Stoner catches 3 TDs as Oklahoma State dominates Baylor
WACO, Texas (AP) — Dillon Stoner had eight catches for 247 yards with three first-half touchdowns, freshman running back Dominic Richardson ran for 169 yards with three scores and Oklahoma State won its regular season finale 42-3 Saturday against undermanned Baylor.
The Bears (2-7, 2-7 Big 12) played two days after their football facility was temporarily closed because of COVID-19 issues. Because of injuries and COVID-19, either positive tests or contact tracing, the Bears had 47 people — players, coaches and support personnel — that were unavailable for the game. This was the makeup of a game postponed Oct. 17 because of a virus outbreak in the Baylor program.
With Big 12 leading receiver Tylan Wallace out for the Cowboys because of an injury, Stoner had a 75-yard catch-and-run on the second play of the game when he got behind the secondary for his first touchdown this season. Stoner reached through cornerback Raleigh Texada to catch a lobbed 15-yard TD, and made turned a crossing pattern into a 40-yard score that put the Cowboys (7-3, 6-3) ahead 21-0 only a minute into the second quarter.
Stoner nearly doubled his season total of 283 yards receiving the senior had on 29 catches in his previous eight games this season. Spencer Sanders completed 20 of 30 passes for 347 yards with two interceptions for Oklahoma State, which finished with 608 total yards.
Baylor wrapped up coach Dave Aranda’s first season with only one full-time assistant offensive coach at the game. That was running backs coach Justin Johnson serving as acting offensive coordinator and calling plays for the first time with the help of two graduate assistants. The rest of the offensive staff, including offensive coordinator Larry Fedora, missed the season finale.
The Bears had only 156 yards, and were down 35-0 until John Mayers kicked a 40-yard field goal with 7:55 left.
THE TAKEAWAY
Oklahoma St: The Cowboys were ranked sixth in the AP poll when the Baylor game was initially supposed to be played, so a third-place finish in the Big 12 isn't what they expected. But they were plagued by injuries in the offensive line, and played games without their top receiver and rusher. They were the only Big 12 team to beat No. 10 Iowa State.
Baylor: This was the outlier game in Aranda's first season, which came after no spring practice and then COVID-19 issues that lingered throughout the fall. The Bears didn't get to play a nonconference game, were plagued by injuries at running back and lost the Big 12's leading tackler halfway through the season. They had three losses by a touchdown or less, and the biggest losing margin before Saturday was 13 points at No. 13 Oklahoma last week.
CHUBA OPTS OUT
Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard had missed the previous two games with a right ankle injury, and coach Mike Gundy said before the regular-season finale that the redshirt junior had opted out of the rest of the season to prepare for the NFL draft. He rushed for 3,459 yards and 33 TDs in his career for the Cowboys, and was introduced with seniors before their home finale two weeks ago.
UP NEXT
Oklahoma State is set to go to a bowl game for the 15th season in a row.
Baylor goes into the offseason, with its 2021 opener scheduled Sept. 4 at Texas State.
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