What a game! Baylor just emerged victorious over Oklahoma State with a 38-28 win. But this game also illuminated the athleticism of Bears’ RB Dawson Pendergrass. But how come he’s an unfamiliar face to many? After locking down quite impressive numbers in their homecoming game, a former NFL QB gave him the deserving shout-out. 

In his X post on October 27, former Pro Bowl QB Robert Griffin III uploaded a video of Dawson Pendergrass’ play leading up to his touchdown of the game. In the caption, he wrote, “Say hello to @BUFootball RB Dawson Pendergrass who closed the door on a Homecoming win for the Baylor Bears. 6 carries 142 Rushing yards 1 TD. That’s 23.7 yards per carry.”

As the snap was called, QB Sawyer Robertson handed the ball to Pendergrass, who broke through the opponents’ D-line despite tight coverage. But you see what happened back there. Baylor’s O-line came to the rescue with their O-lineman blocking and protecting Pendergrass. After finding his grip on the ground, he didn’t slow down his 55-yard career rush until he hit the end zone. 

An interesting follow-up later appeared regarding RGIII’s X update. Dawson Pendergrass himself shared the post where he added the caption, “Couldn’t have done it without my O-line.” Reviewing his previous plays, the sophomore didn’t have an exactly productive season topping with 9 receptions for 69 yards in the Week 2 loss against Utah. It was indeed a collective effort from both sides as they improved their record to 4-4 (2-3 in Big 12) and refused to give Oklahoma State a chance to win their first conference game. 

Baylor defeats Oklahoma State in Homecoming game

The 44,987-crowd McLane Stadium witnessed an intense game that had the teams tied at 17-17 by halftime. Baylor QB Sawyer Robertson recorded 222 passing yards and three touchdowns. In the fourth quarter, he secured another 41-yard TD run to lead the Homecoming game as Baylor racked up 565 total yards on offense.

Thanks to the huge contribution by Pendergrass, the Bears’ rushing game took center stage as they broke their 300-yard rushing yards record set four years earlier. They recorded 343 rushing yards to top their 307 yards against Kansas in 2021. Bryson Washington scored 78 yards on 17 carries while Robertson also had eight receptions for 73 yards. They’ll have another interesting clash at McLane Stadium against TCU on November 3. Can Pendergrass and the Bears keep up with the momentum and make a name for himself as an explosive Big 12 RB? We’ll have to wait and see what happens.