By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Baylor (3-2, 1-1) at West Virginia (2-3, 0-2)
Site: Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, WV
Time/Day: 6:00 p.m., Thursday
TV/Radio: FS1/ESPN Central Texas
Betting Line: Baylor -3½
Series: West Virginia leads, 6-4
If used properly teams can come out of the other side of byes with a new sense of purpose, the discipline to correct the issues that plagued them and the hunger to chase a championship.
They also hope that the rust from the layoff isn’t glaring.
What’s good for Baylor is that the Bears don’t have to wait the full two weeks between games. It’s just 12 days. What’s a disadvantage is that the Bears lost a day of preparation as they traveled to Morgantown, WV to play West Virginia. The Mountaineers, who had the same bye, get that extra day.
However, those are the little things. Baylor just knows that it needs to play better. A 36-25 home loss to Oklahoma State left this team a little flat footed. The quest to repeat as Big 12 champions became harder. The Bears also make their sixth trip to West Virginia, a place where they have never won.
“I think there is a level of immaturity or just youth that we’re really working on growing,’’ Baylor head coach Dave Aranda said. “With the vets, there’s some complacency that we’re working on getting rid of and waking up from. So I think the week was good in those respects and getting everybody on the same page in terms of where we’re at and what it takes to go where we want to go. I think it was a good week for that.”
They face a team that isn’t sure what to make of itself. The Mountaineers haven’t been awful. But their never-in-it 38-20 loss at Texas before their bye has turned up the heat on embattled head coach Neal Brown. West Virginia also lost top running back C.J. Donaldson for this game with a concussion he suffered against the Longhorns.
Baylor nose tackle Apu Ika, who left the Oklahoma State game with an injury, is expected to start.
Here are some elements to look for…
>Will he play? That’s the question surrounding right tackle Khalil Keith who has yet to play this season because of a knee injury. He started practicing this week and Aranda was encouraged at this past Saturday’s presser that things were positive. An offensive line that has been up and down this year could use a boost. It would also help if left tackle Connor Galvin began to turn around his season in this one. The anchor of the offensive line needs to be the anchor.
>Creating turnovers is neither one of these defense’s strength. The Mountaineers have only forced three. Baylor has only forced five. Sometimes, in games like these, there can be a flurry of them. Perhaps the bye could contribute to something different rather than what has been going on through the first half of the season. Baylor is 0 in the turnover ratio. West Virginia is -2.
>No weather issues are expected. A front that was moving through the Midwest was expected to move through Morgantown in the morning hours and then gone by early afternoon. It should be clear skies with temperatures in the 50s and very little wind.
>Watch 3rd down. These are two of the best in the conference at converting that pivotal moment. For the season, West Virginia is second at 49 percent. Baylor is fourth at nearly 44 percent. Obviously, there’s pressure on both defenses to make enough stops and the critical ones. Baylor’s defense is good at just below 35 percent. West Virginia has a problem at 43 percent.
Notable
When Baylor fell to Oklahoma State, 36-25, on Oct. 3, it ended an 18-game streak where the Bears held opponents below 30 points.
Keys to the Game
Clean Pocket – If Keith returns, that’s a bonus. The thinking might be he will get limited snaps to work his way back into shape. With or without him, this is another test for the Baylor offensive line. Shapen has been sacked 10 times and hurried 12 other times. West Virginia has 11 sacks. He must have time to survey the field.
Hide the yardage – Obviously, the kickoff coverage issues and punt return decisions against Oklahoma State have been covered. Aranda talked about the hidden yardage in those plays. That’s how Baylor lost. They must cover better and make sure that return decisions are sound.
Run defense – These are two of the top rushing defenses in the conference. Baylor is second (96.8). West Virginia is third (100.6). The issue for the Mountaineers is that their best back it out. The issue for the Bears is that they haven’t averaged fours yards per carry against three P5 teams. Baylor has to be better to spring Richard Reese, Qualan Jones and Sqwirl Williams so they can help drives be balanced.
Four Fingers – It’s only two Big 12 games against Iowa State and Oklahoma State. But it is a hmmm fact. Baylor’s offense has pretty much been quiet in the final quarter. The Bears have scored just a touchdown. That was the flea flicker TD pass to Gavin Holmes with a little more than five minutes into that frame in Ames. In what should be a close game, Baylor is going to need more than just some first downs to win it.
Prediction
I don’t think Baylor’s 0-5 lifetime record in Morgantown means anything in this contest. But the team is aware of it, of course. They would like to be the one that finally wipes away the zero on the left side. To do that, Baylor’s defense has to negate a wounded West Virginia running game and put more pressure on QB J.T. Daniels.
And Aranda must play the field position game more on this one. Punts are not acts of weakness. A situation that presents fourth and short well inside Baylor’s side of the field in the second and third quarter are not go-for-it decisions.
Play clean with the penalties and don’t beat yourself and the Bears should finally fly back from Morgantown on a rowdy plane not a quiet one.
