Nate Bennett passed for three touchdowns and ran for one, and Baylor beat stubborn Louisiana Tech 36-19 on Saturday in Waco, Texas.
Bennett, starting for the injured DJ Lagway (ankle) for the second week, completed 21-of-24 passes for 253 yards for the Bears (2-1). Jayden McGowan had two touchdown receptions and Gavin Freeman had seven catches for 47 yards.
Trey Kukuk, starting in place of Blake Baker (hand), was 25-of-44 for 223 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and ran 11 times for 75 yards for the Bulldogs (1-2). Eli Finley had eight catches for 65 yards and a score.
Baylor led 20-7 at halftime and added on in the third quarter. Three plays after the Bulldogs were stopped on fourth-and-1 at the Baylor 44, Bennett found McGowan deep for a 43-yard touchdown.
After Kukuk was tackled on fourth-and-1 at his own 29, Rhett Armstrong’s 23-yard field goal made it 29-7 late in the quarter.
The Bulldogs rallied late as Kukuk hit tight end Finley for a 19-yard score with 8:18 remaining. The two-point try failed and Baylor led 29-13.
Tech then recovered a fumble and started at the Baylor 47. After a pass interference penalty made it first-and-goal at the two, Jalen Mickens scored with 5:14 remaining, but Kukuk was stopped on the two-point try and it was 29-19.
Baylor recovered the onside kick and Bennett iced it with a 36-yard touchdown pass to McGowan.
In the teams’ first meeting since 1996, neither defense made a stop in the first quarter.
Baylor took the opening kick and went 75 yards in 10 plays. On second-and-17 from the 25 Bennett felt pressure and scrambled up the middle for a touchdown.
The Bulldogs answered with a drive of their own. Kukuk ran 15 yards to the Baylor 12 on third-and-12, and on third-and-goal, Andrew Burnette took a direct snap and scored from the two.
Baylor regained the lead when Dawson Pendergrass capped a 75-yard drive with a one-yard plunge with 12:08 left in the second quarter. Bennett and Louis Brown IV connected for a 28-yard third-down completion to spark the drive.
On the first play after a Bulldogs punt, Bennett found Brown behind the secondary for a 51-yard touchdown. The point after was blocked and Baylor led 20-7.
