HOUSTON -- With 3:30 remaining on the clock at NRG Stadium, Baylor football faced a turning point in program history.

Baylor was tied 38-38 against SEC opponent Vanderbilt in the Texas Bowl, the first bowl game of the Matt Rhule era. But really, the pressure to finish far preceded this one game.

A year ago, Baylor football went 1-11 and lost all three games against nonconference opponents. It was the third-worst season by winning percentage in the history of the program, and worst since 1969. The seniors on that roster started their careers by winning a Big 12 championship, and ended by losing 17 of their last 19 games.

In the week leading up to the game, Baylor coach Matt Rhule made a request to his players.

“I asked them to think about where they were a year ago,” Rhule said. “They did this with hard work. Everyone is always looking for a substitute, but they did it with hard work.”

The Bears took the hard way out in this game. Baylor allowed a 65-yard touchdown pass on the third play of the game, and runs of 68 and 69 yards for touchdowns to trail 21-17 at the half. It took big plays from young players just to get back into the game.

Back to the moment. With the ball at their own 25-yard line, Baylor knew it would have to dig in and work hard for a win. Any score would likely win the game. Running back Trestan Ebner rushed for 11 yards and six yards to move down the field. Quarterback Charlie Brewer added a six-yard rush to the Baylor 48-yard line.

At that point, Brewer had thrown the ball to six different receivers, including the running back and tight end. But in the biggest moment, he didn’t look to All-Big 12 wide receiver Denzel Mims or any upperclassmen. Instead, he looked right and found former walk-on wide receiver Marques Jones on a comeback. Jones broke a tackle and took it 52 yards to the house. 

Minutes later, the celebration was on. Baylor had a 45-38 victory and its first bowl win since 2016.

When Rhule took over Baylor, he knew it would be a tough job. The school was still reeling from the Title IX scandal, the fan base was divided and the roster had issues. With his first recruiting class, which included Brewer and several other key players, Rhule had to recruit players that he had little to no relationship with.

The 2017 season was tough. Several key players left. The roster depth struggled after losing half a recruiting class in 2016. Results were difficult to come by.

“It’s been a slow process, but we want to be a program that has a foundation built on rock,” Rhule said. “I feel like our senior class last year, the senior class this year and many more like them, they are building this program on the right things.”

Even with all the improvement, it wasn’t an easy season. The Bears came into the year picked ninth in the Big 12 preseason poll. After losing to Duke in Week 3, a bowl game seemed akin to a pipe dream. But even when facing a do-or-die game against a Texas Tech squad fighting to keep its head coach, Baylor found a way. And now, even after sitting at 5-6 just a month ago, Baylor football has a winning season.

“To go from the top of the mountain to the lowest of the low, we never expected it to happen and we never expected for it to be a low point for such a long time,” senior offensive lineman Blake Blackmar said. “To be able to push through that and re-establish the culture, to reform everything in Rhule’s image, it’s been a trial-and-error process. I’m excited to see where it’s going. It’s great to feel like I’m leaving Baylor better than I found it.”

It doesn’t hurt to have a promising quarterback leading the way. Brewer threw for 384 yards, rushed for 109 and added three total touchdowns on the way to earning Texas Bowl MVP honors. He still has two years of eligibility remaining at Baylor.

“It feels a lot better to be in this position than the one we were last year,” Brewer said. “I think this is a lot better team with the way we bounced back.”

Eight years ago, Baylor had its only other appearance in the Texas Bowl, which ended in a crushing loss to Illinois. However, that game helped set up a Heisman Trophy and two Big 12 championships.

There’s no guarantee Baylor football will head in the same direction again. But still, it doesn’t hurt to know that Rhule went 2-10 and 6-6 in his first two seasons at Temple. A year later, the Owls went a cool 10-4. Rhule is a developmental coach, and his roster is finally coming together. There’s still plenty of work left to come in Waco.

“Hopefully our seniors leave feeling like they left a legacy, and hopefully our young players leave feeling that we can build on something,” Rhule said.