DJ Lagway Leads Baylor Past Iowa State 42-31 in Big 12 Matchup

Overview of iowa state vs baylor

DJ Lagway delivered a stellar performance with three total touchdowns to lead the Baylor Bears past the Iowa State Cyclones 42-31 on Saturday. The contest marked Baylor's first home game since the firing of coach Dave Aranda.

Baylor improved to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big 12, securing their second consecutive victory under interim coach Joe Klanderman. Meanwhile, Iowa State dropped to 4-5 overall and 2-4 in conference play following their third loss in four games.

Baylor vs Iowa State Game Action

The visiting Cyclones initially grabbed control, building a 17-7 advantage in the second quarter. However, the momentum shifted dramatically when Lagway sparked a massive comeback with a 54-yard touchdown run. Just before halftime, offensive lineman Koltin Sieracki recovered a fumble in the end zone to push Baylor ahead for good, making it 21-17 at the break.

The Bears continued their surge in the third quarter as Lagway connected with Taz Williams Jr. on a 62-yard scoring pass, followed shortly by a 33-yard touchdown run from Ryelan Morris. This burst extended the lead to 35-17 midway through the period.

Iowa State attempted to close the gap in the final period when Jaylen Raynor threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Vince Benetti and later added a 3-yard rushing score late in the fourth quarter. Despite these efforts, the Cyclones could not overcome the deficit, hampered by seven penalties and missing several opportunities on third down.

Standout Statistics and Takeaways

Lagway finished the afternoon completing 16 of 28 passes for 229 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, alongside a career-high 13 carries resulting in 119 yards. On the opposing side, Iowa State quarterback Jaylen Raynor went 22 of 37 for 256 yards and two touchdowns. Cyclones teammate Aiden Flora contributed heavily on the ground with 26 carries for 182 yards, including a 40-yard rushing touchdown.

Looking Ahead

As the college football season progresses toward its final stretch, both programs turn their attention to next week's matchups. Iowa State will return home to face Cincinnati, while Baylor hits the road to challenge No. 7 BYU.

Sources: ESPN, Fox News, CBS Sports.