Baylor rally falls short in 31-24 loss to Houston

Baylor erased a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit and briefly pulled even, but Houston answered with a late touchdown to hand the Bears a 31-24 loss Saturday at McLane Stadium. Houston broke the tie on Dean Connors’ 1-yard rushing score with 1:57 left, capping a game in which the Bears rallied from a 24-9 hole before coming up one possession short.

Houston set the early tone with a 12-play, 82-yard drive that ended in Amare Thomas’ 27-yard touchdown catch from Conner Weigman at the 7:47 mark of the first quarter. The Cougars pushed the lead to 14-0 early in the second when Conner Weigman broke free for a 28-yard rushing touchdown. Baylor settled in behind its kicking game, and Connor Hawkins kept the Bears within reach with field goals from 54, 34 and 30 yards. His third kick, with 15 seconds left in the half, sent Baylor to the break trailing 17-9.

The Bears moved the ball throughout the afternoon and finished with 421 total yards, including 309 through the air. Sawyer Robertson completed 23 of 46 passes for 309 yards and a touchdown, with Kobe Prentice adding four catches for 96 yards and Kole Wilson contributing seven receptions for 69 yards. Baylor also found production on the ground from Joseph Dodds, who rushed 12 times for 61 yards and a touchdown.

Houston extended its lead to 24-9 when Conner Weigman scored on a 1-yard run with 4:58 left in the third quarter, but Baylor’s defense kept the game alive. Keaton Thomas turned in one of the Bears’ top all-around performances with 11 tackles, an interception and a sack, while Micah Gifford added 10 tackles. Baylor finished with 25 first downs, but eight penalties for 90 yards and Houston’s 36:26 time of possession made the comeback path more difficult.

The Bears finally broke through early in the fourth. Joseph Dodds scored on a 1-yard run, and Sawyer Robertson added the 2-point conversion on the ground to cut the margin to 24-17 with 12:19 remaining. Baylor drew even less than four minutes later when Sawyer Robertson connected with Josh Cameron for a 31-yard touchdown pass. Josh Cameron finished with three catches for 55 yards and the tying score, but Houston answered in the final two minutes and the Bears could not produce another equalizer.

Houston finished with 417 total yards and was led by Conner Weigman, who threw for 201 yards, ran for 121 more and accounted for three touchdowns. Baylor played in front of an announced crowd of 34,720 on a cloudy 66-degree afternoon in Waco, leaving the Bears to look back at a strong late push that was not quite enough.