TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — DJ Lagway threw for 306 yards and four touchdowns to lead Baylor to a 55-19 rout of Arizona State on Saturday night.
Lagway also ran for an 11-yard score for the Bears, who have won four in a row. Baylor outgained Arizona State 564 total yards to 409.
“We had some pretty strong energy," Baylor coach Dave Aranda said. "We have to keep that.”
After going three-and-out on its first drive, Baylor (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) scored touchdowns on each of its next three possessions to take a 21-3 lead.
“We were figuring out how they were going to play us," Lagway said. "They had a bye week so they were going to come with some new wrinkles. I feel like we adjusted great, we came out and made some plays."
The first and perhaps biggest play was Ryelan Morris’ 63-yard run off left tackle gave the Bears the lead for good less than 6 minutes into the game.
Arizona State (2-2, 1-1) found the end zone on the first play after the 2-minute timeout on a 30-yard pass from Cutter Boley to a wide-open Omarian Miller that made it 21-13.
But the Bears answered with a 36-yard field goal just before halftime, then went 77 yards in nine plays to begin the second half, capped by Lagway’s 3-yard pass to Hawkins Polley. After Baylor’s Ryan Davis intercepted a pass, Lagway found Jadon Porter for a TD.
“We talk a lot about how the score is a distraction," Aranda said of the Bears' second-half domination. "Before this game we’ve been not so great with that. We’ve looked at the score. I think we’ve learned from those times because this group was very much into the game.“
Carson Smith kicked the third pf his four field goals for the Sun Devils, but Caden Knighten countered with a 75-yard touchdown run on Baylor’s next scrimmage play and it was 45-16.
Boley was 25 of 43 for 304 yards and an interception and Reed Harris caught seven passes for 125 yards for the Sun Devils.
“It was an atrocious game and we can either point the finger at who was wrong, or we can all take extreme ownership and try to fix it,” Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said. “I think it was more the fundamentals. We didn't do very well, and that starts and ends with me.”
