With backup QB, Baylor’s offense hasn’t changed

But with no timeouts and after a wide receiver pass meant to go to emergency quarterback Lynx Hawthorne, Baylor eventually fell short of the touchdown needed to win the game.

Florida, an 18-point underdog, briefly grabbed a 7-2 lead on Antonio Callaway’s 85-yard punt return for a touchdown early in the second quarter.

Committing what he referred to as quarterback “no-nos”, Hawthorne was picked off twice on his first three passes and misfired on his first five attempts. Texas is the program that must catch the competition right now, but at least they can sell the idea they can compete on the same field and start to try winning back momentum in the state.

It’s going to take a lot of time to get over what happened over the last four weeks. Baylor’s answer: An emergency single-wing offense built around the running backs, even though starter Shock Linwood has been battling injuries. Swoopes had a tough time in the second half as the Bears were able to put pressure on Texas with a rally.

Had the Bears been fully healthy, the turnout of Baylor’s 2015 season could have been significantly different. His ball-hawk abilities allowed the Bears to force a turnover in their first 9 games.

Texas quarterback Tyrone Swoopes (18) eludes Baylor linebacker Taylor Young (1) on his way to score a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015, in Waco, Texas.

“Flashes” aren’t good enough.

The next game for both teams is against Grambling State. He helped transform Trevone Boykin’s career from a disaster to Heisman contention, and might be asked to do the same with meager prospects at quarterback in Austin.

When Rose missed a 53-yard field goal midway through the second quarter, Baylor got something going with runs by Jefferson, Hawthorne and Devin Chafin, moving down to the UT 18. Bryce Petty and Robert Griffin III have suffered injuries in previous seasons, but he’s never encountered anything like this year.

Losing three of their last four leaves the Bears out of the Sugar Bowl as they struggled after starting quarterback Seth Russell was lost for the season.

For Baylor, it’s not all on Johnson.

“We made the decision of what is best for me”. Knowing the outcome relied completely on them keeping us in the game, they did just that by limiting Texas to 3 points and a total of 117 offensive yards after the half.

The Bears were in line to be the Big 12’s representative in the Sugar Bowl against an SEC team, with the expectation that league champ Oklahoma (11-1) will get into the College Football Playoff.