Oklahoma State @ Baylor preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 14, 2017 ) Baylor 16, Oklahoma State 59

Oklahoma State quarterback Tayler Cornelius answered his critics loud and clear last weekend when he accounted for five touchdowns as the Cowboys upset then-No.7 Texas 38-35. The former walk-on, who took criticism in the Cowboys’ previous two games - losses to Iowa State and Kansas State - will try and lead his team to bowl eligibility for a 13th consecutive season when they visit Baylor on Saturday.

Fans were calling for Cornelius to be replaced under center despite four touchdowns against Iowa State and particularly after a 17-of-35 performance and two interceptions in a 31-12 loss at Kansas State two weeks ago, but the senior threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more to lead an upset of the Longhorns. “He needs to enjoy this a lot,” Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich told the Stillwater News Press. “Moments like these don’t happen a lot in life, and he’s a guy that’s worked his tail off and it’s moments like these that you’re really happy for the young man.” In Baylor’s latest contest on Oct. 25, the Bears surrendered 31 points to West Virginia in the second quarter and 435 yards in the first half of a 58-14 loss just 12 days after taking Texas down to the wire in a 23-17 defeat. "I don't think any of us really saw it coming," Baylor coach Matt Rhule said of the West Virginia outcome. "It's frustrating, but it happened … We have to come back and regroup and fix it, and (we) can't accept it. I know this is frustrating for everybody involved. We just have to move forward and put it behind us and learn from it."

TV: Noon ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: Oklahoma State -7.5.

ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE (5-3, 2-3 Big 12): Cornelius completed 23-of-34 passes for 321 yards against the Longhorns, and his 10-yard scoring run on third down gave Oklahoma State a 38-28 lead after its 31-14 halftime bulge had been whittled to three. Two of Cornelius’ TD tosses came on 4th-and-1, and he connected with sophomore Tylan Wallace ten times for 222 yards and two touchdowns during the contest. Justice Hill added 92 yards rushing on 23 carries and freshman Chuba Hubbard added a career-high 80 yards on nine rushing attempts as the Cowboys outgained the Longhorns 502-402.

ABOUT BAYLOR (4-4, 2-3): The offense generated only 287 yards of offense and starting quarterback Charlie Brewer went 1-for-8 for 22 yards and three interceptions before he was replaced in the second quarter (concussion). Grad transfer Jalen McClendon, who began his career at North Carolina State, completed 16-of-21 passes for 183 yards and a rushing touchdown after replacing Brewer. "I have all of the confidence in the world in Jalan. He was invited to play in the NFL Players Association All-Star game just off of people watching him play in practice. He is smart, tough and competitive. His teammates respond to him and he has a big-time arm,” Rhule told reporters.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Oklahoma State beat Baylor 59-16 last year and has won 17 of the last 22 meetings.

2. Since 2000, the only other QB other than Cornelius to have three-plus passing TDs and two-plus rushing TDs against an opponent ranked AP top-6 or higher was Clemson's Tajh Boyd on August 31, 2013, against No. 5 Georgia.

3. Wallace’s 222 receiving yards was the eighth-best single-game total by a Cowboy in school history and the second-highest total by an OSU underclassman behind only Dez Bryant's 236 as a sophomore against Houston in 2008.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma State 38, Baylor 24