Baylor vs. Oklahoma State: Game Grades, Analysis for Bears and Cowboys

The 10th-ranked Baylor Bears recorded a 45-35 victory to end the championship dreams of the No. 6 Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday in Stillwater.

Baylor amassed 700 yards of total offense, converted 14-of-22 third downs and improved to 9-1 on the season. The Pokes dropped to 10-1.

Pass Offense: Quarterback Jarrett Stidham torched Oklahoma State for 258 yards during the first half, but the freshman quarterback exited the game due to an ankle injury. Backup Chris Johnson took over and tossed two touchdowns. Wide receiver KD Cannon racked up a season-best 210 yards and two scores.

Run Offense: Baylor controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. The offensive line helped running backs Shock Linwood, Johnny Jefferson and Devin Chafin reach at least 60 yards, while Johnson added 42 and a touchdown. The Bears finished with 304 rushing yards.

Pass Defense: Although the defensive backs were particularly vulnerable on downfield shots, they broke up a handful of throws. Additionally, on 11 third-down passing attempts, Oklahoma State converted just three. Baylor tallied six sacks.

Run Defense: The Bears made their opponent one-dimensional. Baylor entered the night as the nation's 75th-ranked run defense yet held the Pokes to a stunning eight yards on 23 carries. The College Football Playoff committee should once again pay attention to the team from Waco.

Special Teams: Kicker Chris Callahan missed a 45-yard field goal but buried a 34-yarder later on. Punter Drew Galitz blasted a 50-yard punt that was downed inside the 1-yard line. The kick-coverage unit limited Oklahoma State to 19.0 yards per return.

Coaching: Last week, the coaching staff wasn't particularly aggressive. On Saturday, however, each of the Bears' passing touchdowns were 39 yards or longer. Defensively, Baylor forced a season-best 10 punts.

Pass Offense: The two-quarterback system worked for most of the season, but Mason Rudolph was clearly the best option against Baylor. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, his 430 yards and three touchdowns weren't enough. Three receivers topped 80 yards.

Run Offense: Per Kyle Fredrickson of The Oklahoman, Pokes coach Mike Gundy said, "We didn't run the football effectively enough to give ourselves a chance." Running back Chris Carson trudged to a team-best 20 yards.

Pass Defense: Baylor's success on the ground forced Oklahoma State's safeties to respect the run, which opened up one-on-one opportunities downfield. Statistically speaking, it was the defense's third-worst performance against the pass this season. In reality, it was the worst.

Run Defense: The Pokes surrendered 21 first downs to the Bears rushing attack. When Baylor ran the ball on third down with four yards or fewer to go, it converted 10 of 12 times. Successful fourth-down runs followed the two failed attempts.

Special Teams: Punter Zach Sinor averaged 39.0 yards on his 10 punts. Not only is that not a great per-kick number, the volume of attempts was clearly a serious problem. Kicker Ben Grogan notched five extra points.

Coaching: In every aspect of the game, Baylor thoroughly outcoached Oklahoma State. Making adjustments against the quick-strike Bears offense is always a challenge, but trying to change the game plan while trailing by two scores or more is nearly impossible.

 

Follow Bleacher Report college football writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.