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Somewhere along the way someone forgot to tell the University of Baylor it didn't have a good football team, and, on Saturday night, the Bears seemed to forget as well.
In what could be considered the No. 16 Texas A&M football team's most shocking loss of the season, Baylor fought past its semi-permanent underdog title to defeat the Aggies 35-34 in overtime.
"It's a huge win for our program and for our kids," said Baylor head coach Guy Morriss. "We've been waiting for a game like this. I think this will help our confidence more than anything, but it will also make believers out of those that were a little shaky and doubting."
The game was a milestone of sorts for Baylor. It was the first time since 1985 that the Bears defeated the Aggies, the first time since 1998 they beat a ranked opponent, ended its 11-game conference losing streak and was the first time since 1980 that Baylor scored more than 30 points against the Aggies (during that 24-year span, the Bears only scored 20 points or higher six times).
Baylor sophomore quarterback Shawn Bell, who was starting in his first game of the season in place of injured starter Dane King, led the Bears to the victory, throwing for 262 yards and four touchdowns.
"It's been a long time since we've done it. I've never met anybody that's said, 'We beat A&M the last game,'" said Bell, who was in tears at the conclusion of the game. "The coaches gave us a great game plan, and we had a lot of confidence in our players and coaching staff. We stuck to the plan, played all four quarters and played hard."
The first half of the game was relatively quiet, with the Aggies reaching the end zone once and the Bears' only points coming off a field goal. But little did the Aggies know, their 13-3 halftime lead wouldn't be safe.
Baylor came out in the third quarter and kicked a field goal to bring the Bears within a touchdown of the Aggies. A&M junior quarterback Reggie McNeal then threw his first interception of the season on the next drive, from which the Bears would capitalize. The Bears would score again six plays later to knot the game up, only the second time this season that Baylor has scored off a turnover.
"I thought Baylor played and executed well," said A&M head coach Dennis Franchione. "For the first night, turnovers were the difference and they didn't go our way."
Both teams would score two more times to end the fourth quarter tied at 27. In overtime, the Aggies struck first on a 16-yard touchdown run by senior Keith Joseph. Baylor would answer right back, however, with a 12-yard touchdown pass by Bell. The Bears then decided to go for the two-point conversion and the possible win instead of just tying the game again. The decision would pay off on a rollout pass by Bell.
"I was a little surprised they went for two," said A&M junior safety Jaxson Appel. "Their coach was either going to be the hero or the burro. And he's a hero right now."
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