Tony's Take: Random Baylor Observations
October 16, 2014 10:24 AM | General
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| Don Nehlen told Tony Caridi earlier this week the Mountaineer defense is going to have to figure out a way to get some pressure on Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty on Saturday. | |
| WVU Athletic Communications photo |
I asked WVU's Hall of Fame coach Don Nehlen this week what was the best way to stop fourth-ranked Baylor's offense? His one-word answer was “pray.”
However, the man who orchestrated two undefeated seasons and a pair of victories over team's ranked No. 4 (Boston College and Miami) did have some thoughts.
Nehlen said not applying pressure on quarterback Bryce Petty is a guaranteed recipe for failure. However, the thought of an all-out blitz with corners playing straight man-to-man coverage is also the wrong way to go, according to the coach. Nehlen thinks a blitz package combined with a zone defense would be a solid starting point.
Nehlen knows the best plan for success is the use of multiple schemes that will keep Baylor's offensive personnel guessing. Texas coach Charlie Strong used a series of exotic defenses that forced Petty into a very un-Petty-like 7-of-22 performance against the Longhorns. Yet Baylor still won the game 28-7.
I also pitched a hypothesis to Donny N that WVU may be getting Baylor at just the right time. The Bears had to expend tremendous energy mentally and physically to rally from 21 points down to beat TCU last Saturday. Now they're being asked to travel and play a game that begins on their body clock at 11 a.m.
He thought I might be on to something with the operative word being 'might.'
Rather, the man who won more than 200 games said the biggest thing going for the Mountaineers is the unknown. “Teams change so much week to week you never know who's going to have the momentum,” he noted.
You might not think it would be a problem, but Nehlen says the hardest part of coaching a team is keeping it focused. There's a direct correlation between victories and the number of distractions facing teams. That's why we see results almost every Saturday that leave us shaking our heads.
You can make a strong case that the mystique of playing a top five team ended for the Mountaineers during the first half of their opener against Alabama. There was no intimidation when Oklahoma visited Morgantown, and now a month later they'll become the first WVU team to ever play three top-five opponents in the same season.
That note alone could be this team's legacy, but as Dana Holgorsen said this week, it's time to start beating schools ranked in the top five instead of just playing them.
The Mountaineers are ready to try again. They'll need tremendous execution, incredible fan support and some of that old fashioned Mountaineer magic.
And, while we're at it, some of that prayer Don Nehlen mentioned. It certainly wouldn't hurt.
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