By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
The Bears travel to a place – Milan Puskar Stadium – where they have never won. Since joining the Big 12 in 2012, Baylor has made five trips to Morgantown, WV.
But Baylor also catches a team in West Virginia that is struggling. The Mountaineers are coming off a brutal 38-20 loss a Texas in which they were never in that game.
Now, a look at the Mountaineers including a Q&A with Keenan Cummings of our West Virginia Rivals affiliate, WVSportsDotCom.
Opponent:
Head Coach: Neal Brown (19-21, 4th season at West Virginia, 54-37 8th season overall)
2022 Record: 2-3; lost to Pittsburgh, 38-31, lost to Kansas, 55-42 (OT), d. Towson, 65-7, d. Virginia Tech, 33-10, lost to Texas, 38-20
Record vs. Baylor: West Virginia leads 6-4
Returning Starters: 7 offense, 4 defense
Key Returners: WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton, OL Zach Frazier, DL Dante Stills, DB Charles Woods
Common Denominator: Five of the 10 meetings have been decided by one score.
Offensive Formation: One-back
Defensive Formation: 4-2-5
About West Virginia on Offense: Georgia QB transfer JT Daniels has been exactly what this offense has needed. He’s thrown for 1,209 yards along with eight TD tosses and completed 64 percent of his attempts. Daniels has developed a nice chemistry with Ford-Wheaton with 35 connections for 412 yards and four scores. Sam James (305 yards, 2 TD) has been steady throughout his career and been a steady No. 2. The running game looks a little different with leading rusher CJ Donaldson (389 yards) out with a concussion. But both Tony Mathis Jr. (296) and Justin Johnson (197) have been steady.
About West Virginia on Defense: On paper, the Mountaineers have been solid overall allowing just 100 rushing yards and 230 passing yards per game. They also have 11 sacks led by all-Big 12 defensive lineman Dante Stills 2.5. But what this unit doesn’t do well is create turnovers and get off the field. The Mountaineers have created just three and opponents are converting at 43 percent on that important down. Linebacker Lee Kpogba leads the team with 31 tackles.
About West Virginia on Special Teams: PK Casey Legg has been perfect this year…literally. He's made all 19 PATs and is 8-8 on field goals. But he hasn’t attempted anything from beyond 40 yards. Oliver Straw is the punter and just been OK at 39.9 yards per effort. Reese Smith is the primary punt returner. Jeremiah Aaron is the primary kick returner. The Mountaineers don’t have a return for a touchdown but surrendered a KOR TD against Towson.
Bottom Line: The Mountaineers aren’t flashy. That might their problem. They aren’t an explosive team. While they had some hard luck in the first two games against Pitt and Kansas, they were not competitive against Texas. How they come out and play this one against Baylor could determine where they want this season to.
Q&A with Keenan Cummings
1. Obviously, it's a pretty tough start for the Mountaineers and the speculation over Neal Brown's status is there. To what extent has that been a distraction or not one for this team?
KC: It’s not a distraction yet. There is no doubt that did the first time under Brown’s tenure there are certainly some noticeable grumbles from the fan base. The Mountaineers are 2-3 and could easily be 4-1 but many of the same issues that have plagued this team over the past four years have cropped up. This is a golden opportunity at home for West Virginia and while it wouldn’t erase the start it surely would help matters.
2. Has JT Daniels been as advertised at QB for the Mountaineers or how would you describe his season to this point?
KC: Daniels has played well. He has certainly been an upgrade over what the program has had the past few years when it comes to simply throwing the football and understanding how to get the offense in the right position. He has not stretched the field as much as some would like but he has been accurate and not turned the ball over for the most part. He has a lot of ability and the offensive line has kept him up right.
3. Losing RB CJ Donaldson really hurts the running game I would imagine. What's the plan for the running game in this one against the Bears?
KC: West Virginia has used three running backs all season so it should basically become a two man committee with Donaldson out of the fold. Tony Mathis and Justin Johnson will see plenty of work and while both have some impressive performances neither are the physical load that Donaldson can be. It will be a ding to the run game, but how much is going to depend on what the offense is able to do against that Baylor defensive front.
4. Looks like Dante Stills is having another great season. But it doesn't look like this team doesn't force any turnovers. What has the defensive play been like to this point?
KC: Exactly how you describe it. They have had moments but the team just hasn’t shown the ability to force turnovers or make big plays. They are very strong up front but the back end has been a major question mark for a lot of different reasons. There’s a lot of new faces there and they’ve struggle with simple things such as alignment and assignment. The Mountaineers have tried a lot of different bodies back there and the play must improve.
5. Anyone on this team that has come out of nowhere to be a major contributor?
KC: Donaldson would be the pick but he will obviously miss the game. He is a true freshman that was recruited as a tight end and is the leading rusher for the Mountaineers.
6. What do the Mountaineers have to do to pick up this win on Thursday and is this a make-or-break for Brown?
KC: West Virginia has to be able to run the football and stop the run. When they’ve done that this season they’ve generally had success, but they can’t allow Baylor to big play them either. The Mountaineers gave up 11 big passing plays against Texas and several of those had no defender even close to the play. I’m not going to say this is a back breaker if Brown can’t win this game due to a $20 million buyout but the groans are only going to continue to get louder.
