Iowa State limited their turnovers and penalties in the first half, but Baylor’s offense got rolling in the second half racking up 603 yards of total offense as the Cyclones fell to the No. 25 Bears 49-26 in Waco, Texas on Saturday night.

The Lowdown

Outscored 33-0 in the first quarter this season, the Cyclones jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter as ISU quarterback Steele Jantz connected with wide receiver Darius Reynolds three times for 76 yards capped by a seven-yard touchdown.

Baylor responded by driving 67 yards to the ISU 14-yard line but defensive end Patrick Neal forced a fumble by Baylor running back Terrance Ganaway and the ball was recovered by free safety Jacques Washington. Following an ISU punt, the Bears got into ISU territory again but once again turned it over as safety Durrell Givens recovered a fumble by Baylor running back Jarred Salubi.

The Cyclones were unable to score any points off either of the turnovers, giving Baylor’s offense more opportunities to even the game at 7-7. The Bears did just that, as quarterback Robert Griffin III finished off a 10-play, 87-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Iowa State regained the lead three minutes later as Jantz connected with tight end Reid Branderhorst on a one-yard touchdown catch to give the Cyclones a 14-7 lead.

The replay booth played a major factor in Saturday night’s game starting with Baylor’s next drive as Griffin III appeared to fumble the ball on the ISU 15-yard line but the play was reviewed and ruled an incomplete pass. On the next play Griffin hit wide receiver Kendall Wright on a 15-yard touchdown pass to even the score at 14 apiece. The Bears scored once more on a Martin Glasco run from one yard out to take a 21-14 lead into halftime.

After both teams traded punts to start the second half, Iowa State’s second drive of the half stalled and Baylor took over on the 50-yard line with 10:02 remaining in the third quarter after a 31-yard punt return by Levi Norwood. Ganaway carried four times for 17 yards including his last carry, a three-yard touchdown run to give the Bears a two-score lead.

Jantz went back to his favorite target on the next drive, connecting with Reynolds on a 56-yard completion, but two plays later the Cyclones turned the ball over for the first time on the night. Jantz scrambled to his left and fumbled the ball as he was being taken to the ground, giving defensive end Tevin Elliott a chance to scoop the ball up and score on a 86-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

ISU running back James White — who rushed for a career-high 148 yards on 15 carries — provided a spark for the Cyclones as he scampered down the ISU sideline for a 76-yard touchdown run on the next drive but Baylor’s two touchdown lead would be too big of a margin for the Cyclones to overcome in the fourth quarter.

Ganaway added his second and third rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter and the Cyclones were called for an offsides penalty on an onside kick that they recovered after Reynolds scored his second touchdown with 8:08 remaining.

Turning Point

Down 28-14 with 8:08 remaining in the third quarter, the Iowa State offense took over at their own 16-yard line. White picked up a first down to the thirty-yard line on the second play of the drive which was followed by a 56-yard completion to Reynolds down the left sideline all the way down to the Baylor 14.

After a three-yard run by Jeff Woody, Jantz scrambled out of the pocket and as he was being taken to the ground, Baylor defensive end Gary Mason Jr. stripped the ball away from Jantz’s body. The ball was picked up by defensive end Tevin Elliott and Elliott sprinted down the right sideline for an 86-yard touchdown.

The call was reviewed but the play was confirmed as a touchdown giving Baylor a 35-14 lead with 6:18 remaining in the third quarter.

By the Numbers

2: Missed extra points by ISU kicker Grant Mahoney.

2-14: Iowa State’s record since 2009 when allowing 24 or more points by their opponent.

18: Tackles for ISU linebacker Jake Knott, a career-high.

35+: Points scored by Baylor in each of its five games this season, a first in program history.

37: First downs by Baylor, a school record.

76: Yards gained on James White’s third quarter touchdown. The score marked the ninth-longest scoring run and the 12th longest scoring play in program history.

82: Passing yards by Jantz in the first quarter. Jantz was 11 of 23 for 80 yards with six interceptions and a fumble in the first quarter of ISU’s previous four games this season.

178: Receiving yards for Reynolds, a career-high for the senior from Woodbridge, Virginia.

391: Rushing yards by Baylor led by Terrance Ganaway who carried 23 times for a career-high 200 yards.

Up next for Iowa State

The Cyclones will hit the road again as they travel to Columbia, Mo. for a showdown against the Missouri Tigers. Missouri (2-3, 0-2) is coming off a 24-17 loss at Kansas State. The Cyclones are 3-7 against the Tigers in their last ten meetings with only one of the wins (2001) coming on the road.