By Reggie Gatlin-Holt
Sawyer Robertson Throws for 440 Yards and Four TDs; Connor Hawkins Drills Game-Winning FG
DALLAS — Facing a 14-point hole with just over eight minutes left in regulation, Baylor football rallied with a pair of TDs to force overtime and after a second-overtime stop, Connor Hawkins drilled a 27-yard field goal to give the Bears a walk-off, 48-45 win at No. 17/16 SMU, on Saturday afternoon at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
The win marked the 14th-straight win over SMU in the series, which came on the backs of a stout comeback that saw Baylor (1-1) rally from a two-TD deficit on the strength of heroic performances from a bevy of Bears.
QB Sawyer Robertson threw for 440 yards and four TDs on 35-of-50 passing without an interception, adding six carries for 20 yards. It marked the third-straight game with 400+ yards for the senior signal caller, who has now turned the trick in consecutive games vs. LSU, Auburn and SMU. Robertson is the third college QB since 2000 to throw for at least 850 yards and at least seven TDs, without an interception, to open a season, joining Nic Shimonek (Texas Tech; 2017) and Cody Hodges (Texas Tech; 2005).
Through two games in 2025, Robertson has thrown for 859 yards and seven TDs on 61-of-98 passing, an average of 429.5 yards per game. A native of Lubbock, Texas, Robertson has thrown for 300+ yards in four straight games, dating back to last year, averaging 403.5 yards passing in the stretch, owning 13 TDs and just one interception.
Robertson was one of several heroes in the game, as senior wide receivers Josh Cameron and Ashtyn Hawkins each collected over 140 yards through the air. Cameron had nine catches for 151 yards and two TDs, and A. Hawkins had 10 catches for 145 yards, both career highs. Kobe Prentice hauled in a pair of TDs on four catches for 63 yards.
Tailback Bryson Washington toted it 31 times for 115 yards and two TDs. Preseason All-America linebacker Keaton Thomas had 10 tackles, a game after 16 stops, to lead the BU defense, which featured sacks from Travion Barnes and Emar’rion Winston, who also added two TFLs.
It marked the sixth win over a top-25 foe for Coach Dave Aranda since 2021, with the Bears sporting a 6-13 mark vs. ranked foes and a 6-11 record since starting the eventual 2021 Big 12 Championship season. By comparison, former BU coach Matt Rhule went 0-11 vs. top-25 foes and former coach Art Briles lost his first 14 ranked matchups before closing his career 11-22.
The Bears rolled to 601 yards of total offense, including 161 rushing and 440 passing. After SMU collected 282 yards in the first half, Baylor stiffened to allow only 176 yards in the second stanza and overtime, with the Mustangs finishing with 458 yards of total offense. It marked the second time in the last four games the Bears collected over 600 yards of offense, rolling to 603 yards in a rout of previously red-hot Kansas in the regular-season finale of 2024.
The Bears will return to action on Saturday, playing host to Samford at 11 a.m. at McLane Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and the Baylor Sports Media Network.
COURTESY BAYLOR ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