Publisher
The Bears travel to a place – Milan Puskar Stadium – where they have never won. Since joining the Big 12 in 2012, Baylor has made five trips to Morgantown, WV.
But Baylor also catches a team in West Virginia that is struggling. The Mountaineers are coming off a brutal 38-20 loss a Texas in which they were never in that game.
Now, a look at the Mountaineers including a Q&A with Keenan Cummings of our West Virginia Rivals affiliate, WVSportsDotCom.
Opponent:
Head Coach: Neal Brown (19-21, 4th season at West Virginia, 54-37 8th season overall)
2022 Record: 2-3; lost to Pittsburgh, 38-31, lost to Kansas, 55-42 (OT), d. Towson, 65-7, d. Virginia Tech, 33-10, lost to Texas, 38-20
Record vs. Baylor: West Virginia leads 6-4
Returning Starters: 7 offense, 4 defense
Key Returners: WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton, OL Zach Frazier, DL Dante Stills, DB Charles Woods
Common Denominator: Five of the 10 meetings have been decided by one score.
Offensive Formation: One-back
Defensive Formation: 4-2-5
About West Virginia on Offense: Georgia QB transfer JT Daniels has been exactly what this offense has needed. He’s thrown for 1,209 yards along with eight TD tosses and completed 64 percent of his attempts. Daniels has developed a nice chemistry with Ford-Wheaton with 35 connections for 412 yards and four scores. Sam James (305 yards, 2 TD) has been steady throughout his career and been a steady No. 2. The running game looks a little different with leading rusher CJ Donaldson (389 yards) out with a concussion. But both Tony Mathis Jr. (296) and Justin Johnson (197) have been steady.
About West Virginia on Defense: On paper, the Mountaineers have been solid overall allowing just 100 rushing yards and 230 passing yards per game. They also have 11 sacks led by all-Big 12 defensive lineman Dante Stills 2.5. But what this unit doesn’t do well is create turnovers and get off the field. The Mountaineers have created just three and opponents are converting at 43 percent on that important down. Linebacker Lee Kpogba leads the team with 31 tackles.
About West Virginia on Special Teams: PK Casey Legg has been perfect this year…literally. He's made all 19 PATs and is 8-8 on field goals. But he hasn’t attempted anything from beyond 40 yards. Oliver Straw is the punter and just been OK at 39.9 yards per effort. Reese Smith is the primary punt returner. Jeremiah Aaron is the primary kick returner. The Mountaineers don’t have a return for a touchdown but surrendered a KOR TD against Towson.
Bottom Line: The Mountaineers aren’t flashy. That might their problem. They aren’t an explosive team. While they had some hard luck in the first two games against Pitt and Kansas, they were not competitive against Texas. How they come out and play this one against Baylor could determine where they want this season to.
Q&A with Keenan Cummings
1. Obviously, it's a pretty tough start for the Mountaineers and the speculation over Neal Brown's status is there. To what extent has that been a distraction or not one for this team?
KC: It’s not a distraction yet. There is no doubt that did the first time under Brown’s tenure there are certainly some noticeable grumbles from the fan base. The Mountaineers are 2-3 and could easily be 4-1 but many of the same issues that have plagued this team over the past four years have cropped up. This is a golden opportunity at home for West Virginia and while it wouldn’t erase the start it surely would help matters.
2. Has JT Daniels been as advertised at QB for the Mountaineers or how would you describe his season to this point?
KC: Daniels has played well. He has certainly been an upgrade over what the program has had the past few years when it comes to simply throwing the football and understanding how to get the offense in the right position. He has not stretched the field as much as some would like but he has been accurate and not turned the ball over for the most part. He has a lot of ability and the offensive line has kept him up right.
3. Losing RB CJ Donaldson really hurts the running game I would imagine. What's the plan for the running game in this one against the Bears?
KC: West Virginia has used three running backs all season so it should basically become a two man committee with Donaldson out of the fold. Tony Mathis and Justin Johnson will see plenty of work and while both have some impressive performances neither are the physical load that Donaldson can be. It will be a ding to the run game, but how much is going to depend on what the offense is able to do against that Baylor defensive front.
4. Looks like Dante Stills is having another great season. But it doesn't look like this team doesn't force any turnovers. What has the defensive play been like to this point?
KC: Exactly how you describe it. They have had moments but the team just hasn’t shown the ability to force turnovers or make big plays. They are very strong up front but the back end has been a major question mark for a lot of different reasons. There’s a lot of new faces there and they’ve struggle with simple things such as alignment and assignment. The Mountaineers have tried a lot of different bodies back there and the play must improve.
5. Anyone on this team that has come out of nowhere to be a major contributor?
KC: Donaldson would be the pick but he will obviously miss the game. He is a true freshman that was recruited as a tight end and is the leading rusher for the Mountaineers.
6. What do the Mountaineers have to do to pick up this win on Thursday and is this a make-or-break for Brown?
KC: West Virginia has to be able to run the football and stop the run. When they’ve done that this season they’ve generally had success, but they can’t allow Baylor to big play them either. The Mountaineers gave up 11 big passing plays against Texas and several of those had no defender even close to the play. I’m not going to say this is a back breaker if Brown can’t win this game due to a $20 million buyout but the groans are only going to continue to get louder.
