Takeaways a key component of Mountaineers’ victory against Baylor

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia’s defense again endured its fair share of struggles Thursday in what amounted to a 43-40 victory against Baylor.

The Mountaineers allowed nearly 8.2 yards per play and 590 total yards, 421 of which the Bears accumulated through passing.

Yet it wasn’t all bad for a defense that has now had great difficulty preventing the opposition from scoring in each of its three Big 12 games to this point.

Having entered the contest with three turnovers forced to rank ahead of only two of 131 FBS teams, the Mountaineers matched that total Thursday night, and it may have been the most imperative aspect in the outcome.

“We work takeaways every single day we’re in pads,” head coach Neal Brown said. “We work the heck out of pursuit. That’s the thing I was really disappointed in versus Texas more than anything. I can get over big plays, but we have to run to the football. When you run to the football and the ball’s on the ground, you get it and we did that. I’ve been selling that to the kids and it’s something that I believe with every ounce of my being.”

There were two fumble recoveries by Jasir Cox and an interception from Aubrey Burks that allowed the Mountaineers to equal their season total through five games in both categories.

The first fumble recovery by Cox was returned 65 yards for a tying touchdown in the first half, and it came at a point when West Virginia was in jeopardy of allowing Baylor to take complete control of the contest.

On the play, Blake Shapen was pressured by Sean Martin, who was credited with a force fumble that the North Dakota State transfer alertly scooped, before racing to the end zone untouched.

“The biggest play of the game was the fumble recovery that got returned,” Brown said.

During the fourth quarter, the Bears were again in position to seize control after stopping WVU running back Tony Mathis on a fourth-and-1 play that allowed them to take over just short of midfield with a 37-33 lead.

However, on the second play of that series, WVU safety Aubrey Burks caused BU tailback Qualan Jones to fumble, and Cox came up with a critical recovery in a scrum despite not being near Jones when he fumbled.

“We teach our guys to have goldfish mentality,” Cox said. “A play happens, and 10 seconds later, you let it go and focus on the next one. We knew Baylor was a tough team to play, but we were going to have our plays as well and as long as kept attacking them, we’d come out with a ‘W.’”

WVU then put together its final touchdown drive to take a 40-37 lead, before Burks intercepted an ill-advised pass thrown by Kyron Drones, who had replaced the injured Shapen and was pressured on the play by Jared Bartlett.

While West Virginia gave the ball immediately back to Baylor on a JT Daniels interception, the Mountaineers’ defense rose to the occasion on a sudden change sequence in which Baylor started just outside the red zone, but failed to pick up a first down and was forced to settle for John Mayers’ tying 44-yard field goal.

“Our guys showed a lot of grit,” Brown said. “Defensively, we gave up some yardage and plays but we also lost four guys during the game that were out for the game, and we had some guys come in and make plays. We forced turnovers, which is huge.”

While West Virginia held a 14-3 advantage in points off turnovers, that doesn’t factor in Dante Stills’ blocked point-after attempt that Jacolby Spells scooped and returned 87 yards, allowing WVU to trail 37-33 early in the fourth quarter in favor of a six or seven-point deficit.

“It was just our time. We keep working at it in practice trying to get turnovers, fumble recoveries or anything,” Cox said. “Tonight it happened, and it showed that we have to take the ball away. That’s something we emphasized this week.”





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