WACO, Texas (Ticker) -- Oklahoma State has a habit of finishing the regular season on a winning note.
Vernand Morency rushed 32 times for 227 yards and one touchdown and Josh Fields tossed for 180 yards and two scores to lead the 24th-ranked Cowboys to a 38-21 victory over Baylor in their Big 12 Conference finale.
Filling in for injured Big 12 rushing leader Tatum Bell, Morency became the first Oklahoma State player since David Thompson in 1996 to record two straight 200-yard rushing efforts. He had 269 yards and three scores against Kansas last week.
Shawn Willis added a pair of 2-yard TD runs as Oklahoma State (9-3, 5-3 Big 12) matched the most regular-season wins in school history set by the 1932, 1984, 1987 and 1988 squads. Three of those teams finished with 10 victories after winning bowl games.
The Cowboys, who could be headed to the Cotton Bowl, won for the seventh time in their last nine regular-season finales.
"First time in 15 years (we won nine regular-season games)," coach Les Miles said. "We are all excited and ready to get healthy for it."
Shawn Bell completed 21-of-33 passes for 219 yards and one TD for Baylor (3-9, 1-7), which finished the season with a seven-game losing streak. The Bears have lost eight straight to the Cowboys since the inception of the Big 12.
"They are still learning," Guy Morriss said after completing his first season as coach at Baylor. "This is all part of a learning process. They are getting new stuff every week and they are handling it better. They are starting to buy into our philosophy and they need to continue to work in the off-season."
Baylor stayed with Oklahoma State until the fourth quarter.
Fields' 11-yard TD past to Billy Bajema capped a five-play, 82-yard drive early in the second quarter, putting the Cowboys up for good, 14-7. A 12-play, 92-yard drive resulted in a 16-yard pass from Fields to Rashaun Woods that made is 21-7.
Shawn Bell found Robert Quiroga with a 12-yard TD pass with 15 seconds remaining in the half to cut Baylor's deficit to 21-14. But Oklahoma State marched 72 yards on 11 plays to start the third before Luke Phillips kicked a 26-yard field goal for a 10-point cushion.
Jonathan Evans pulled the Bears within 24-21 with 2:58 left in the quarter on Jonathan Evans' one-yard plunge. But the Cowboys pulled away ranin the fourth on Willis' 2-yard scamper and a 35-yard TD run by Morency.
"We were able to get going in the fourth quarter and shut down their offense," Oklahoma State defensive end Greg Richmond said. "We are looking forward to getting everybody healthy and going to our bowl game."
