MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) – Jarrett Stidham threw for 419 yards and three scores in his first start, Corey Coleman caught a pair of touchdown passes and No. 2 Baylor held on for a 31-24 victory over pesky Kansas State on Thursday night to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Stidham, taking over for the injured Seth Russell, also ran for a touchdown to help the Bears (5-0 Big 12, No. 6 CFP) improve to 8-0 for only the second time in school history.
The freshman quarterback’s favorite target was Coleman, who caught 11 passes for 216 yards while pushing his nation-leading total to 20 touchdown receptions.
Kansas State got to 31-24 on Joe Hubener’s touchdown pass to Deante Burton with 4:07 left, and Chris Callahan’s missed field goal with 51 seconds remaining gave the Wildcats a chance.
But on their first play, Hubener threw a lateral to wide receiver Cody Cook, who then threw down the sideline. The sometimes-quarterback’s pass was picked off by Terrell Burt, who managed to get his right foot down inbounds, and the interception stood after an official’s review.