KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Sawyer Robertson threw for 310 yards and four touchdowns as Baylor won its sixth straight game, beating Kansas 45-17 on Saturday.
The Bears (8-4, 6-3 Big 12) scored touchdowns on three consecutive possessions in the first half to take a 21-7 lead, then found the end zone on all three of their drives in the third quarter.
Bryson Washington ran for 192 yards on 27 carries that included a 10-yard TD run and punching in from the 1 in the second half for Baylor, which after starting 0-3 Big 12 play went into the final day of the regular season still in contention for a spot in the league championship game until Arizona State beat Arizona later Saturday.
“I’m proud of that team in the locker room there, just the grit they showed,” Baylor coach Dave Aranda said. “To go through the season we’ve had and not let the outside on the inside, all those things are just really hard.”
Kansas (5-7, 4-5) entered on a three-game winning streak — all against ranked teams — to be in position for bowl eligibility with a win. But the Jayhawks had no answers for Baylor’s offense.
“It’s extremely disappointing because this team has overcome so much,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said. “It’s been a roller-coaster year in many ways, and we didn’t fulfill expectations. We battled back. The locker room stayed together. To play a team like this that is playing really well and playing physical, and to do it on the road, is a challenge, and one that we didn’t answer.”
Devin Neal ran for 133 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries for Kansas. Jalon Daniels was 12-of-23 passing for 280 yards passing, and had two passes intercepted by Baylor safety Devyn Bobby.
Robertson was 23-for-31 passing, with TDs of 36- and 39-yards to Monaray Baldwin in the first quarter before a 14-yard score to Josh Cameron in the second. Baldwin caught seven passes for 119 yards, and Cameron added eight receptions for 102.
“To finish the game and the season the way we did, it’s super special,” Robertson said.
“I feel like what is being built here can be sustained because of the quality of people we have,” Aranda said.
The Takeaway
Kansas: The Jayhawks rarely had issues moving the ball in the first half. Despite trailing 21-10 at intermission, the Jayhawks had outgained Baylor 301-283. Their problems came with holding onto the ball and scoring when they had the chance. Tabor Allen missed a 38-yard field goal to end the Jayhawks’ first possession, and they had promising drives end on a Daniels interception and Tevita Noa fumble after a 39-yard reception.
Baylor: The Bears made a remarkable turnaround in the second half of the season. They began the year with coach Dave Aranda’s future considered tenuous at best, and a 2-4 start only made calls for him to be replaced louder. But Aranda and Baylor haven’t lost since Oct. 5 against Iowa State.
Run it again
Baylor’s first two TDs came off the same route from Baldwin, and the second was nearly a replay of the first. Baldwin lined up in the slot to the right side in a one-on-one matchup with Kansas safety Marvin Grant and ran right by him and down the sideline.
The only difference in the plays was that Baldwin had to adjust and keep his feet in bounds as he went to the ground in the end zone for the first score. Robertson hit him in stride as he crossed the goal line on the second.
“He’s such a good teammate, a good athlete, fun to throw to, because he can run by anybody,” Robertson said. “But it was the same route, just different formations.”
Up next
Kansas’ season is over.
Baylor waits to find out where it will play a bowl game.
