Sept. 3, 2011

Final Stats

WACO, Texas (AP) - Aaron Jones kicked a 37-yard field goal with 1:04 left and Baylor averted a monumental collapse to pull out a 50-48 season-opening victory over 14th-ranked TCU on Friday night.

TCU, which had won an FBS-best 25 consecutive regular-season games, overcame a 47-23 deficit in the fourth quarter to take the lead. New starting quarterback Casey Pachall threw three touchdowns passes in the rally and a fumble by Bears quarterback Robert Griffin set up a go-ahead 27-yard field goal by Ross Evans.

But Baylor, which hadn't beaten a ranked team since 2004, then went 60 yards in 11 plays - including Griffin's 15-yard catch from Kendall Wright on a third-and-10 - to set up Jones.

The Frogs had one more chance, but Pachall's last pass was intercepted by Mike Hicks and he ran the clock down to 2 seconds.

Baylor dodged another loss to the defending Rose Bowl champion and its old Southwest Conference rival after the Frogs' 45-10 win in Fort Worth a year ago.

Griffin hit 21 of 27 passes for 359 yards, with Wright catching 12 of them for 189 yards. Terrance Williams had six catches for 126 yards and two scores.

Pachall got the start at quarterback for the Frogs. Four-year starting quarterback Andy Dalton is now a rookie starter in the NFL.

Pachall was 25 of 39 for 251 yards and four TDs with that one interception. He threw to 10 players, with Josh Boyce making nine catches for 96 yards.

TCU allowed only 229 yards per game last season, and the most allowed in the regular season was 361 by SMU. The Bears had 360 at halftime, when they led 34-23, and finished with 564.

Baylor was 0-4 against Top 25 teams last season, when the Bears finished 7-6 with a bowl appearance for the first time since 1994. Their last win over a ranked team was a double-overtime victory over No. 16 Texas A&M in 2004.

Baylor built a 40-23 lead when Griffin appeared to underthrow Lanear Sampson streaking down the left sideline. But cornerback Greg McCoy, who had some big kickoff returns for the Frogs, misplayed the ball and Sampson caught it for a 64-yard touchdown.

Griffin's fifth TD pass came on the next drive, a 42-yarder to Williams. And even that wasn't enough.

Pachall, the sophomore who threw only nine passes behind Dalton last season, threw two TDs in a span of 3:18 early in the fourth quarter.

The Frogs drove 80 yards on 14 plays before Pachall threw a 1-yarder to Logan Brock. Skye Dawson's 30-yard punt return and a 15-yard penalty then set TCU up at the 12 before Pachall had a 9-yard TD throw to Boyce and they then connected for 2-point conversion.

After a short punt set TCU up at midfield, Pachall threw a 19-yard TD to David Porter. But another 2-point try to Boyce was incomplete.

Stansly Moponga caused and recovered a fumble by Griffin at the end of the 10-yard run that started the ensuing Baylor drive.

During one span in the first half, there were scores on six consecutive possessions - three touchdowns by Baylor and two touchdowns and a field goal for the Horned Frogs

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