By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
During an emotional sideline huddle, a fired-up Charlie Brewer told his team, "There is no way that we're not going to come away with a win."
True to his word, Cardiac Charlie led three fourth-quarter scoring drives and twice brought Baylor back from nine-point deficits as the Bears ended a five-game losing streak with a heart-stopping 32-31 win over Kansas State Saturday night on John Mayers' 30-yard field goal as time expired.
"I love Charlie, and I know our team does," said first-year head coach Dave Aranda. "There were multiple times on the sidelines when Charlie was more animated than I've ever seen him. I think he was alive tonight, and our team saw that. There were a couple times where Charlie was willing the team. . . . He is not going to allow us to lose this game."
In Baylor's first game at McLane Stadium in a month and just the third home game of the season, Brewer was 31-of-39 for 349 yards and two touchdowns and added 56 yards and two TDs on the ground as the Bears (2-5, 2-5) rolled up a season-high 420 yards total offense.
"Getting a win tonight is huge," Brewer said. "Seeing those guys in the locker room and how excited they are and so much joy, as an older guy, it's pretty cool to see."
Completely throttled in the first half, netting just 88 yards and getting its only points after a JT Woods interception return to the 9-yard line, Baylor trailed 17-6 at the half.
Coming out in the third quarter, it didn't even look like the same team.
Sparked by a 44-yard pass from Brewer to Trestan Ebner, the Bears started the second half with an impressive eight-play, 64-yard drive and made it a one-score game with a 29-yard field goal by Mayers.
After the play by Ebner, "you could really kind of feel guys jump on that momentum and create some momentum on their own. You could see guys come alive after that."
In the first half, he said, "we were waiting for somebody else to do something."
R.J. Sneed, who finished with 86 yards on six catches, made a phenomenal 35-yard catch on the sideline on the next series and used some fancy footwork on a 23-yard TD pass from Brewer two plays later to cut the deficit to 17-15. On a failed two-point conversion that would have tied it, Brewer had the ball stripped by the Wildcat defense.
Sneed stopped on a dime on the TD catch, left safety Jahron McPherson in his wake, and got a great clearing block from Ebner to get into the end zone for his third TD catch of the season and sixth of his career.
"Ask my coach, he would tell that I should never do that," Sneed said. "But, (McPherson) was overrunning it. I knew if I ran outside, he was going to tackle me. I was just kind of being a football player. I cut back in, seeing that he overran it, and then Trestan made a heck of a block downfield, and I got in."
That started a sprint to the finish that included scores on five of the last six series of the game, the Bears and Wildcats (4-5, 4-4) trading touchdowns on four-straight possessions before the Baylor defensive stop that set up Mayers' game-winning kick with no time left on the clock.
Twice overcoming nine-point fourth-quarter deficits, Baylor scored on Brewer's eight-yard TD pass to Ebner and a one-yard keeper by Brewer that made it 31-29 with 4:16 left on the clock.
Ebner, who caught five passes for 66 yards and set the Baylor record for a running back with his ninth career receiving touchdown, praised offensive coordinator Larry Fedora for "finding a way to get the ball in playmakers' hands. I credit him for that and helping me have a good game."
Getting the ball back at their own 31 with 2:32 to play, the Bears had a scare on the very first play when the officials ruled that Brewer had fumbled after a five-yard gain. But, the call was overturned on replay, leaving the door open for a 10-play, 57-yard game-winning drive that was classic Brewer.
"I've got to do a better job of protecting the football, especially in conditions like that," Brewer said. "I've got to have two hands on the ball. Good thing I was down. The confidence was high heading into that drive. I had 100 percent confidence that we were going to go down and score."
On the sixth fourth-quarter game-winning drive of his career, Brewer completed 4-of-4 passes for 45 yards, the big play being a 21-yarder to tight end Ben Sims that got the Bears in range at the K-State 27.
Sneed never had a doubt.
"How much confidence? That is Charlie Brewer," he said. "Have y'all forgotten what this man has done over three years? I was very confident."
The Bears picked up another first down and then worked the ball to the middle of the field to set up Mayers' game-winning kick from 30 yards.
"I remember coming to games at Floyd Casey Stadium before McLane Stadium was even here," said Mayers, who hit a game-winner against Iowa State last season. "I saw their kicks, and I wanted that to be me someday. God has blessed me, and I'm grateful to be in this position. It was great for the team to get the win tonight."
Baylor goes back on the road to face No. 11/14 Oklahoma (6-2, 5-2) next Saturday, Dec. 5, in Norman before closing out at home against 23rd-ranked (6-2, 5-2) on Dec. 12.
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