HOUSTON (AP) — Garrett Nussmeier threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns as LSU beat Baylor 44-31 in the Texas Bowl on Tuesday.
Nussmeier, who finished 24 of 34, tossed scoring passes of 10 yards and 1 yard to Trey’Dez Green and 41 yards to Chris Hilton Jr. in the first half as LSU (9-4) built a 34-17 halftime lead.
Hilton caught four passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. Aaron Anderson had eight receptions for 91 yards for the Tigers, who finished the season with a three-game winning streak. LSU has won three straight bowl games.
Sawyer Robertson was 30 of 51 for a career-high 445 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears (8-5), who had their six-game winning streak snapped. Dawson Pendergrass rushed for 63 yards and two touchdowns, and Josh Cameron caught eight passes for 111 yards and a TD.
Baylor closed to 34-24 on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Robertson to Ashtyn Hawkins with six minutes left in the third quarter, and after Garmon Randolph intercepted Nussmeier to give the Bears the ball on the LSU 26, Baylor had a chance to cut into the lead further.
However, on 4th-and-1 from the LSU 17, the snap went over Robertson’s head for a loss of 36 yards, and LSU capitalized on the mistake with Josh Williams scoring on a 4-yard touchdown run to start the fourth period.
Baylor: The offense, which entered averaging 434.5 yards per game this season, finished with 507. But the defense had trouble slowing down LSU, which finished with 418 yards.
LSU: The Tigers scored in all three phases. Davhon Keys returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown midway through the first quarter, and Zavion Thomas brought back a kickoff 95 yards for a score with 1 1/2 minutes left in the first half.
Baylor hosts Auburn on Aug. 30 to open next season. LSU visits Clemson that same day.
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