BIG 12/ATLANTIC COAST

Backup steers Bears toward playoff

Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer, who coached his final home game Saturday, is carried off the field by Hokies players following a 30-27 overtime loss to No. 17 North Carolina in Blacksburg, Va.
Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer, who coached his final home game Saturday, is carried off the field by Hokies players following a 30-27 overtime loss to No. 17 North Carolina in Blacksburg, Va.

NO. 10 BAYLOR 45, NO. 6 OKLAHOMA STATE 35

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Backup quarterback Chris Johnson threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score, and No. 10 Baylor beat previously unbeaten No. 6 Oklahoma State 45-35 on Saturday night to climb back into the College Football Playoff picture.

Baylor (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) remained in the mix for the conference title, while Oklahoma State (10-1, 7-1) likely is out of playoff conversation.

Baylor quarterback Jarrett Stidham took several hard hits in the first half and did not play after the break. Original starter Seth Russell is out for the season after he fractured a bone in his neck.

The Bears still gained 700 yards. KD Cannon caught five passes for 210 yards to help the Bears bounce back from a 44-34 loss to Oklahoma last week.

Mason Rudolph passed for 430 yards and three touchdowns, and James Washington and Jalen McCleskey each caught two touchdown passes for the Cowboys.

Baylor, which entered the game leading the nation in yards per game and points per game, set the tone immediately. Corey Coleman caught a 48-yard pass on the first play from scrimmage, then Shock Linwood's 5-yard touchdown run put the Bears ahead 56 seconds into the game.

Less than a minute later, Oklahoma State got a scare when Brandon Sheperd was ruled to have fumbled and Baylor took it in for a touchdown. The call was reversed.

Baylor eventually scored anyway after Oklahoma State punted. Stidham threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Cannon to make it 14-0 with 11:56 left in the first quarter.

A 39-yard touchdown pass from Rudolph to Washington tied it 14.

Baylor went ahead on a 1-yard run by Devin Chafin, and a short field goal put the Bears up 24-14 at halftime. Baylor gained 439 yards and ran 61 plays in the first half, but had two critical fumbles that kept Oklahoma State in the game. It was the fifth time the Cowboys trailed at the half in their past eight games.

Stidham completed 12 of 22 passes for 258 yards and a touchdown in the first half. Johnson threw touchdown passes on his first two possessions of the second half to put the Bears in control.

In other games involving Big 12 teams, Skyler Howard threw for 133 yards and a touchdown, ran for 129 yards and another score to lead West Virginia in a 49-0 victory over Kansas. ... Jack Cantele kicked a 42-yard field goal with three seconds left to cap Kansas State’s 38-35 come-frombehind victory over Iowa State. Kansas State recovered three Iowa State fumbles in the final seven minutes and rallied from a 35-14 first-half deficit.

ATLANTIC COAST

UNC clinches Coastal title

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Marquise Williams hit Quinshad Davis with a 5-yard pass in overtime and No. 17 North Carolina spoiled Coach Frank Beamer’s final home game at Virginia Tech with a 30-27 victory on Saturday.

The Tar Heels (10-1, 7-0 ACC) clinched the Coastal Division title, and did so despite blowing a 14-point lead in the final three minutes of regulation.

Virginia Tech (5-6, 3-4) tied the game on Michael Brewer’s 4-yard pass to Isaiah Ford with 1:07 remaining, but the Hokies had to settle for a field goal to begin the overtime.

Williams then hit Ryan Switzer for 18 yards on the Tar Heels’ first play, and after two runs and a false start penalty put them at the 5, Williams hit Davis, who beat Terrell Edmunds in the right corner of the end zone.

In other games involving ACC teams, Jacoby Brissett passed for 235 yards and two touchdowns to help North Carolina State beat Syracuse 42-29. … Mark Walton ran for two touchdowns as Miami rolled past Georgia Tech 38-21. … Sean Maguire threw two touchdown passes as No. 14 Florida State beat Chattanooga 52-13. … No. 1 Clemson cruised to a 33-13 victory over Wake Forest. … Matt Johns passed for 344 yards and two touchdowns as Virginia beat Duke 42-34. … Nathan Peterman tossed four touchdowns as Pittsburgh beat Louisville 45-34. … DeShone Kizer threw for two touchdowns as No. 4 Notre Dame beat Boston College 19-16 at Fenway Park in Boston.

Sports on 11/22/2015

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