McCoy Throws 5 TD Passes in Texas' Win Over Baylor

Colt McCoy and the No. 5 Texas Longhorns got over the red-and-black blues.

McCoy passed for 300 yards and five touchdowns, Ryan Palmer returned an interception 22 yards for a tiebreaking score and the Longhorns beat Baylor 45-21 Saturday for a much-needed rebound victory a week after their last-second loss at Texas Tech.

Texas (9-1, 5-1 Big 12) scored on its first two drives before Baylor (3-7, 1-5) tied it by scoring twice in 4 minutes. The Longhorns went ahead to stay when Palmer picked off a deflected pass, pulling it off his shoulder pads, then spinning and running to the end zone.

The loss to the Red Raiders knocked Texas out of the No. 1 spots in the AP poll and the Bowl Championship Series standings (to fourth this week). The Longhorns also dropped out of first place in the Big 12 South.

While Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State all face each other this month, Texas has already played them all -- beating the Sooners and Cowboys. Texas began its closing stretch by beating Baylor for the 11th consecutive time, a relief after four straight games against top-11 teams.

McCoy likely refueled his Heisman Trophy bid by completing 26 of 37 passes for his fourth 300-yard game this season, and eighth of his career, without playing the final 12 minutes. The touchdowns went to four different receivers, though he did have two interceptions.

Quan Cosby, who only played the opening series at Texas Tech after hurting his back, returned with eight catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Jordan Shipley had six catches for 81 yards and a score.

Robert Griffin had a 1-yard keeper and threw a 55-yard TD pass to tie the game in the second quarter. But Baylor's freshman quarterback, whose interception on his final attempt last week in a 31-28 home loss to No. 13 Missouri ended his FBS record of 209 attempts without an interception to start a career, threw a high pass that deflected off Kendall Wright's hands.

Once Palmer was able to control the ball with his back to the end zone, he made a spun-and-run move for a 21-14 lead. Palmer also sacked Griffin for a 6-yard loss with 22 seconds left in the first half after Baylor went for it on fourth-and-11 from the Texas 34.

After Palmer's TD, Baylor went three-and-out and the Longhorns took a 28-14 lead on McCoy's 26-yard TD to Cosby, who caught the ball near the 10, split two defenders and stretched into the end zone.

Despite the energy provided by Griffin and first-year coach Art Briles, Baylor is guaranteed its 13th consecutive losing season. The Bears have lost 17 straight games against ranked teams over the past five seasons, by an average margin of four touchdowns.

Texas led 14-0 after McCoy threw TDs on the first two drives before an interception and two five-play scoring drives for the Bears, one covering only 6 yards and the other 96.

Undeterred and untouched while blitzing, safety Jake LaMar had a crushing hit on McCoy as he let go of the pass. Krys Buerck picked it off and returned it 46 yards to the 6.

A pass interference penalty put Baylor at the 2, and Griffin scored on a 1-yard run.

Pinned deep after a 53-yard punt, Wright had a 34-yard gain on a lateral and Griffin had a 17-yard keeper before throwing his 55-yarder to Wright streaking behind safety Ben Wells. That tied the game with 9 minutes left in the first half.

On the opening drive of the game, McCoy rolled out of the pocket and motioned to Cosby, who got behind two defenders for a 35-yard TD. Cosby then had three catches for 35 yards on the next drive before McCoy bootlegged right on second-and-goal from the 1 and hit wide-open tight end Greg Smith in the back of the end zone.

The Longhorns played without sack leader Brian Orakpo because of a sprained left knee sustained in the 39-33 loss at Texas Tech. An MRI this week showed no ligament damage, but he was still held out.