[BAYLOR FOOTBALL] Houston Outlasts Baylor in OT Thriller on Saturday

Sat Nov 4 22:13:31 CDT 2023

Please find finalized game stats and Baylor season stats attached.

Thank you,

Brent

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Brent Ingram | Assistant AD for Communications
Men’s Tennis Sport Program Administrator
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 210-845-8651

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From: "Ingram, Brent" <Brent_Ingram at baylor.edu> on behalf of "Ingram, Brent" <Brent_Ingram at baylor.edu>
Date: Saturday, November 4, 2023 at 7:48 PM
To: "Ingram, Brent" <Brent_Ingram at baylor.edu>
Subject: Houston Outlasts Baylor in OT Thriller on Saturday

NOTE: Final stats from the game are in the progress of being corrected and will be sent when they become available.

BAYLOR ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS – Nov. 4, 2023

Houston Outlasts Baylor in OT Thriller on Saturday
Bears Comeback Falls Short as UH Converts Two-Point Conversion in OT

By Jerry Hill, BaylorBears.com | BU Football Media Materials

For more information contact: Brent Ingram; 210-845-8651, brent_ingram at baylor.edu<mailto:brent_ingram at baylor.edu> or Max Calderone; 254-265-1639, max_calderone at baylor.edu<mailto:max_calderone at baylor.edu> or Colin Pirtle; 940-564-0351, colin_pirtle1 at baylor.edu<mailto:colin_pirtle1 at baylor.edu>

WACO, Texas -- Going for the win in the first overtime period, Houston quarterback Donovan Smith scored from one yard out and then added the two-point conversion on a QB draw to lift the Cougars to a 25-24 win over the Baylor Bears Saturday afternoon at McLane Stadium.

Baylor (3-6, 2-4) overcame a double-digit second-half deficit to tie it on Blake Shapen’s one-yard TD pass to freshman tight end Hawkins Polley with 29 seconds left in regulation and took its only lead of the game on Dawson Pendergrass’ one-yard TD run and Isaiah Hankins’ extra point in OT.

But Houston (4-5, 2-4), forced to go 40 yards after a personal foul penalty for leaping on the extra-point try, overcame another penalty to score in seven plays. A fumble by Smith into the end zone that was recovered by Chateau Reed was overturned by replay, and the UofH quarterback scored on a sneak from inside the 1 on the very next play.

Instead of kicking to send it into a second OT period, coach Dana Holgorsen opted to go for it, with Smith converting the two-point play with a QB draw up the middle.

In the first matchup of former Southwest Conference rivals in 28 years, the Cougars picked up their first Big 12 road victory in their debut season in the league.

Taking advantage of good field position when Baylor turned it over on downs, the Cougars scored the only points of the first half on Smith’s 26-yard TD pass to Samuel Brown midway through the second quarter.

The Bears had a couple chances in the first half, but Hankins had a 43-yard field goal try blocked and missed wide right on a 39-yarder just before intermission. Baylor had a touchdown overturned on the previous play when the replay booth determined that Josh Cameron was bobbling the ball and went out of bounds before he regained control on a 21-yard pass from Shapen.

On a time-consuming drive to open the third quarter, Houston extended its lead to 10-0 on a 31-yard field goal by Jack Martin.

The Bears answered with a long drive of their own, marching 75 yards in eight plays and scoring on a 38-yard TD pass to Drake Dabney on a flea-flicker play that included Monaray Baldwin flipping it back to Shapen.

On the ensuing possession, Baylor had a second-goal from the 2-yard line, but two penalties pushed it back out to the 17, with the Bears settling for a 27-yard field goal by Hankins that tied it up at 10-10.

Houston went back up, 17-10, when Smith found running back Tony Mathis Jr. for a 24-yard TD reception on a drive that took just five plays to cover 75 yards.

The Cougars had a chance to put the game away when Malik Robinson picked off a Shapen pass in the right flat. But the defense held, forcing a 44-yard field goal try that Martin missed wide right.

Out of timeouts, Baylor got a huge conversion on fourth-and-18 on a 28-yard run by Shapen to the Houston 40. Five plays later, Shapen connected with Polley on the short TD pass with defensive lineman David Ugwoegbu in his face.

In the OT period, Shapen hit a wide-open Dabney for 23 yards down to the 2, then Pendergrass finished it off with his fifth rushing touchdown of the season.

Shapen was 29-of-37 for 263 yards and two touchdowns with the one interception. The Bears added 150 yards on the ground, with Pendergrass and Dominic Richardson combining for 101 yards on 20 carries.

Going back on the road, Baylor will face 23rd-ranked Kansas State (6-3, 4-2) next Saturday, Nov. 11, in Manhattan at a time to be announced. The Wildcats lost to No. 7 Texas, 33-30, on Saturday to fall out of a first-place tie that now includes the Longhorns and 22nd-ranked Oklahoma State.

- BaylorBears.com -

--
Brent Ingram | Assistant AD for Communications
Men’s Tennis Sport Program Administrator
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 210-845-8651

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