Countdown to Kickoff – WVU vs. Baylor
October 09, 2021 07:45 AM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A West Virginia football team seeking consistency will try and get some later today when the Mountaineers face Baylor in a noon Big 12 matchup at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas.
West Virginia (2-3) has either led or been tied heading into the fourth quarter of all five games this season, winning just two of them against Long Island and Virginia Tech.
"At times this year, we've played really good football in all three phases,' West Virginia coach Neal Brown said earlier this week, "but we've not put a whole game together this year."
In the opener at Maryland back on Sept. 4, West Virginia led 21-20 at the start of the fourth quarter, and following a Terrapin field goal, was poised to retake the lead before Jakorian Bennett intercepted Jarret Doege's pass the back of the end zone.
Twenty one days later, West Virginia never trailed Oklahoma and was poised to unknot a 13-13 tie with the football sitting at the OU 28 with less than five minutes to play.
But a snap infraction and then a bad snap that rolled 21 yards back to midfield put the Mountaineers out of scoring range, and the No. 4-ranked Sooners drove the length of the field to kick the winning field goal with no time on the clock.
Last week, it was almost a repeat with the Mountaineers staging a furious second-half comeback after being down 17-0 at halftime, only to see the game decided on a 32-yard field goal with just 18 seconds left.
"Our first half against Texas Tech was inexcusable, and I can't reason it," Brown said.
As was the case in West Virginia's other two losses, the Mountaineers were once again unable to capitalize on red zone scoring opportunities against the Red Raiders.
"It's frustrating," Brown noted. "Our fans are frustrated, but nobody is more frustrated than me."
Consequently, a mere 12 points separate WVU from being 5-0, or, looking at this from a different angle, one goal-line stand versus Virginia Tech away from being 1-4.
With the exception of Long Island, that's the narrow margin West Virginia is encountering in its football games this year and another tight, down-to-the wire affair is expected today against the 4-1 Bears, who knocked off Iowa State here two weeks ago and slugged it out with now-No. 12 Oklahoma State last weekend in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Can West Virginia finally come up with the winning formula in the fourth quarter today?
Can the Mountaineers unearth some more playmakers who can produce some big plays in key moments of the game?
Stay tuned to find out!
Here is today's Countdown to Kickoff:
10 – The Mountaineers have thrown for more than 250 yards TEN times during Neal Brown's tenure, including last weekend's 330-yard performance against Texas Tech.
9 – West Virginia's defense is averaging an impressive NINE tackles for loss in games this season, ranking No. 1 in the Big 12 and No. 2 nationally.
8 – Senior Leddie Brown (2,201) is now 408 yards shy of passing Quincy Wilson for EIGHTH place in career rushing at WVU with 2,608 career yards. Immediately ahead of Brown are No. 12 Undra Johnson (2,212), No. 11 Justin Crawford (2,237), No. 10 Wendell Smallwood (2,462) and No. 9 Robert Alexander (2,474).
7 – Over the last SEVEN years, West Virginia's defense ranks 17th nationally among FBS schools with 84 interceptions and 10th among Power 5 programs.
6 – West Virginia's defense has produced at least one player with 10 or more tackles in the last SIX games dating back to last season's Liberty Bowl win against Army.
5 – Mountaineer quarterbacks have completed at least 20 pass attempts in FOUR of their five games so far this season.
4 – Junior Winston Wright Jr. ranks FOURTH in the country in kickoff returns this year at 33.9 yards per return.
3 – All THREE of West Virginia's loss to Baylor have come in Waco. The Mountaineers' only win came in 2017.
2 – West Virginia's TWO third-quarter touchdowns scored last Saturday against Texas Tech were the first second-half touchdowns WVU put on the board against a Power 5 opponent this season.
1 – Junior defensive end Taijh Alston ranks FIRST in the Big 12 and ninth nationally, averaging 1.6 tackles for loss per game. He is also No. 1 in the conference with five sacks.
Today's game will be televised nationally on FS1 (Cory Provus and Mark Helfrich). Mountaineer Sports Network radio coverage begins at 8:30 a.m. on stations throughout West Virginia and online via WVUsports.com and the popular mobile app WVU Gameday.
Regular network coverage with Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Jed Drenning begins at 11 a.m.
"We've got to play better and do so for a full game, because in our league these games are going to come down to the fourth quarter, and we've been tied or ahead in the fourth quarter of our three losses and didn't get it done," Brown pointed out. "We've got to get those things fixed."
