West Virginia closes strong to edge Baylor

Field Level Media|published: Sat 25th November, 22:43 2023

Nov 25, 2023; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears tight end Jake Roberts (86) runs after the catch past West Virginia Mountaineers safety Aubrey Burks (2) during the first half at McLane Stadium. credits: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports

Garrett Greene hit Jahiem White with the winning touchdown pass with 23 seconds remaining as visiting West Virginia charged back for a 34-31 win over hapless Baylor on Saturday in Waco, Texas, in the Big 12 Conference finale for both teams.

Greene finished with 269 yards passing and two scores and ran for 103 yards and two more, the Mountaineers (8-4, 6-3 Big 12) needed a last-gasp drive to win. West Virginia had just two first downs in the second half until the final drive, which covered 80 yards in just six plays with no timeouts.

Baylor trailed 27-14 at halftime with their only scores coming on a pair of kickoff return touchdowns by Richard Reese. The Bears (3-9, 2-7) scored the first 17 points of the second half to take the lead but could not hold on.

White ran for 133 yards on 17 carries.

Sawyer Robertson passed for 215 yards and a score for Baylor, which lost its final five games.

The Mountaineers got on the board first on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Greene to Traylon Ray with 5:55 to play in the first quarter. West Virginia added a 38-yard field goal by Michael Hayes to push its lead to 10-0 at the 14:10 mark of the second quarter.

Reese ripped off a 96-yard kickoff return 15 seconds later that cut the Bears' deficit to 10-7.

Greene rambled 23 yards on a keeper for a touchdown that rebuilt the Mountaineers' lead to 17-7 with 10:28 to play before halftime. But Reese answered again, this time going untouched for 93 yards the score.

Hayes added his second field goal of the game, this one for 36 yards, with 5:44 to play in the second quarter, to expand West Virginia's lead to 20-7. Greene added a 1-yard scoring run with 15 seconds remaining to put the Mountaineers up 27-14 at the break.

The Bears' offense came to life in the third quarter, scoring on a 38-yard pass from Robertson to Ketron Jackson Jr. on their opening drive and a 2-yard touchdown run from Dominic Richardson with 5:45 to play in the quarter, the latter giving them a 28-27 lead.

Isaiah Hankins added to the Baylor lead with a 39-yard field goal with 12:58 to play.

—Field Level Media

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