Box Score By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
 
WACO, Texas – Frustrations mounting with every home loss, the Baylor Bears couldn't overcome a 21-point third-quarter deficit or match their road magic in falling to the Iowa State Cyclones, 30-18, Saturday at McLane Stadium before a Homecoming crowd of 43,528.
 
Trailing 27-6 midway through the third quarter, Baylor (3-5, 2-3) made things interesting when Blake Shapen connected with Monaray Baldwin on a 69-yard touchdown pass and freshman Dawson Pendergrass scored on a five-yard run.
 
But Baylor's comeback came up short with a pair of failed two-point conversions and a fourth-down stop with just over four minutes to go as the Bears lost their fifth game at home this season and first to Iowa State (5-3, 4-1) in three years.
 
"In my eyes, it's not a concern of effort," Baylor coach Dave Aranda said, "it's the execution in the beginning of the game. We get to the end of it, and we're trying to dig ourselves out of a hole. It's been a common pattern, and it's been one that's been addressed from different angles. That part is frustrating. But until we fix it, it's going to be something kind of hanging around with us."
 
Hoping to get out to a fast start, the Bears instead found themselves down 17-0 midway through the third quarter. Freshman quarterback Rocco Becht connected with Jayden Higgins on an 18-yard touchdown pass, followed by the first of three Chase Contreraz field goals and a one-yard TD run by Cartevious Norton after Shapen's first interception of the year.
 
"We're a team where we have to start fast and play physical," seventh-year senior safety Bryson Jackson said. "it's just something we didn't do as cleanly as we could. We're disappointed in ourselves for that. But as far as the energy on the sideline, as far the guys having each other's backs, that was there. Coming home and not executing, that is definitely frustrating."
 
Converting on five of its first seven third downs, Iowa State seemed to be in complete control until safety Devyn Bobby picked off a Becht pass at the Cyclones' 40-yard line late in the first half.
 
Hitting on his first four passes in the drive, Shapen moved the Bears into position before Pendergrass bulled over from eight yards out to get them on the board. Isaiah Hankins' extra point attempt was blocked, leaving the score at 17-6 going into intermission.
 
"I think we just waited too long to get going," tight end Drake Dabney said. "We didn't start fast enough and we didn't execute early on and make the plays early on, myself included. I've got to be better, make a catch early to give us a shot on the drive. But I think there was just a lot of that going on in the game. And then, by the time we got it going, it was too late."
Starting the second half with a back-breaking 49-yard run by Norton, who bounced it outside after getting bottled up in the middle, Iowa State pushed the lead to 27-6 when Contreraz nailed a 45-yard field goal.
 
"We've got to be intentional and we've got to be locked-in to our fits," Jackson said. "I just think there were some opportunities for us to stay in our gap or have gap integrity. And it just didn't happen."
 
The Bears, who went for it six time on fourth down, hit it big when Baldwin got behind ISU cornerback Drew Surges and hauled in a 69-yard touchdown pass from Shapen on fourth-and-four from their own 31. Going for two, Shapen was stopped cold in his tracks on a hit by middle linebacker Caleb Bacon.
 
After a rare three-and-out by the defense, Baylor put together its best sustained drive of the game, marching 69 yards in 10 plays. Pendergrass had two catches for 34 yards and then finished it off when he broke a tackle and somehow made it into the endzone for five yards out on a fourth-and-1 play.
 
Again, the Bears went for it and failed on the two-point conversion, with Baldwin dropping a pass from Shapen that would have made it a one-score game.
 
"Just to see him (and) that want-to, just to not go down, to fight through tackles and playing physical, it gives us a boost," Dabney said. "Then, it's like, 'Okay, if he's willing to put his shoulder down, why not let's go block for him and get him going?' Just continuing to give him opportunities and block for him, just make it as easy as possible for him to do what he needs to do."
 
Iowa State got a little breathing room when Contrera booted a 25-yard field goal to answer Baylor's 12-point scoring spree. And on a critical fourth-down play from inside the Cyclones' 25, Pendergrass was stopped short on a big stop by linebacker Carson Willich.
 
Shapen completed 24-of-41 for 239 yards and one touchdown with the one interception, helping to offset a rushing game that netted just 67 yards on 25 attempts. Pendergrass was the Bears' most productive running threat and finished with a combined 76 yards rushing and receiving, while Baldwin hauled in six catches for 117 yards.
 
Staying home, Baylor will face former Southwest Conference rival Houston (3-5, 1-4) in their first meeting in the Big 12 at 2:30 p.m. next Tuesday, Nov. 4, at McLane Stadium. The Cougars were shut out by Kansas State, 41-0, on Saturday in Manhattan.