Sawyer Robertson celebrates homecoming with 5 TDs passes as Baylor stuns Texas Tech 59-35

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Sawyer Robertson threw for a career-high five touchdowns — three to Josh Cameron — in his first visit to his hometown, leading Baylor to a stunning 59-35 victory over Texas Tech on Saturday.

Bryson Washington ran for two scores as the Bears ended an eight-game conference losing streak and stopped the Red Raiders’ six-game home winning streak, their longest in 15 years.

Robertson, who started his career at Mississippi State as the 2020 Texas high school player of the year out of Lubbock, was 21 of 32 for 274 yards without an interception.

The Bears (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) scored their most points against an FBS opponent since a 61-6 victory over Kansas on Nov. 30, 2019.

“Obviously, having family and friends up in the stands that don’t normally get to come watch me play, but outside of that, it was just another game,” Robertson said. “Just because, like, if I sit here and say that this game was more important than the other ones, that implies that the other ones aren’t as important. And I know that’s not the case.”

Behren Morton finished 33 of 49 for 286 and three TDs but set up one of Baylor’s scores with his first interception at home this season as the Red Raiders (5-2, 3-1) had a four-game overall winning streak stopped in their homecoming game.

“Just like the last four weeks when we’ve been so excited and celebrating wins and really digging into the film, whenever you lose a game, you can’t start looking around and blaming people,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said. “It’s gotta go back to, when you talk about looking in the mirror, the film is the mirror.”

Washington scored twice from the half-yard line following long plays that were ruled touchdowns and overturned on review. The first was his 44-yard run in the first quarter. The second was Cameron’s 73-yard punt return in the second quarter.

Cameron’s first touchdown catch was a 6-yarder for a 24-14 Baylor lead with 4 seconds remaining in the first half. The second answered a Texas Tech TD to start the second half, and the last put the Bears up 52-21 early in the fourth.

Texas Tech tight end Jalin Conyers threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Douglas after taking an inside handoff from Morton. Douglas finished with nine catches for 99 yards and three TDs.

Washington ran for 116 yards on 10 carries, and Cameron had six catches for 75 yards.

Texas Tech’s Tahj Brooks, who entered the game third nationally in rushing yards per game, had 125 yards and a 31-yard TD on 25 carries.

THE TAKEAWAY

Baylor: The best Baylor showing in quite awhile will take some heat off fifth-year coach Dave Aranda. But the Bears still have lost their previous eight home Big 12 games since a win over Kansas on Oct. 22, 2022. Aranda was retained last offseason after a 3-9 record.

Texas Tech: A victory would have meant talk of the first Top 25 ranking under McGuire, who is in his third season. Instead, there will be questions of whether the Red Raiders are reverting to early-season form, when they barely beat FCS member Abilene Christian and lost handily at Washington State.

UP NEXT

Baylor: Oklahoma State visits next Saturday. This was the matchup in the Big 12 championship game just three years ago, and now it’s the Cowboys looking for their first conference win of 2024.

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders have struggled on the road under McGuire, and the next two are at TCU next Saturday and at No. 9 Iowa State on Nov. 2.

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