Sept. 15, 2007

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WACO - Corey Hickerson's 26-yard touchdown catch with 1:10 left in the game brought Texas State within a touchdown, but Baylor recovered an onside kick and ran out the clock, ending the Bobcats' bid for an upset as Texas State lost 34-27 in Waco on Saturday night.

Texas State (1-2) racked up 418 yards of offense while Baylor (2-1) totaled 439 yards, 411 of which came through the air as Blake Szymanski threw five touchdown passes.

Bradley George set a school record with 30 completions and finished with 322 yards and two touchdowns, and Cameron Luke set a career-high in receiving yards for the second straight game, finishing with eight catches for 135 and one of the scores. George also led the `Cats in rushing with 25 yards on 10 carries.

The Texas State defense opened the game with a strong statement. After Baylor looked to score on its first possession thanks to a third-and-19 conversion to move into Bobcat territory, Jervoress Crenshaw intercepted Szymanski's pass and returned it the Texas State 20.

The `Cats ensuing drive stalled, as Baylor took over at its own 31 and marched downfield in eight plays, this time finding the end zone with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Szymanski to Keegan Van. The 69-yard drive took 2:03 off the clock and put Baylor up 7-0 with 7:03 remaining in the first quarter.

Three straight completions on Baylor's next drive put the Bears at the Texas State 11-yard line, but Adrian Dayse appeared to have forced and recovered a fumble for a Bobcat turnover. However, the play was reviewed and the fumble overturned, allowing Baylor to keep possession. On the next play, Szymanski found Jacoby Jones in the end zone for another touchdown, as Baylor went up 14-0 with 4:12 remaining in the opening quarter.

Texas State cut the lead in half with just over 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter after Marcus Clark intercepted a pass and returned it to the Baylor 19. On second down George connected with Luke for the 16-yard touchdown pass, making it 14-7 with 10:09 left on the clock before half.

After forcing a punt and driving near midfield, Zwinggi fumbled to give Baylor a short field with less than eight minutes in the half. A 21-yard completion moved the ball into the red zone, and Szymanski then threw his third touchdown of the half, this time on a 16-yard pass to Krys Buerck.

Texas State came back with a fake punt run by Chris MacDonald for a first down to keep the Bobcats' next drive alive, and the `Cats kept driving with a pair of first down plays as George ran for 12 yards and then completed a pass to Adrian Thomas for 11 more. A pair of third down conversions, including one on 3rd-and-11, moved the ball to the Baylor two, and Texas State found pay dirt on a two-yard touchdown run by Alvin Canady. The 13 play drive spanned 68 yards and over four minutes of game clock, as the `Cats headed to the locker room at half time down 21-14.

Neither squad could get its offense going in the third, as the two teams traded punts several times. Texas State looked to gain some ground after a MacDonald punt was downed inside the Baylor five. With the Bears punting from their own end zone, the Bobcats took over with a short field at the Baylor 45.

Texas State was able to move the ball deeper into Baylor territory, and Andrew Ireland connected on a 46-yard field goal with 2:22 left in the third to put the `Cats within four at 21-17.

The Bears mounted a drive looking to stretch their lead back out, marching downfield as Szymanski completed five passes. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Szymanski's sixth completion went 24 yards for a touchdown to Jay Finley, putting Baylor on top 28-17.

After the Bobcats' next drive stalled near midfield, Baylor again looked to drive down the field before Nick Clark had a key sack on third down. The Bears tried a fake punt, but a holding penalty erased a Bears first down and forced a punt, giving Texas State the ball back with 8:29 on the clock at its own 16.

A 29-yard completion to Luke started things off, and George completed a key 15-yard pass to Scott on third-and-seven to move the ball inside the Baylor 40. Ireland connected on his second field goal, this time from 36-yards out, capping a nine play, 65-yard drive to make it 28-20 with 5:35 left in the game.

Texas State had a chance to mount a game-tying drive from its own 15 after forcing the Bears to punt with 4:10 left in the game, but George threw incomplete on fourth-and-two to give Baylor the ball at the Bobcat 24-yard line and only 3:15 on the clock.

Baylor then scored on a 23-yard reception by Brad Taylor to extend the lead to 34-20 with 2:34 on the clock, but missed the extra point attempt. The Bobcats then managed to move 76 yards on eight plays in only 1:24, as George found Hickerson on fourth-and-five, setting the stage for the onside kick.

Texas State looks to pull even on the season next Saturday in Brookings, S.D. against South Dakota State.