Baylor is coming off their bye week and will do so with a trip to Morgantown to face West Virginia.
Baylor is coming off a bye week, but before that, they had won three straight games dating back to Oct. 19. Head coach Dave Aranda spoke on Monday about what he is expecting against West Virginia as his team tries to extend their winning streak to four games as well as what he likes about the Mountaineers.
Respect for WVU
Aranda watched WVU's game against Cincinnati this past weekend as the Bears were off, saying a lot stands out from the Mountaineers.
"A lot of respect for Coach [Neal] Brown and their team. Was able to watch them play on Saturday and just impressed. Physical, great effort on the team, and you could tell they’re striving and fighting for something, and we got to get in the way of all that. And at their place, tough spot to play, and so excited for that opportunity," Aranda said.
Aranda is 1-3 against WVU in his career, with the Mountaineers edging out the Bears late last year, 34-31 in Waco.
"The last couple times with West Virginia have been really close, tight games. They’re in a lot of ways similar to us in they’re a gritty team, they’re a physical team, they’ve got players that love ball, that you can tell there’s a passion, the care factor is really strong. I think their coaches put them in a position to be successful. Whenever I watch them, I can really see they do a good amount of self-scouting, and they pay attention to all the details that are out there, so I have a lot of respect for them in that manner. It’s going to be us versus the state of West Virginia," Aranda said.
What to expect at QB
West Virginia's starting quarterback is currently unknown, as Nicco Marchiol made the last two starts, but Garrett Greene was available in an emergency situation against Cincinnati.
Aranda said there are some similarities between the quarterbacks, but how they run and maneuver the pocket is the biggest difference.
I think the guy that was just here recently, these last couple games (Marchiol), I think there’s more of a sit back in the pocket and throw it with him. I think you can just sense it off of watching film, they’re comfortable in that space with him, less quarterback run.
"The other quarterback, the guy that’s started (Greene), more quarterback run, less dropback pass, more move the pocket. I think with the guy that was in this last one, kind of sit back there, run, sit back there, throw it, with the guy that started, move him around a lot. So it will be interesting to see how that is moving forward."
Facing WVU's defense
A large reason for Baylor's success during their recent winning streak has been their ability to run the football.
Over their last three games, they have rushed for 255, 343, and 257 yards, respectively. Conversely, WVU's defense currently ranks fourth in the Big 12 in rush defense this season, allowing teams to rush for 125 yards per game on average.
"We’ll be tested versus a really good West Virginia front, by the way. I think that’s really going to be the tell of the game. They’re pretty stout, they’ve got good interior people, I think that’s their best people. I think defensively, they’re a talented team, but I think their front seven is really talented and be the best front seven we’ve played in the last couple weeks," Aranda said.
Kickoff Saturday is set for 4:00 p.m. from Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
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