By Jerry Hill, BaylorBears.com
AMES, Iowa -- Baylor quarterback
Sawyer Robertson threw for 258 yards and matched his career high with three touchdowns, but 16th-ranked Iowa State overcame an early double-digit deficit to hand the Bears their third-straight loss, 43-21, Saturday night at Jack Trice Stadium.
Against an Iowa State (5-0, 2-0) defense that had allowed 29 points all year, Robertson threw for 149 yards and two touchdowns in the first half to give the Bears (2-4, 0-3) the early 14-3 lead.
But after Robertson found Ketron Jackson for a 25-yard TD pass and a 21-19 lead early in the third quarter, the Cyclones scored 24 unanswered points to pull away late for the win.
Eastern Michigan transfer Jaylon Jackson rushed for 107 yards on 15 carries and scored on second-half touchdown runs of 10 and 20 yards to spark an Iowa State offense that piled up 542 yards. Quarterback Rocco Becht was 16-of-25 for 277 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
Scoring touchdowns on each of their first two possessions, the Bears took a surprising 14-3 lead on the Cyclones early in the second quarter.
After the defense made a fourth-down stop in the red zone, Robertson engineered a nine-play 84-yard drive, connecting with
Hal Presley for 31 yards and running back
Bryson Washington for 23 and then hitting
Josh Cameron for the four-yard TD pass.
The Cyclones got on the board with a 45-yard field goal by Kyle Konrady, but Baylor answered with an impressive 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive that included a 15-yard pass-interference penalty on Iowa State.
Facing third-and-7 from the 8-yard line, Robertson rolled to his left and found a wide-open
Michael Trigg in the end zone for the Ole Miss transfer's second touchdown catch of the season and seventh of his career.
Isaiah Hankins' extra point gave the Bears a 14-3 lead with 13:46 left in the half.
Iowa State capitalized on an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a kick out of bounds to march 30 yards in eight plays and tack on another Konrady field goal, this time from 38 yards out.
After the Cyclones' first defensive stop of the day, Iowa State struck quickly with a five-play, 84-yard drive and converted on third-and-goal with a 10-yard pass from Rocco Becht to tight end Benjamin Brahmer, cutting the deficit to 14-12.
Turning in the biggest play of the game, Iowa State's Myles Mendeszoon blocked a Parker Williams punt and Caden Matson scooped it up and scored from 25 yards out to give Iowa State the 19-14 lead.
The Cyclones threatened late in the half, but edge rusher
Garmon Randolph dropped in coverage and picked off a Becht pass at the goal line.
Baylor will have a bye next week before facing Texas Tech (4-1, 2-0) on Oct. 19 in Lubbock, with kickoff time and TV schedule announced later.