West Virginia lost 49-35 to Baylor on Saturday, falling to 5-5 (4-3 in conference play).
The Mountaineers struck first but ultimately had trouble stopping and keeping up with Baylor, leading to the defeat. With two regular-season games left, there are few things that can be taken away from the loss.
Defense Continues to Struggle
After two defensive touchdowns last week, the Mountaineer defense had very clear struggles against Baylor, even after a new direction. They allowed over 500 total yards of offense. Baylor had seven passes of 15 or more yards and three rushes of 10+ yards. Three of Baylor’s five touchdowns in the first half were 40 or more yards. In the first half, the Bears were averaging more than 11 yards per play. The West Virginia front, which has been solid all year struggled to generate significant pressure and make plays in the backfield. They had just two tackles for loss and one sack.
Offense Fails to Capitalize
West Virginia’s offense nearly had 500 yards but ran 18 more plays than Baylor. They also had 29 first downs. On third down, however, they were five-for-13 and on fourth down two-for-five. They were also four-for-five in the red zone. An interception late also turned into a Baylor touchdown. Despite having nearly 100 more rush yards adjusted without sack yards, WVU averaged fewer yards per carry. Of West Virginia’s two passing touchdowns, one was 11 yards, and the other was six. The Mountaineers’ longest touchdown of the day was a 23-yard CJ Donaldson run.
Greene’s Play
Senior quarterback Garrett Greene returned to the field for the first time since Oct. 19. He was responsible for four of WVU’s five touchdowns: two passing and two rushing. He was far more productive with his legs, rushing for 129 yards. In the passing game he completed less than half of his passing attempts, with 19 completions on 39 attempts. When Greene is the starter, WVU is 3-5 this season.
What’s Next?
The Mountaineers have two regular games left this season: one at home against UCF and one on the road against Texas Tech. West Virginia is no longer in contention for a shot to play in the Big 12 title but needs just one more win to become bowl-eligible. WVU can end the season on a higher note, winning their last two games, or could fall to two beatable opponents. With a roller coaster-like season, it will be interesting to see how it ends.
