The Baylor Bears beat Sam Houston State, 48-23, avoiding a major upset at home against the visiting Bearkats.
Baylor trailed 20-10 at the half, thanks to an offense that struggled at times in the second quarter and a defense that seemed unable to stop the Sam Houston offense. The Bearkats scored 17 points in the second quarter, surprising the Bears and threatening to walk away with a major upset.
The Bears would come alive after halftime, however, with a quick Nick Florence touchdown pass to Jordan Najvar just 50 seconds into the second half and a touchdown pass to Terrance Williams on the next drive. Sam Houston State would respond with two field goals to start the fourth quarter to pull to within 24-23, yet Baylor would pull away with 24 unanswered points to close out the game.
Florence was 24-of-41 for 312 yards and three touchdowns, yet also threw two interceptions, which included a pick in the final seconds of the first half. Jarred Salubi would lead the Bears with 83 yards rushing on 17 carries, with the team racking up 232 yards on 39 carries for the game.
Baylor would outgain Sam Houston State 544-403 for the game, with the defense forcing four turnovers.
The Bears will take on Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 21, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. CT and coverage on ESPN.
For more on the Baylor Bears, head over to Our Daily Bears. More on the world of NCAA Football can be found over at SB Nation's College Football hub, and on SB Nation's YouTube Channel.