Fast start helps No. 22 BYU hold off Baylor for 5-0 start

WACO, Texas — (KSL.com) Jake Retzlaff was dealing early in Central Texas, but penalties and a pair of second-half interceptions by the gunslinging quarterback nearly cost BYU its perfect start to the season.

“Nearly” being the operative word.

Two interceptions by his defense kept the fast start alive.

Retzlaff completed 17-of-31 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 53 yards and a score, and Crew Wakley pulled down an interception in the final minute as the 22nd-ranked Cougars held on for a 34-28 win over the Bears in front of an announced crowd of 39,583 fans Saturday afternoon at McLane Stadium.

Darius Lassiter caught eight passes for 120 yards and a touchdown for BYU (5-0, 2-0 Big 12), his first 100-yard receiving game since transferring from Eastern Michigan and third of his career in the Cougars’ first Big 12 road win since joining the conference last year.

But somehow, the most important catch of the 17 made by BYU receivers was the one made by the former Jordan High quarterback-turned-safety who walked on at BYU after two years at Utah State.

At the very least, Wakley rates that catch as “probably the No. 1” play of his college career.

“It’s one of those things that you always dream of as a kid,” he said, “getting to seal the deal or hit a game-winner.”

Sawyer Robertson threw for 324 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, and ran for 29 yards and a score to lead Baylor (2-3, 0-2 Big 12).

Josh Cameron caught seven passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears, including a toe-dragging 23-yard touchdown to pull Baylor within 6 points in the fourth quarter.

Enoch Nawahine, who also ran for 51 yards on 19 carries, had an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty with less than two minutes remaining that gave the Bears a chance to win with 1:24 remaining.

Stripped thin by injuries in the back field, including last week’s breakout star in Sione I. Moa, Nawahine and Pokaiaua Haunga (7 carries, 21 yards), were the bell-weather running backs on the Magnolia-inspired road trip before the bye week.

But Wakley, who also tied for the team lead with four tackles, clinched the win with Robertson’s second interception of the game for a Baylor team that outgained BYU 387-367 in total yards.

“I think he read his eyes and was able to go and high-point the ball,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. “It was a really good throw, but we saw him make those throws before. Jay (Hill) called a great scheme at the time … and great instincts by Crew.”

BYU couldn’t have started much faster.

Retzlaff completed all four of his pass attempts during a seven-play, 75-yard opening drive, including a 26-yard strike to Miles Davis just over four minutes into the game.

The first Jewish starting quarterback in BYU history added another moments later, taking advantage of Blake Mangelson’s interception with a 2-yard touchdown screen pass to Roberts with 8:26 remaining in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead.

“I’ll take credit for that; I just told him, catch the ball and we’ll be good,” joked Batty of Mangelson’s pick. “Crew actually taught me how to catch the ball.

“We’ve got a bunch of dudes that love ball. We’ve got a bunch of football players.”

Retzlaff did it with his feet on the next drive, plunging in from 17 yards out after a run-heavy, seven-play drive to go up 21-0 before the end of the first quarter.

“It was awesome,” Retzlaff said of the 21-0 opening blitzkrieg. “The offense was just executing to start the game. It was great.”

BYU’s defense limited Baylor to 129 yards of offense in the first quarter, with an interception and a tackle for loss, and held the Bears out of the end zone until Robertson scored out of an empty backfield on fourth-and-1 from 20 yards out with three seconds left in the quarter.

But Retzlaff regained the three-score lead on the first drive of the second quarter, hooking up with Lassiter for a 44-yard bomb with 9:32 on the clock.

The Cougars didn’t punt until Sam Vander Haar’s 45-yard boot on fourth-and-2 with 5:37 left in the half, outgaining the Bears 286-174, with 106 yards on the ground primarily through Retzlaff, Nawahine and Haunga until Will Ferrin gave the Cougars a 31-14 lead at halftime.

BYU scored on six of its first seven drives, including four straight touchdowns and only punted once in the first half.

Like Retzlaff said, awesome … until it wasn’t.

“Their defense changed up quite a bit in the front, and it was a lack of execution in the front. We need to make sure that, combined this week and last week, and that’s a full game,” Sitake said. “Combine the fast start with finishing strong, and we’ll get back to the film room to figure out exactly what happened.”

The Bears opened the second half with a 13-play, 66-yard touchdown drive capped by Ashtyn Hawkins’ 15-yard score from Robertson after taking more than six minutes off the clock.

The Mississippi State transfer quarterback led another long drive — 68 yards, but over six plays in just 2:32 — before connecting with Cameron on a toe-dragging 23-yard touchdown the cut Baylor’s deficit to 6 with 10:07 remaining.

But BYU’s defense held firm the rest of the way, forcing a turnover on downs before Wakley’s game-sealing interception on the last Baylor possession.

“We knew that would happen. I would’ve liked to see us play the second half and finish what we had finished,” Sitake said. “This is the Big 12 Conference, and guys aren’t just going to quit.

“I think we can play better football, but I was proud of the team, of their response to the adversity they faced in the game.”