No. 12 Baylor moves to 9-0 with 3OT win at TCU

No. 12 Baylor is still the Big 12’s only unbeaten team.

The Bears beat TCU 29-23 in three overtimes on Saturday to move to 9-0 on the season. It was, to put it mildly, not the prettiest of football games in regulation. But it sure got fun in overtime.

Baylor sent the game to overtime at 9-9 when John Mayers hit a career-long 51-yard field goal with less than 40 seconds left. TCU had all three timeouts and a chance for a game-winning score in regulation but instead ran out the clock for overtime.

That decision to go to OT didn’t work out.

The teams traded touchdowns in the first two overtimes after failing to score a TD in the first 60 minutes of the game. Baylor scored a TD to open the third overtime on a catch by Denzel Mims but the two-point conversion pass fell incomplete.

That conversion ultimately didn’t matter as TCU didn’t score on its final possession of the game when a fourth-down pass was intercepted in the end zone.

Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer (12) tries to avoid the rush of TCU defensive ends Ochaun Mathis (32) and Colt Ellison (44) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)
Baylor is 9-0 after beating TCU in three overtimes. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)

Late penalties almost befell the Bears

Baylor’s passing offense didn’t wake up until overtime. And Baylor can consider itself lucky that it got to the extra periods in the first place. The Bears committed two false start penalties after getting to the TCU 22 on its final drive of the fourth quarter. That forced Mayers to kick a field goal 13 yards longer than one he had ever made before.

The game-tying kick snuck over the crossbar with just a few yards to spare.

Another close win

Baylor was No. 12 in the College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday because of its propensity for close wins. Saturday’s win was Baylor’s fifth of the season by eight points or fewer. The Bears are living right so far.

Will that continue into Week 12? Baylor heads to No. 9 Oklahoma on Nov. 16. The Sooners are the first ranked opponent Baylor has faced all season. A win there by Baylor could clinch a spot in the Big 12 title game with two games remaining in the regular season.

But a win against OU will also require a stellar performance from Brewer and the team’s passing attack. Brewer finished the game just 27-of-41 passing for 195 yards. Fewer than five yards an attempt isn’t going to be enough to keep up with Oklahoma’s high-powered offense.

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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports

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