard drive with a 17-yard scoring strike to his tight end midway through the third quarter.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Rounding out the scoring, the Bears tacked on a 39-yard field goal by Isaiah Hankins and Sawyer Robertson’s 30-yard touchdown pass to Jackson in the fourth quarter.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Bears will go on the road next week for a non-conference matchup against No. 12/13 Utah (1-0) in Salt Lake City. The Utes opened with a 49-0 win over Southern Utah.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>- BaylorBears.com -<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">-- <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#385623;mso-ligatures:none">Brent Ingram</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#385623;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">|
Associate AD for Communications</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Men’s Tennis Sport Program Administrator<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">C: 210-845-8651</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><img border="0" width="160" height="44" style="width:1.6666in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01DAFBAD.B9C60F90" alt="signature_1049805336"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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