College Football
Preview
Baylor at West Virginia
When: 4:00 PM ET, Saturday, November 16, 2024
Where: Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, West Virginia

The West Virginia Mountaineers finally play at home for the first time since Oct, 19 when they welcome the Baylor Bears to Morgantown, W.Va., on Saturday.

Baylor (5-4, 3-3 Big 12) is coming off a bye week after a last-second field goal sent the Bears to a 37-34 victory over TCU, giving Baylor a three-game winning streak.

After the win, quarterback Sawyer Robertson was seen wearing a walking boot on his left foot, but Baylor coach Dave Aranda confirmed this week that Robertson is ready to go against the Mountaineers (5-4, 4-2).

West Virginia coach Neal Brown said of the Bears, "What's taken them from playing pretty good to now where they're playing really well is the ability to run the ball."

In the win against the Horned Frogs, Baylor threw for 242 yards and ran for 257. Bryson Washington led the ground attack with 196 yards and four touchdowns on 26 carries, and he added two receptions for 22 yards.

For all the good they did on offense, the Bears struggled on defense, allowing 339 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air.

"We have to play the pass better, we have to play when the ball's in the air, we have to play that better," Aranda said. "I think when we're playing zones, we got to communicate and execute those zone responsibilities better."

It is unsure who will lead the passing attack for the Mountaineers on Saturday, with Brown shutting down any questions regarding which quarterback he will utilize. In West Virginia's latest home game, Garrett Greene sustained an upper-body injury that took him out the rest of the contest and the next two.

Greene was practicing in 11-on-11 drills this week for the first time since the injury, but in his place, Nicco Marchiol led the Mountaineers to back-to-back victories. Marchiol threw for two touchdowns and 198 yards in a 31-26 win against Arizona, then produced a touchdown through the air and another on the ground while passing for 156 yards in a 31-24 win over Cincinnati last week.

Brown said Greene is "available" for action on Saturday.

West Virginia's defense played a key role against the Bearcats, forcing three turnovers and returning two of them for touchdowns.

--Field Level Media

Stats and Records
Team Comparison
  W‑L Strk PF PA Home Away Grass Turf Conf
Baylor 5-4 W3 33.6 26.8 4-1 1-3 4-3 0-0 3-3
West Virginia 5-4 W2 29.0 27.9 2-3 3-1 1-1 0-0 4-2
Last Meeting
Baylor West Virginia
Date Away Home Tot Rus Pas Tot Rus Pas
11/25/23 WVU 34 BAY 31 334 119 215 519 250 269
Player Stats
Previous Matchup
Passing Player COMP % YDS TD INT
Baylor S. Robertson 89.5 215 1 0
West Virginia G. Greene 64.0 269 2 0
Rushing Player CAR YDS AVG TD
Baylor R. Reese 6 42 7.0 0
West Virginia J. White 17 133 7.8 0
Receiving Player REC YDS AVG TD
Baylor K. Jackson Jr. 3 88 29.3 1
West Virginia H. Clement 4 80 20.0 0
Touchdowns Player TD
Baylor R. Reese 2
West Virginia G. Greene 2
Season
Passing Player COMP % YDS TD INT
Baylor S. Robertson 59.5 1783 17 4
West Virginia G. Greene 55.9 1352 9 8
Rushing Player CAR YDS AVG TD
Baylor B. Washington 96 576 6.0 7
West Virginia J. White 100 572 5.7 5
Receiving Player REC YDS AVG TD
Baylor J. Cameron 29 424 14.6 7
West Virginia T. Ray 25 404 16.2 3
Touchdowns Player TD
Baylor J. Cameron 7
West Virginia C. Donaldson Jr. 7
Quickchart Matchup
Baylor Baylor Off vs  West Virginia West Virginia Def
Baylor 419.3 yards
West Virginia 388.4 yards
Baylor 5.1 yards/rush
West Virginia 3.6 yards/rush
Baylor 7.8 yards/attempt
West Virginia 9.1 yards/attempt
West Virginia West Virginia Off vs  Baylor Baylor Def
West Virginia 388.4 yards
Baylor 374 yards
West Virginia 4.8 yards/rush
Baylor 3.6 yards/rush
West Virginia 7.7 yards/attempt
Baylor 7.6 yards/attempt