Big Plays Thwart FB’s Comeback Bid in Kinder’s Texas Bowl

HOUSTON – Baylor soccer had its six-game profitable streak snapped as LSU took benefit of massive momentum performs to publish a 44-31 win over the Bears within the Kinder’s Texas Bowl, on Tuesday night in entrance of 59,940 at NRG Stadium. 
 
LSU (9-4), snapping Baylor’s six-game profitable streak, obtained 10 factors off two fourth-down stops, together with one on a 36-yard loss on a excessive snap on fourth-and-1 from the 17. The Tigers additionally scored on a 41-yard interception return and 95-yard kickoff return to beat the Bears in a bowl sport for the primary time in three tries. The Bears additionally had a punt returned for a landing referred to as again within the fourth quarter and a third-quarter, fourth-down, red-zone conversion that went for a landing however noticed the decision on the sector reversed after 
 
Redshirt junior quarterback Sawyer Robertson had a profession day, finishing 30 of 51 passes for 445 yards and two touchdowns. LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier was equally spectacular, finishing 24-of-34 for 304 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. 
 
Josh Cameron tied a profession excessive with eight catches for 111 yards and scored his tenth landing of the season. With freshman All-American working again Bryson Washington injured within the first half, sophomore Dawson Pendergrass rushed for 63 yards on 21 carries and tied a profession excessive with two touchdowns, including three catches for 26 yards. 
 
Baylor’s 507 yards whole offense was probably the most LSU has given up all 12 months and ties for the second-most since Missouri tallied 527 on Oct. 7, 2023. 
 
In an explosive first half that produced 51 factors and a mixed 523 yards, LSU used a 41-yard choose six on a Baylor bobbled display move that was secured by freshman linebacker Davhon Keys and a 95-yard kickoff return for a landing by Mississippi State switch Zavion Thomas to take a 34-17 lead into the locker room. 
 
Nussmeier supplied many of the first-half offense for the Tigers, throwing for 200 yards and landing tosses of 10 and 1 yards to freshman receiver Trey’Dez Inexperienced and a good looking 41-yarder to Chris Hilton Jr., who already had 113 yards by halftime. 
 
After LSU obtained out to a fast 14-0 lead, the Bears took simply 5 performs to attain after a brief punt, with Robertson and Cameron hooking up on a 21-yard TD strike. 
 
Hilton hauled within the 41-yard TD catch after which caught a 43-yarder to arrange the quick 1-yard move to Inexperienced that pushed the Tigers’ result in 28-7. 
 
In hurry-up mode, Baylor took simply over a minute and a half to attain on Dawson Pendergrass’s one-yard TD run after Robertson hit Ketron Jackson Jr. with a 35-yard move to the 1-yard line. However Thomas returned the following kickoff again 95 yards for a landing, with kicker Damian Ramos lacking the PAT to depart it at a 20-point sport, 34-14. 
 
Taking it all the way down to the final second on the clock, Isaiah Hankins booted a 23-yard area purpose on the final play of the half. It was Hankins’ forty sixth profession area purpose, shifting him into sole possession of second place behind Jeff Eire. 
 
Regardless of trailing by 17 on the break, the Bears really outgained the Tigers, 272-251, with Robertson throwing for 234 yards. 
 
On the opening drive of the second half, Baylor made it all the way down to the 8-yard line, however Ashtyn Hawkins was dominated, after overview, to haven’t gotten a foot down on a move to the again of the tip zone on fourth down. 
 
After the protection compelled LSU’s first turnover of the sport, a fumble compelled by Carl Williams IV and recovered by Devyn Bobby on the Bears’ 37-yard line, Baylor obtained it again inside 34-24 on Robertson’s four-yard TD move to Hawkins with 6:21 left within the third quarter. 
 
Trying to reduce the result in three, sixth-year senior linebacker Garmon Randolph picked off a Nussmeier move and returned it 17 yards to the Tigers’ 26. However the offense failed to attain when the shotgun snap sailed over Robertson’s head and was recovered by the quarterback all the best way again at Baylor’s 47. 
 
Beginning on Baylor’s finish of the sector for the primary time, LSU transformed with a four-yard TD run by Josh Williams on a direct snap. One other failed fourth-down conversion led to a 43-yard area purpose by Damian Ramos and pushed the lead again to twenty factors once more, 44-24. 
 
The Bears obtained again on the board with one other landing run by Pendergrass and obtained all the way down to the 5-yard line on Robertson’s 18-yard toss to tight finish Gavin Yates. 
 
After getting a key cease with 3:46 left within the sport and down 13, the Bears obtained an 84-yard punt return from the nation’s main punt returner, Cameron, however a roughing the punter penalty nullified the rating, retaining the Tigers on the sector. 
 
That allowed LSU to maintain the ball till a Baylor fourth-down cease with 1:09 left. The Bears drove all the way down to the LSU 4-yard line however could not slender the hole, with a fourth-down try to Hawkins lacking on the final play of the sport.