Garrett Nussmeier helps LSU outlast Baylor in Texas Bowl

Field Level Media|published: Tue 31st December, 19:42 2024

Dec 31, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; LSU Tigers special teams Zavion Thomas (0) returns a kick off for a touchdown against the Baylor Bears in the second quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Garrett Nussmeier passed for 304 yards and three touchdowns and LSU defeated Baylor 44-31 in the Texas Bowl on Tuesday in Houston.

Nussmeier threw two touchdowns to Trey'Dez Green, and Chris Hilton Jr. caught the other scoring pass and finished with 113 receiving yards for the Tigers (9-4). Zavion Thomas had a kickoff return for touchdown for LSU.

Sawyer Robertson passed for 445 yards and two touchdowns and Josh Cameron had eight catches for 111 yards and a touchdown to lead the Bears (8-5), who hadn't lost since Oct. 19. They squandered scoring opportunities by failing on 5 of 6 fourth-down conversion attempts.

The first possession of the second half ended when Robertson threw an incompletion on fourth-and-6 at the Tigers' 9-yard line. But on the team's next possession Robertson threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Ashtyn Hawkins that trimmed the Tigers lead to 34-24.

Baylor started its next possession at the LSU 26 after Garmon Randolph intercepted Nussmeier, but on fourth-and-1 an errant shotgun snap caused a 36-yard loss, preserving the 1-point lead through the end of the third quarter.

Josh Williams ran 4 yards for a touchdown and Damian Ramos added a 43-yard field goal to push the lead to 20 before Dawson Pendergrass' 3-yard touchdown run for the Bears completed the scoring.

LSU received the opening kickoff and drove to Nussmeier's 10-yard touchdown pass to Green. On Baylor's fifth offensive play Davhon Keys intercepted a Robertson pass and returned 41 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

On the first play of the second quarter Robertson threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Cameron to cut the lead in half. On the fifth play of the ensuing possession Nussmeier threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Hilton to increase the lead to 21-7.

Nussmeier threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Green for a 28-7 lead, and the Bears pulled within 14 on Pendergrass' 1-yard touchdown run.

Thomas returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, then Baylor drove to Isaiah Hankins' 23-yard field goal as time expired, leaving LSU with a 34-17 halftime lead.

--Field Level Media

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