Oklahoma State University Athletics
The Sunday Wrap - Baylor
November 23, 2014 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER - Debuting true freshman quarterback Mason Rudolph playing most of the game behind an offensive line consisting of three freshmen and a sophomore, Oklahoma State lost a 49-28 decision in a driving rain storm to No. 6 Baylor in Waco.
Baylor jumped the Cowboys immediately and held a 14-0 lead less than three minutes into the game after a pair of long touchdown passes. OSU responded by dropping safeties back, which set the stage for the Bears to be able to rush for 317 yards and five touchdowns in the contest.
Still, OSU hung around and when running back Rennie Childs punched in a two-yard touchdown run with 10:44 left in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys had the ball and were within one score of turning it into a one-possession game with plenty of time to do further damage. However, OSU turned the ball over with 5:02 remaining and Baylor converted that into the touchdown drive that essentially put the game away.
Standouts vs. Baylor
Offense
QB Mason Rudolph | Freshman | 6-4 | 217 | Rock Hill, SC
Playing the first game of his collegiate career, true freshman quarterback Mason Rudolph completed 13-of-25 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns for the best debut for a Cowboy signal caller in school history. With Baylor holding all the momentum late in the first half, Rudolph calmly engineered a 10-play, 75-yard drive that spanned 4:17 and was capped by an eight-yard touchdown pass to David Glidden with one second remaining in the half to keep the Cowboys in it. Baylor re-secured momentum early in the fourth quarter before Rudolph struck again with a 68-yard touchdown pass to fellow freshman James Washington. Rudolph then marched the Cowboys 70 yards in five plays to set up another touchdown on the next drive to further threaten the heavily-favored Bears before BU went on to seal its win. On his 13 completions, Rudolph passed for more yards (281) than Baylor's Heisman Trophy candidate Bryce Petty did on 18 completions (262).
WR James Washington | Freshman | 6-0 | 193 | Stamford, TX
James Washington enjoyed the most productive day for an Oklahoma State freshman receiver since Dez Bryant when he made four catches for 114 yards and a touchdown against a Baylor defense that entered the game ranked 14th nationally in total defense. Highlighted by a 68-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter, Washington's 114 receiving yards were the third-most ever for an OSU freshman, trailing only Bryant's 155 yards vs. Kansas and 117 yards vs. Indiana in 2007. Washington joined Bryant, Marcellus Rivers and Hart Lee Dykes as the only freshmen in OSU history to post a 100-yard receiving day.
Defense
LB Ryan Simmons | Junior | 6-0 | 235 | Cibolo, TX
Linebacker Ryan Simmons led all players with 13 tackles and added a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Of Simmons' 13 tackles, 11 were of the solo variety. He was the leader of an OSU defense that limited Baylor's passing attack to 92 yards less than its season average entering the game.
Special Teams
P Kip Smith | Senior | 6-1 | 235 | Broomfield, CO
Senior Kip Smith punted eight times for 347 yards in the game (43.4 yards per punt). He was a key figure in OSU averaging 40.9 net yards per punt in the game. His eight punts resulted in no punt return yards for the Bears.
