When Baylor took the field against Oklahoma on Saturday, the Bears were on a mission to stay in contention for the Big 12 title after losing a 30–28 heartbreaker to TCU a week ago.
The day ended with fans in Waco storming the field as Baylor (8–2, 5–2 Big 12) upended Oklahoma (9–1, 6–1) 27–14 behind a strong defensive performance and the play of quarterback Gerry Bohanon, who racked up three total touchdowns and over 200 all-purpose yards.
“He [Bohanon] is everything we thought he was,” Baylor coach Dave Aranda said. “He has worked so hard in the dark… to have a moment like this, no one is more deserving.”
Oklahoma entered the day with the fourth-best odds (+1000) at SI Sportsbook to win the college football national title. The Bears—who finished just 2–7 a year ago—held the Sooners to their fewest points and yards of the Lincoln Riley era, handing Riley’s squad its first loss and delivering a massive blow to its College Football Playoff hopes. Even while entering Week 11 undefeated, the Sooners were only No. 8 in the most recent playoff rankings due to a number of narrow wins.
Against the Bears, Oklahoma was held to just 260 yards of total offense. In Aranda’s last two matchups against Oklahoma—in 2019 at LSU and ’20 at Baylor—his defenses have limited the Sooners to an average of 295.5 yards per game and 27.5 points per game.
Sooners freshman quarterback Caleb Williams, who took over for Spencer Rattler midway through the season, finished with just 146 yards through the air and two interceptions. Rattler, who also saw playing time Saturday as Williams struggled, was held to 36 yards on 4-of-6 passing in the contest.
With the win, Baylor earned its first victory against a top-10 opponent since 2015 when the Bears defeated North Carolina. It also marks the program’s first win against a top-10 opponent in Waco since a 2014 win over Kansas State.
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