Sept. 3, 2005

Box Score

DALLAS (AP) - Tony Eckert started at quarterback for SMU and was 6-of-18 for 64 yards and a touchdown as the Mustangs made Baylor battle to earn a 28-23 win on Saturday night.

Backup Jerad Romo played most of the game at quarterback and was 3-of-8 for 42 yards, but ran 14 times for a team-best 82 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown. Richuel Massey gained 64 yards on eight carries, with a 19-yard TD run.

The Bears made things hard on themselves by failing to score on first-half drives that began at SMU's 13, 20 and 28. However, they snapped out of it to go 93 yards on their go-ahead drive midway through the fourth quarter, with Mosley going around the right side of the line for the final yard and a 21-14 lead.

Baylor appeared on the verge of giving it back by fumbling a punt at its 19, but the hapless Mustangs - who haven't beaten a nonconference foe since 2000 - managed only a field goal. The Bears answered with an 80-yard drive that Mosley capped with a 12-yard TD run, making it 28-17.

SMU scored again with 19 seconds left, but missed a 2-point conversion, a fitting ending to a game that also featured a blocked punt, a blocked field goal, a fumbled kickoff and two interceptions by Baylor quarterback Shawn Bell, who had thrown only one in his 17-game career and none in a school-record 159 passes coming in.

Baylor rallied by going to a ground game and wearing out SMU. The Bears ran 16 times in the first half, then 29 over the last two quarters. They finished with 215 rushing yards, with Brandon Whitaker gaining a team-high 110.

Bell was 23-of-40 for 198 yards with the two interceptions and no touchdowns.