Baylor holds off Kansas State 31-24

Kansas State did enough to throw a scare into Baylor, but it needed more to upset the nation’s second-ranked team.

The Bears held on to beat the Wildcats 31-24 on Thursday, a result that gave K-State its first five-game losing streak since 2008 and its first five-game skid under coach Bill Snyder since 2005.

Some may take K-State’s performance as a positive step, considering it appeared hapless at times during recent losses to Oklahoma and Texas. But it was another bitter pill to swallow for a team that is accustomed to winning.

K-State (3-5, 0-5 Big 12) needs to win three of its final four games to reach bowl eligibility. The fact that it fell one score short of upsetting three undefeated and highly ranked teams – No. 2 Baylor (8-0, 5-0), No. 12 Oklahoma State and No. 5 TCU – is a moral victory they are unwilling to acknowledge.

“If we keep playing the way we are, we aren’t going to win too many games,” receiver Deante Burton said after catching two passes for 17 yards and a touchdown. “We have got to get better.”

They can start by avoiding turnovers. This game came down to three.

A fumble and interception from quarterback Joe Hubener put K-State at a disadvantage in the first half. Then an interception thrown by receiver Kody Cook on the Wildcats’ final drive ended their comeback bid. K-State had the ball at its own 24 with 51 seconds remaining and the opportunity to tie, but a trick play backfired before the Wildcats could get anything going.

The play started with Hubener tossing a lateral to Cook. Then Cook looked downfield to running back Charles Jones, hoping to complete a pass for a first down. The Wildcats ran the play earlier in the fourth quarter and it went for a 21-yard gain. This time, Baylor defensive back Terrell Burt jumped in the way and picked off the pass near the sideline.

There was some debate about whether Burt bobbled the ball before falling out of bounds, but the play held up after replay review.

“I just made a bad decision,” Cook said. “I tried to throw it away but didn’t get all of it. I was trying to get it out of bounds and left it in. It was just a bad decision on my part.”

“He should have thrown it to me,” Snyder added.

K-State fought hard to get in that position.

The Wildcats appeared doomed midway through the second quarter when Hubener threw an interception to Baylor’s Ryan Reid.

On that play, Hubener dropped back and looked downfield. K-State had rushed on nearly every play leading up to that point, and there was a chance a well-placed pass would catch Baylor off guard. But things didn’t work out as planned. Hubener stared down Cook while he ran into coverage the defender assigned to Burton noticed, breaking away and snatching the pass before it could reach its intended target.

Baylor took over and scored on the next play with an 81-yard strike from freshman quarterback Jarrett Stidham to receiver Corey Coleman to put the Bears ahead 21-7. It was the exact effort K-State failed to execute.

That’s how quickly a game can change when the Bears are involved.

Before the interception, K-State had legitimate upset hopes. It had rushed 27 times for impressive yardage, it had completed all three of its passes, it had dominated time of possession and it had forced the nation’s top offense to punt. The Bears led 14-7, but the Wildcats controlled many aspects of the game.

Then they were suddenly in comeback mode.

Hubener had to start throwing to try and make up the deficit. Passing has been a weakness for K-State all season, and it was again Thursday. At least it appeared that way until the Wildcats mounted a furious second-half rally and pulled within one score.

Hubener completed 12 of 21 passes for 151 yards, a touchdown and an interception, on top of 153 rushing yards and two scores. Add on 76 yards and 16 carries from running back Charles Jones and they had their most complete offensive showing in weeks.

“That was great,” Hubener said. “I think things are really starting to click on this offense and things are starting to come together. Obviously we are still a work in progress, but balance is what we are looking for. We were starting to get that way. We need to continue to improve upon that.”

On defense, the Wildcats held the Bears well below the 61.1 points they previously averaged. Baylor has failed to score 40 points twice in the past calendar year. Both games came against K-State.

Still, Stidham completed 23 of 33 passes for 419 yards and three touchdowns while making his first colleg start. His favorite target was Coleman, who had 11 grabs for 216 yards and two scores. Shock Linwood gained 72 yards on 13 carries.

Baylor coach Art Briles was happy simply to get a victory.

“They are an impossible team to play,” Briles said. “Their opening drive is 10 minutes, and they get seven points. That is an eternity for us. That is what they do. They are good at what they do and they are really tough right here. If you don’t just get on them that’s what they do. You have to jump on them or else it can be a slugfest.”

The Wildcats made it a slugfest by fighting back from a 21-7 deficit to make it 31-24 in the fourth quarter on a touchdown pass from Hubener to Deante Burton with 4:07 remaining. Then they held the Bears scoreless on the next drive, forcing a missed field goal from 41 yards.

Few fans remained in the stands, but the ones that stayed roared with excitement.

“This football team, with the exception of one ballgame, has always been competitive,” Snyder said. “I don’t think tonight was any different than that. I was pleased about their effort and the fact they didn’t give in.”

The stage was set for a comeback. But it wasn’t to be.

K-State fell short once again.

“Comparing this game to TCU (and Oklahoma State), it just hurts,” receiver Stanton Weber said. “We are in them and we are so close and we are one play away every time.”

This story was originally published November 5, 2015 at 10:07 PM with the headline "Baylor holds off Kansas State 31-24."