“He’s a very talented guy, 18 years old, acts like he’s 25,” said senior offensive tackle Jason Smith of the Copperas Cove product. “He still amazes me every day.”
Griffin threw for 241 yards with touchdown passes of 31 and 55 yards and Jacoby Jones ran for two scores after taking late pitches from Griffin in Baylor’s 41-21 victory Saturday. It was only the second time the Bears won in their last 23 meetings against Texas A&M.
“He was able to pitch with one (defender) dragging on his leg,” Jones said. “We made eye contact right before he pitched it.”
When the Bears (4-7, 2-5 Big 12) played their season opener at home in late August, Griffin wasn’t the starter. But the 18-year-old freshman, the youngest starting quarterback for an FBS team, entered that game before halftime and has had a record-breaking season.
In the home finale, Griffin provided a signature victory for Baylor that ensured the turnover-plagued Aggies (4-7, 2-5) a losing season under first-year coach Mike Sherman.
“I think it gives us some credibility as a football program,” said Baylor’s Art Briles, also in his first year at the school.
The Aggies’ slim bowl hopes vanished after five turnovers. That included two interceptions by linebacker Joe Pawelek, the second coming in the end zone in the fourth quarter.
“I’m very disappointed. This is probably the greatest statement I can make right now,” Sherman said.
After Texas A&M got within 13-7 on the first of Jorvorskie Lane’s two 1-yard runs, Griffin threw a 31-yard TD pass to Kendall Wright, another true freshman, streaking along the sideline just before halftime.
Then on the third play of the second half, Griffin rolled right and threw a 55-yard strike to Thomas White, who instead of running his assigned route raced by a defender to a wide-open spot in the middle of the field.
“With Robert being able to run like he does, the play’s always still going on,” White said. “I was able to get by the guy and make eye contact with Rob. He was able to put it there.”
Griffin has accounted for a school-record 25 touchdowns (14 passing, 11 rushing) for Baylor, which now has a week off before ending its season at No. 2 Texas Tech. He was 13-of-23 passing and ran 12 times for 56 yards against Texas A&M.
“His legacy is just beginning,” Smith said.
Griffin wasn’t available for comment because Briles allowed only his senior players to be interviewed after their final home game.
Jones had a clear path to the end zone along the right sideline for a 12-yard TD that made it 13-0 after Griffin, while shedding a tackler, pitched the ball. Then on a fourth-and-1 late in the third quarter, Jones scored on an 18-yard run that made it 41-7 after Griffin got rid of the ball just before being slammed to the ground by a defender.
Jay Finley’s 13-yard TD run less than 2 minutes before that had capped a 99-yard drive for Baylor.
The Aggies’ Jerrod Johnson was 19-of-30 for 244 yards with four interceptions and a late touchdown that was his 20th this season, a school record. He had only four passes picked off in his first eight games before throwing two in A&M’s 66-28 loss to Oklahoma last week.
“It’s really frustrating,” Johnson said. “We studied them. They did everything we expected. We just didn’t execute.”
Lane’s second TD pushed his A&M career school records to 49 rushing TDs and 50 overall.
