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<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">BAYLOR ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS – Dec. 31, 2024<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Big Plays Thwart Baylor Football Comeback Bid in Kinder’s Texas Bowl</span></b><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;background:white">LSU Snaps Baylor’s Six-Game Win Streak, 44-31
<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt">Brent Ingram; 210-845-8651, </span><a href="mailto:brent_ingram@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt">brent_ingram@baylor.edu</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:9.0pt">
</span></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"> </span><span style="font-size:9.0pt">or Max Calderone; 254-265-1639,
</span><a href="mailto:max_calderone@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt">max_calderone@baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:9.0pt">
</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt">or Josie Hutton; 254-709-7720, </span><a href="mailto:josie_hutton@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt">josie_hutton@baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Courier"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">By Jerry Hill, BaylorBears.com
<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">HOUSTON --</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> Baylor football had its six-game winning streak snapped as LSU took advantage of big
momentum plays to post a 44-31 win over the Bears in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl, on Tuesday evening in front of 59,940 at NRG Stadium.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">LSU (9-4), snapping Baylor’s six-game winning streak, got 10 points off two fourth-down stops, including one on a 36-yard loss on a high snap on fourth-and-1 from the 17. The
Tigers also scored on a 41-yard interception return and 95-yard kickoff return to beat the Bears in a bowl game for the first time in three tries. Baylor (8-5) also had a punt returned for a touchdown called back in the fourth quarter and a third-quarter,
fourth-down, red-zone conversion that went for a touchdown but saw the call on the field reversed after
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Redshirt junior quarterback Sawyer Robertson had a career day, completing 30 of 51 passes for 445 yards and two touchdowns. LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier was equally impressive,
completing 24-of-34 for 304 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. <o:p>
</o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Josh Cameron tied a career high with eight catches for 111 yards and scored his 10th touchdown of the season. With freshman All-American running back Bryson Washington injured
in the first half, sophomore Dawson Pendergrass rushed for 63 yards on 21 carries and tied a career high with two touchdowns, adding three catches for 26 yards.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Baylor’s 507 yards total offense was the most LSU has given up all year and ties for the second-most since Missouri tallied 527 on Oct. 7, 2023.
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">In an explosive first half that produced 51 points and a combined 523 yards, LSU used a 41-yard pick six on a Baylor bobbled screen pass that was secured by freshman linebacker
Davhon Keys and a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Mississippi State transfer Zavion Thomas to take a 34-17 lead into the locker room.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Nussmeier provided most of the first-half offense for the Tigers, throwing for 200 yards and touchdown tosses of 10 and 1 yards to freshman receiver Trey’Dez Green and a beautiful
41-yarder to Chris Hilton Jr., who already had 113 yards by halftime. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">After LSU got out to a quick 14-0 lead, the Bears took just five plays to score after a short punt, with Robertson and Cameron hooking up on a 21-yard TD strike.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Hilton hauled in the 41-yard TD catch and then caught a 43-yarder to set up the short 1-yard pass to Green that pushed the Tigers’ lead to 28-7.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">In hurry-up mode, Baylor took just over a minute and a half to score on Dawson Pendergrass’s one-yard TD run after Robertson hit Ketron Jackson Jr. with a 35-yard pass to the
1-yard line. But Thomas returned the ensuing kickoff back 95 yards for a touchdown, with kicker Damian Ramos missing the PAT to leave it at a 20-point game, 34-14.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Taking it down to the very last second on the clock, Isaiah Hankins booted a 23-yard field goal on the last play of the half. It was Hankins’ 46th career field goal, moving
him into sole possession of second place behind Jeff Ireland. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Despite trailing by 17 at the break, the Bears actually outgained the Tigers, 272-251, with Robertson throwing for 234 yards.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">On the opening drive of the second half, Baylor made it down to the 8-yard line, but Ashtyn Hawkins was ruled, after review, to have not gotten a foot down on a pass to the
back of the end zone on fourth down. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">After the defense forced LSU’s first turnover of the game, a fumble forced by Carl Williams IV and recovered by Devyn Bobby at the Bears’ 37-yard line, Baylor got it back within
34-24 on Robertson’s four-yard TD pass to Hawkins with 6:21 left in the third quarter.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Looking to cut the lead to three, sixth-year senior linebacker Garmon Randolph picked off a Nussmeier pass and returned it 17 yards to the Tigers’ 26. But the offense failed
to score when the shotgun snap sailed over Robertson’s head and was recovered by the quarterback all the way back at Baylor’s 47.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Starting on Baylor’s end of the field for the first time, LSU converted with a four-yard TD run by Josh Williams on a direct snap. Another failed fourth-down conversion led
to a 43-yard field goal by Damian Ramos and pushed the lead back to 20 points again, 44-24.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">The Bears got back on the board with another touchdown run by Pendergrass and got down to the 5-yard line on Robertson’s 18-yard toss to tight end Gavin Yates.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">After getting a key stop with 3:46 left in the game and down 13, the Bears got an 84-yard punt return from the nation’s leading punt returner, Cameron, but a roughing the punter
penalty nullified the score, keeping the Tigers on the field. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">That allowed LSU to keep the ball until a Baylor fourth-down stop with 1:09 left. The Bears drove down to the LSU 4-yard line but couldn’t narrow the gap, with a fourth-down
attempt to Hawkins missing on the last play of the game. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">- BaylorBears.com -</span></i><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></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">Baseball 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>
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