Baylor
Nebraska
Cornhuskers Edge Bears, 23-14
10/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 15, 2005
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
WACO, Texas (AP) - Zac Taylor threw two touchdown passes and led Nebraska to scores on four of its first five drives, then the defense made it hold up in a 23-14 victory over Baylor on Saturday night.
On a night the Bears hoped would be their coming-out party, the Cornhuskers (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) made a statement of their own by matching last season's win total and moving within a victory of being eligible for the postseason. Nebraska also bounced back nicely from a last-minute loss and won in its first road game.
It wasn't easy, though, as Baylor (4-2, 1-2) took another step toward respectability even in defeat. Coming off its first-ever Big 12 road win, over Iowa State, the Bears led 7-3 in the second quarter and were driving for a go-ahead score late in the third quarter after a wild touchdown got them within 20-14.
But Nebraska forced a punt, then got a 22-yard field goal from Jordan Congdon, his third of the game. That stretched the lead to nine points, meaning two scores, and Baylor couldn't recover - even with its new, all-green look, from helmets to jerseys to pants.
Terrance Parks replaced Shawn Bell at quarterback and his first drive ended with a fumble by Dominique Zeigler. Parks threw interceptions the next two times the Bears had the ball.
Even with Baylor closing the game by turning the ball over on three of its last five snaps, the Bears were a lot tougher on the Cornhuskers than they were in a 32-point loss last season.
Taylor was 18-of-32 for 168 yards, but he was extremely effective through the middle of the third quarter, when his first pass of the second half produced a 21-yard touchdown and a 20-7 lead.
At that point, Nebraska had scored on every possession except one that ended with a fumble inside Baylor's 10-yard line. He also threw a 4-yard touchdown to Terrence Nunn.
Cory Ross ran for 93 yards and Cody Glenn added 41 for the Cornhuskers, who were content with running most of the second half.
Bell drove Baylor 81 yards on the game's opening series, converting twice on third-and-long and overcoming another when an interception was erased by a roughing penalty. He scrambled for an 11-yard touchdown on the next play for a 7-0 lead.
The Bears' only points after that came in a bizarre way. Terrence Shelton broke two tackles on a 52-yard completion, then fumbled at the 1-foot line and Zeigler recovered in the end zone. Officials initially ruled him down at the 1, but changed the call after Baylor called timeout.
Bell was 15-of-24 for 180 yards. Parks went 2-of-6 for 22.
Brandon Whitaker led the Bears with 54 yards rushing.
The game drew a crowd of 40,857, the largest at Floyd Casey Stadium since September 1996 for a game against anyone but Texas or Texas A&M.
Part of the allure was an honor for Mike Singletary and a halftime ceremony featuring him and the 1980 squad that won the Southwest Conference.