Baylor 27, West Virginia 22
Publisher
Baylor (3-2, 1-1) at West Virginia (2-3, 0-2)
Site: Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, WV
Time/Day: 6:00 p.m., Thursday
TV/Radio: FS1/ESPN Central Texas
Betting Line: Baylor -3½
Series: West Virginia leads, 6-4
If used properly teams can come out of the other side of byes with a new sense of purpose, the discipline to correct the issues that plagued them and the hunger to chase a championship.
They also hope that the rust from the layoff isn’t glaring.
What’s good for Baylor is that the Bears don’t have to wait the full two weeks between games. It’s just 12 days. What’s a disadvantage is that the Bears lost a day of preparation as they traveled to Morgantown, WV to play West Virginia. The Mountaineers, who had the same bye, get that extra day.
However, those are the little things. Baylor just knows that it needs to play better. A 36-25 home loss to Oklahoma State left this team a little flat footed. The quest to repeat as Big 12 champions became harder. The Bears also make their sixth trip to West Virginia, a place where they have never won.
“I think there is a level of immaturity or just youth that we’re really working on growing,’’ Baylor head coach Dave Aranda said. “With the vets, there’s some complacency that we’re working on getting rid of and waking up from. So I think the week was good in those respects and getting everybody on the same page in terms of where we’re at and what it takes to go where we want to go. I think it was a good week for that.”
They face a team that isn’t sure what to make of itself. The Mountaineers haven’t been awful. But their never-in-it 38-20 loss at Texas before their bye has turned up the heat on embattled head coach Neal Brown. West Virginia also lost top running back C.J. Donaldson for this game with a concussion he suffered against the Longhorns.
Baylor nose tackle Apu Ika, who left the Oklahoma State game with an injury, is expected to start.
Here are some elements to look for…
>Will he play? That’s the question surrounding right tackle Khalil Keith who has yet to play this season because of a knee injury. He started practicing this week and Aranda was encouraged at this past Saturday’s presser that things were positive. An offensive line that has been up and down this year could use a boost. It would also help if left tackle Connor Galvin began to turn around his season in this one. The anchor of the offensive line needs to be the anchor.
>Creating turnovers is neither one of these defense’s strength. The Mountaineers have only forced three. Baylor has only forced five. Sometimes, in games like these, there can be a flurry of them. Perhaps the bye could contribute to something different rather than what has been going on through the first half of the season. Baylor is 0 in the turnover ratio. West Virginia is -2.
>No weather issues are expected. A front that was moving through the Midwest was expected to move through Morgantown in the morning hours and then gone by early afternoon. It should be clear skies with temperatures in the 50s and very little wind.
>Watch 3rd down. These are two of the best in the conference at converting that pivotal moment. For the season, West Virginia is second at 49 percent. Baylor is fourth at nearly 44 percent. Obviously, there’s pressure on both defenses to make enough stops and the critical ones. Baylor’s defense is good at just below 35 percent. West Virginia has a problem at 43 percent.
Notable
When Baylor fell to Oklahoma State, 36-25, on Oct. 3, it ended an 18-game streak where the Bears held opponents below 30 points.
Keys to the Game
Clean Pocket – If Keith returns, that’s a bonus. The thinking might be he will get limited snaps to work his way back into shape. With or without him, this is another test for the Baylor offensive line. Shapen has been sacked 10 times and hurried 12 other times. West Virginia has 11 sacks. He must have time to survey the field.
Hide the yardage – Obviously, the kickoff coverage issues and punt return decisions against Oklahoma State have been covered. Aranda talked about the hidden yardage in those plays. That’s how Baylor lost. They must cover better and make sure that return decisions are sound.
Run defense – These are two of the top rushing defenses in the conference. Baylor is second (96.8). West Virginia is third (100.6). The issue for the Mountaineers is that their best back it out. The issue for the Bears is that they haven’t averaged fours yards per carry against three P5 teams. Baylor has to be better to spring Richard Reese, Qualan Jones and Sqwirl Williams so they can help drives be balanced.
Four Fingers – It’s only two Big 12 games against Iowa State and Oklahoma State. But it is a hmmm fact. Baylor’s offense has pretty much been quiet in the final quarter. The Bears have scored just a touchdown. That was the flea flicker TD pass to Gavin Holmes with a little more than five minutes into that frame in Ames. In what should be a close game, Baylor is going to need more than just some first downs to win it.
Prediction
I don’t think Baylor’s 0-5 lifetime record in Morgantown means anything in this contest. But the team is aware of it, of course. They would like to be the one that finally wipes away the zero on the left side. To do that, Baylor’s defense has to negate a wounded West Virginia running game and put more pressure on QB J.T. Daniels.
And Aranda must play the field position game more on this one. Punts are not acts of weakness. A situation that presents fourth and short well inside Baylor’s side of the field in the second and third quarter are not go-for-it decisions.
Play clean with the penalties and don’t beat yourself and the Bears should finally fly back from Morgantown on a rowdy plane not a quiet one.
Baylor 27, West Virginia 22
