The lightning bolts that flew over Heywood Stadium and delayed Friday night’s season opener between Baylor and Howard by 75 minutes only served as a preview of the high-voltage offense the host Red Raiders unleashed once the game began.
Striking for 39 points in the game’s first 11 minutes, Baylor rolled to a 46-8 victory over the Hustlin’ Tigers.
Baylor junior quarterback Nick Tiano demonstrated great touch on his deep passes opening the season. Tiano threw a 34-yard touchdown to Isaac White on the fourth play. Senior tailback George Porter scored the first of his two long TD runs with a 53-yarder on the first play of Baylor’s second possession.
Less than two minutes later, Tiano, who completed three of his first four passes on the way to 123 yards for the night, hit Gage Upshaw for a 40-yard touchdown. Porter, who finished with 152 yards on seven carries, added a 32-yard scoring run.
“I was proud of the way the guys stayed focused through the rain delay,” Baylor coach Phil Massey said. “They came out and played well right away. The offense was good and the defense was solid.”