Baylor has looked nothing like the team that finished on a 6-game losing streak, leading Boise State 21-6 halfway through the Cactus Bowl.
Wide receiver K.D. Cannon has dominated Boise State’s secondary, catching eight passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns — a 30-yarder to open the scoring in the first quarter and a 68-yard connection to stretch the lead to 14-3 with 12:14 to play in the half.
Boise State has shot itself in the foot repeatedly in the first half, as Brett Rypien has tossed two interceptions inside the Baylor 5-yard line. The second pick came inside the end zone and led to an, ahem, controversial 99-yard drive for the Bears’ final score of the half.
Baylor was initially stopped at its own 21 but received new life when Drew Galitz drew a running into the kicker flag, a 5-yard penalty on a 4th-and-4, despite ESPN replays showing clearly no Boise State player actually touched Galitz. The flag stood, though, and JaMychal Hasty ended the 15-play march with a 5-yard scoring dash with 4:19 to play in the half.
Boise State added a second Tyler Rausa field goal with 11 seconds left in the second quarter. The Broncos will receive to open the second half.