West Virginia looks to keep their Big 12 title game hopes alive as they host a streaking Baylor team this weekend.
Baylor is 5-4 on the season and they are 3-3 in Big 12 play, coming off a bye last week.
Head Coach
Dave Aranda has been the Bears' head coach since 2020. This is his fifth season in Waco, and he is 28-29 during his tenure at Baylor.
WVU leads the all-time series against Baylor, 8-4, and they are 6-0 against Baylor in games played in Morgantown. The last meeting came on Nov. 25, 2023, with West Virginia winning 34-31.
Offense
This Baylor offense is playing like one of the best in the country over their last three games.
Offensively, Baylor is led by quarterback Sawyer Robertson, who did not start the season but came on due to an injury to the starter. Robertson has passed for 1,783 yards, 17 touchdowns, and only four interceptions, completing 59.5 percent of his passes. He's also been used on the ground, rushing for over 257 yards and four scores on almost 50 rush attempts.
Elsewhere in the backfield are two running backs who have been productive. The first is Bryson Washington, who is top-10 in the Big 12 ranks among rushing yards per game. He has 96 carries for 576 yards and seven scores. He also has 15 catches for 143 yards. The other back is Dawson Pendergrass, who has 395 yards and three touchdowns on 64 rushes this season.
At wide receiver, there are lots of weapons for Robertson to throw to. Josh Cameron leads the bunch with 29 catches for 424 yards and seven touchdowns. Ashtyn Hawkins is right behind him with 27 catches, 382 yards, and three scores.
Overall, Baylor has six pass catchers with at least two touchdowns scored this season and seven with at least 140 yards receiving.
Offensively, Baylor ranks third in the Big 12 in scoring, averaging almost 34 points per game. They are then the middle of the pack in most other offensive categories. They are completing 40 percent of their third downs and 58 percent of their fourth downs. Baylor has gone for it on fourth down 26 times this season, which is second only to WVU with 27 attempts.
During BU's win streak, they have rushed the ball extremely well. In their last three wins, they have rushed for 255 yards, 313 yards, and 257 yards, respectively.
Defense
Defensively, the middle of the Baylor defense seems to be their strong suit on paper. Three linebackers lead the way for them, and they have been really good on third down this season.
Matt Jones leads the Bears in tackles with 82.0, and he's second in the Big 12 in that category. He also has 8.5 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, and a forced fumble. Another linebacker, Keaton Thomas, has 78.0 total tackles, 4.0 TFLs, a sack, and an interception. A third linebacker, Garmon Randolph, has 17.0 total tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks and an interception.
Two guys on the back end of the Baylor defense who have had good years include Devyn Bobby, who has 50.0 tackles and 2.5 TFLs. Corey Gordon Jr. has 26.0 total tackles, 1.5 TFLs, along with a pair of interceptions.
Baylor is 11th in the Big 12 in scoring defense, allowing just under 27 points per game. In their wins, Baylor has held their opponents to 20.6 points per game, compared to 34.5 points per game in their losses.
Baylor ranks 10th in the Big 12 in total defense and then ranges from 7th-13th in most defensive categories.
Baylor is second in the Big 12 in third-down conversion rate, as opponents are converting 33.8 percent of their third-down attempts. However, just because they haven't had success on third down doesn't mean they won't have success on fourth down, as opponents have converted 71.4 percent of their fourth downs against the Bears, which is the worst mark for any defense in the Big 12.
Special Teams
At punter, Baylor has Palmer Williams, who is averaging 51 yards per punt, and 11 of his 32 punts have been inside the 20.
At kicker, Isaiah Hankins is 10-for-13 on field goals, 7-for-7 on kicks from 20-39 yards, 2-for-5 on kicks from 40-49, and has made his only attempt from beyond 50, with his long being from 51.
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