Mountaineers Fight Back Against Baylor
Make no mistake about this: West Virginia’s game against Baylor represented an absolute must-win contest. They needed to knot their record at three wins and losses after their bye week. They needed to prove their resiliency. They needed to prove they bought it and support their Head Coach. A loss puts a lot into question: is Neal Brown still in Morgantown this weekend? Do the Mountaineers have any path to bowl eligibility? Things looked bleak early as Baylor jumped out to a 17-7 lead with ten minutes left in the second quarter. We saw the Mountaineers fight back against Baylor and the early adversity this season offered. In doing so, they send Baylor home with a 43-40 loss decided by a Casey Legg field goal with less than a minute left.
Secondary Remains Shaky
Before we get to the good, we need to start with the obvious. The secondary remains an issue. West Virginia gave up 421 yards through the air. Even backup Kyron Drones looked like a world-beater at times, through for 95 yards on seven completions. The yards tell only part of the story, however. Baylor averaged over ten yards per attempt. Had they thrown the ball 50 times and finished with over 400 yards, that looks a bit different than 420 yards on just 38 attempts.
Indeed, Baylor ran the ball almost as often, dialing up 35 rushes. Even with a strong start by the defense–giving up just three points on the Bears’ first two drives–the signs were there. The defense looked stingy, but the secondary looked shaky. The next several drives prove this true, as the Bears had chunk play after chunk play.
But Turnovers Always Help
Now, we look at the good. There is a proven remedy for porous defense: turnovers. With just under three minutes left in the first half, Sean Martin poked the ball out of Blake Shapen‘s hands, and Jasir Cox scooped it up for a score, knotting the game at 17.
Then, in the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Mountaineers blocked a Baylor extra point and true freshman Jacolby Spells picked it up and ran it all the way back, causing a three-point swing (the missed extra point plus the safety awarded for Spells’ effort).
The Mountaineers looked to seize momentum, but Baylor stopped West Virginia on fourth-and-short. Two plays later, the secondary teamed up for another big play. This time, Aubrey Burks forced a fumble that Cox scooped up, giving West Virginia the ball back. Then, after WVU took a 40-37 lead, Burks intercepted an errant pass under duress by Drones.
For as tough as the game was for the secondary in terms of points, coverage, and yards, we can also say that the secondary found ways to win the game. They accounted for nine points directly and forced turnovers in pivotal moments, one of which led to an offensive touchdown.
The Running Game Dominated
Down CJ Donaldson who just cleared concussion protocol yesterday but was not cleared to participate, fans wondered how the running game would adapt. As it turns out, things would go just fine. Tony Mathis had a breakout game, taking advantage of the extra reps. He carried the ball 22 times for 163 yards, averaging nearly seven-and-a-half yards per carry. Justin Johnson added 48 yards on 12 carries. Both running backs hit pay dirt with Mathis doing so twice.
In total, West Virginia pounded the strength of the Baylor defense. They were giving up just 96 yards per game, fewer than three yards per carry, and less than a touchdown per game. In total, the Mountaineers absolutely gashed the Bears, accumulating 217 ground yards, averaging just shy of six yards per carry, and pounding in three touchdowns.
Mathis looked downright impressive, and the offensive line deserves plenty of credit. Fans know we have given the line plenty of flack when they did not carry the load, so we cannot leave them as unsung heroes when they do. We also note that the line did not surrender a single sack (though the Bears were able to get pressure several times).
The Passing Game Made Its Share of Plays
JT Daniels finished the game completing 65% of his passes for 283 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He certainly threw some darts, even if he scattered in a few errant throws here and there. Aside from a couple of early drops, the receivers also stepped up in a major way. Daniels threw some tight balls into traffic (Baylor’s zone coverage limited open areas of the field well). Sam James, Bryce Ford-Wheaton, Kaden Prather, Reese Smith, and Preston Fox all made a few impressive leaping catches in traffic that helped them make their case. These guys are pretty good, after all.
Prather led the Mountaineer receivers with 109 yards and a touchdown on eight catches. James and Ford-Wheaton clustered at just over 50 yards a piece. In total, seven other receivers caught at least one pass in this game. Daniels certainly spread the ball around well, and the Mountaineers got more of their weapons involved than they have previously.
In the end, it may not have been a pretty game, but as we watched the Mountaineers fight back against Baylor, we could not help but think this team knew all that it was fighting for and responded well by refusing to give in and give up. It may mean little, but it might also represent a turning point for this team. Only time will tell.
