NFL Tickets
TV Schedule: Saturday, October 17, 12:00 p.m. ET on FOX
Location: McLane Stadium, Waco, Texas
Line: Baylor (-21)
The West Virginia Mountaineers will travel to Waco, Texas to face the No. 2-ranked Baylor Bears on Saturday. The Mountaineers are coming off of back-to-back losses at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys while the Bears come in undefeated at 5-0 and are fresh off of a 66-7 thrashing of Kansas on the road. The Bears will be looking to avenge its only loss in 2014, as the team lost to the Mountaineers 41-27 in Morgantown, which essentially cost the Bears an appearance in the College Football Playoffs.
If the Mountaineers are going to pull the upset, they will need a better performance from Skyler Howard, who has turned the ball over eight times in the past two games. After tossing one interception in his first six career games, Howard suddenly can’t hold onto the football and it has cost his team dearly. If he struggles early on against Baylor, it wouldn’t surprise me to see head coach Dana Holgorsen go to backup William Crest for a spark.
While the defense has been put in some tough spots because of the turnovers, the unit hasn’t performed up to expectations, either. Through the first three games of the season, the Mountaineers were No.1 in the nation in points allowed per game at 7.67. In the last two games, the defense has allowed 77 points, or 36.5 points per game. With 10 starters returning from 2014, West Virginia was expected to have one of the best units in the nation, but that certainly hasn’t been the case.
It’s the same old story with Baylor. With the best offense in the country, can the defense make enough plays if the offense struggles? Through the team’s first six games, the Bears’ offense is averaging 64.2 points, 725 yards and 357.6 rushing yards per game. While those numbers are certainly impressive, Baylor’s toughest opponent to this point has been Texas Tech who has a 3-2 record.
Baylor shouldn’t have any problems with the struggling Mountaineers. West Virginia has lost its best defensive player for the season in Karl Joseph and that should allow Seth Russell to have a field throwing the ball. The Mountaineers also struggle away from home which also gives the Bears another advantage. In fact, the 21-point spread might be too small, as I expect Baylor to get revenge on West Virginia on Saturday afternoon.
Prediction: Baylor 59, West Virginia 24
Jason Fletcher is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonFletcher25, “Like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+.
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