Cougars face Baylor in important road test – Deseret News

The Deseret News will broadcast Saturday’s game between BYU and Baylor live. Keep checking for updates as you play.

Fourth quarter

12:39 – Will Ferrin misses a 49-yard field goal, giving Baylor both the ball back and the momentum it needed. BYU 34, Baylor 21.

Third quarter

BYU 34, Baylor 21

2:06 – Jake Retzlaff caused BYU’s first turnover in two weeks with an inaccurate throw to Keelan Marion that was deflected by the Bears. BYU 34, Baylor 21.

3:33 – Another week, another special teams highlight for BYU.

Punter Sam Vander Haar scored a crucial 22 yards and a first down on a perfectly executed fake to keep the Cougar offense alive, leading to a 34-yard field goal by Will Ferrin. BYU 34, Baylor 21.

8:44 – Baylor refuses to stop fighting.

The Bears opened the second half with a 13-play, 66-yard drive that ended with a 15-yard touchdown grab by Ashtyn Hawkins. BYU 31, Baylor 21.

Baylor converted two crucial fourth downs on the drive to stay alive while the Cougar defense struggled mightily in pass coverage.

Halftime

BYU 31, Baylor 14

The Cougars just continue to impress.

BYU stormed out of the gate in Waco with five shots on goal in the first half and surpassed the 30-point mark before halftime.

Quarterback Jake Retzlaff was brilliant, completing 13 of 17 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns. Darius Lassiter has already recorded his first 100-yard receiving game as a Cougar, with both he and Miles Davis reaching the end zone in the first half.

Retzlaff also leads all rushers with 47 yards and a score on the ground, while Enoch Nawahine and Pokaiuaa Haunga combined for 53 yards on 14 carries.

BYU gained 286 yards on offense, but Baylor’s passing attack took a significant hit to 155 yards and two scores. The Cougars struggled to pressure Bears QB Sawyer Robertson, although safety Crew Wakley broke a sack in the second quarter.

Baylor will get the second half kickoff as BYU looks to continue its momentum en route to the program’s first 5-0 start since 2021.

Second quarter

BYU 31, Baylor 14

0:30 – A career field goal for Will Ferrin gives the Cougars a 17-point lead. BYU 31, Baylor 14.

Ferrin hit the shot from 54 yards, surpassing his previous personal best of 50 yards.

BYU scored on five of its six drives today.

2:10 – Baylor keeps this game respectable.

The Bears pulled within two points again with a 1-yard touchdown strike from Sawyer Robertson to Josh Cameron. BYU 28, Baylor 14.

9:32 – BYU’s defense has been the main talking point this season, but today it’s the offense that’s making all the noise.

Jake Retzlaff threw another touchdown with a 44-yard bomb to Darius Lassiter, setting up the Cougars’ fourth straight scoring drive. BYU 28, Baylor 7.

Retzlaff was brilliant so far today, completing 10 of 13 passes for 159 yards and a 230.4 rating.

First quarter

BYU 21, Baylor 7

0:03 – The Bears still have a long way to go, but at least they found the scoreboard.

Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson scored a touchdown on a 20-yard keeper, cutting the deficit to 14 points. BYU 21, Baylor 7.

Robertson’s score marked the first touchdown BYU has given up against a Power 4 opponent all season.

3:39 — Can you say “domination”?

Jake Retzlaff added fuel to the loss with a 17-yard dash into the end zone for BYU’s third touchdown of the first quarter. BYU 21, Baylor 0.

The Cougars have now scored on each of their first three possessions at USF for the first time since 2022.

8:26 — BYU can’t seem to be stopped.

Four plays after Mangelson’s heroics, Jake Retzlaff found Chase Roberts on a short throw at the goal line to give the Cougars a two-point lead. BYU 14, Baylor 0.

10:37 – For the second straight day, a BYU defensive lineman intercepted a ball.

On Baylor’s first play of the day, John Nelson hit a pass from Sawyer Robertson into the air for Blake Mangelson to score an improbable takeaway. BYU 7, Baylor 0.

The Cougars have now forced turnovers in every game this season.

10:52 – The Cougars couldn’t ask for a better start to the game.

Jake Retzlaff connected with Miles Davis for a 26-yard touchdown reception on BYU’s first possession, capping a seven-play, 75-yard drive to open the contest. BYU 7, Baylor 0.

Retzlaff now has 10 touchdown passes this season, while Davis has his first score since the 2020 season.

Here’s how to watch the game

BYU’s morning matchup with Baylor will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 and can also be streamed on the Fox Sports app.

Pre-game preparation

Here are a few stories to get you ready for BYU’s game against Baylor.