West Virginia owns a 6-3 overall record against Baylor, including last year's 27-21 double-overtime win in Morgantown. The Bears lead the series in Waco 3-1.
West Virginia (2-3) has either led or been tied heading into the fourth quarter of all five games this season, winning just two of them against Long Island and Virginia Tech.
"At times this year, we've played really good football in all three phases,' West Virginia coach Neal Brown said earlier this week, "but we've not put a whole game together this year."
In the opener at Maryland back on Sept. 4, West Virginia led 21-20 at the start of the fourth quarter, and following a Terrapin field goal, was poised to retake the lead before Jakorian Bennett intercepted Jarret Doege's pass the back of the end zone.
Twenty one days later, West Virginia never trailed Oklahoma and was poised to unknot a 13-13 tie with the football sitting at the OU 28 with less than five minutes to play.
But a snap infraction and then a bad snap that rolled 21 yards back to midfield put the Mountaineers out of scoring range, and the No. 4-ranked Sooners drove the length of the field to kick the winning field goal with no time on the clock.
Last week, it was almost a repeat with the Mountaineers staging a furious second-half comeback after being down 17-0 at halftime, only to see the game decided on a 32-yard field goal with just 18 seconds left.
"Our first half against Texas Tech was inexcusable, and I can't reason it," Brown said.
As was the case in West Virginia's other two losses, the Mountaineers were once again unable to capitalize on red zone scoring opportunities against the Red Raiders.
"It's frustrating," Brown noted. "Our fans are frustrated, but nobody is more frustrated than me."
Consequently, a mere 12 points separate WVU from being 5-0, or, looking at this from a different angle, one goal-line stand versus Virginia Tech away from being 1-4.
With the exception of Long Island, that's the narrow margin West Virginia is encountering in its football games this year and another tight, down-to-the wire affair is expected today against the 4-1 Bears, who knocked off Iowa State here two weeks ago and slugged it out with now-No. 12 Oklahoma State last weekend in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Can West Virginia finally come up with the winning formula in the fourth quarter today?
Can the Mountaineers unearth some more playmakers who can produce some big plays in key moments of the game?
Stay tuned to find out!
Here is today's Countdown to Kickoff:
10 – The Mountaineers have thrown for more than 250 yards TEN times during Neal Brown's tenure, including last weekend's 330-yard performance against Texas Tech.
9 – West Virginia's defense is averaging an impressive NINE tackles for loss in games this season, ranking No. 1 in the Big 12 and No. 2 nationally.
8 – Senior Leddie Brown (2,201) is now 408 yards shy of passing Quincy Wilson for EIGHTH place in career rushing at WVU with 2,608 career yards. Immediately ahead of Brown are No. 12 Undra Johnson (2,212), No. 11 Justin Crawford (2,237), No. 10 Wendell Smallwood (2,462) and No. 9 Robert Alexander (2,474).
7 – Over the last SEVEN years, West Virginia's defense ranks 17th nationally among FBS schools with 84 interceptions and 10th among Power 5 programs.
6 – West Virginia's defense has produced at least one player with 10 or more tackles in the last SIX games dating back to last season's Liberty Bowl win against Army.
5 – Mountaineer quarterbacks have completed at least 20 pass attempts in FOUR of their five games so far this season.
4 – Junior Winston Wright Jr. ranks FOURTH in the country in kickoff returns this year at 33.9 yards per return.
3 – All THREE of West Virginia's loss to Baylor have come in Waco. The Mountaineers' only win came in 2017.
2 – West Virginia's TWO third-quarter touchdowns scored last Saturday against Texas Tech were the first second-half touchdowns WVU put on the board against a Power 5 opponent this season.
1 – Junior defensive end Taijh Alston ranks FIRST in the Big 12 and ninth nationally, averaging 1.6 tackles for loss per game. He is also No. 1 in the conference with five sacks.
Today's game will be televised nationally on FS1 (Cory Provus and Mark Helfrich). Mountaineer Sports Network radio coverage begins at 8:30 a.m. on stations throughout West Virginia and online via WVUsports.com and the popular mobile app WVU Gameday.
Regular network coverage with Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Jed Drenning begins at 11 a.m.
"We've got to play better and do so for a full game, because in our league these games are going to come down to the fourth quarter, and we've been tied or ahead in the fourth quarter of our three losses and didn't get it done," Brown pointed out. "We've got to get those things fixed."
West Virginia owns a 6-3 overall record against Baylor, including last year's 27-21 double-overtime win in Morgantown. The Bears lead the series in Waco 3-1.
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