WACO, Texas – This Halloween, West Virginia is repeating a commonly uttered refrain.
If everybody else is doing it, why can’t we?
The Mountaineers (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) didn’t play last Saturday, but they certainly had an eye on events in the suddenly upside-down Big 12. Underdogs won all four games, leaving Baylor (7-0, 4-0) the lone unbeaten in the league.
Despite being heavy underdogs – the point spread has swelled to 19 points in favor of Baylor – the Mountaineers are drawing inspiration from what happened this weekend.
“Coach Brown says you either get better or get worse throughout the season. Saturday, you saw that some of them got better,” said safety Sean Mahone. “We have a chance to get better. We’re at the halfway point of the season. It can happen. Every team that was ranked got beat. We have a chance to do something.”
It goes without saying that it will take West Virginia’s best showing of the season on both sides of the ball to spring the monumental upset.
Baylor has the nation’s best ratio of explosive plays gained on offense to fewest explosive plays allowed on defense. Beating the Bears will require ball control, which is a task easier said than done for a WVU run offense ranked 126th nationally in yards per carry.
“You always look forward to playing a good defense,” said senior left tackle Colton McKivitz. “It’s going to test you and show what you’re capable of as an offensive lineman and an offense. Coach Brown has been harping all week about the offense playing well and that’s our job to prove.”
McKivitz thinks the Mountaineers are up to the challenge.
“The Big 12 Conference is kind of a wild card every week. You never know what you may get out of a team. Anybody can beat anybody,” McKivitz said. “Yeah, we may be 3-4. But it doesn’t matter. Depending on what week it is, you can win.”
West Virginia couldn’t ask for a better stage to spring an upset. With the World Series over, the ESPN-televised game is one of the few major sporting events on national television Thursday night. If the Mountaineers are playing close to the Bears late in the game, all eyes will be on them.
“It’s exactly what we need,” said WVU coach Neal Brown. “We just need to get it done.”
THREE KEYS
Turnovers
Matt Rhule is 1-7 at Baylor when the Bears commit three or more turnovers. For West Virginia to have a chance, it will almost certainly have to force some takeaways.
Pass protection
The Mountaineers need to keep Austin Kendall clean. Baylor leads the Big 12 and ranks 16th nationally with 25 sacks. West Virginia has only allowed 11 sacks, and with their passing game so reliant on quick hitters, this task seems doable.
Keep Baylor’s offense on the sideline
In the Big 12, the Bears trail only Oklahoma in offensive plays of at least 20 yards. The best solution, of course, is keeping Charlie Brewer and his speedy cadre of wide receivers from making those plays. The Mountaineers will need to replicate their performance at Kansas, which featured nearly 38 minutes of possession.
PREDICTION: Baylor 34, West Virginia 21