Player's Club: 'We’re All Playing Together Really Well Right Now'

Even though head coach Dave Aranda's Bears are on a three-game winning streak, Baylor had to temporarily halt the momentum this past Saturday with its second bye week of the year, a unique touch to the 2024 college football season that traditionally is not the norm.

The players, however, saw an added idle weekend as a positive; it was a much-needed time to rest and gain a final boost of confidence before going into the home stretch.  

"Honestly, I liked it way more than last season," right tackle Campbell Barrington (Sr.) told the media on Tuesday. "It's a great time to get healthy. It worked out well, especially the way it played out for us. You do whatever you have to do to maintain your body for those last three games and see where it goes from there."

Now, the Bears must dust off the cobwebs, return to game mode and prepare for a road battle against the West Virginia Mountaineers (5-4, 4-2). Both teams have five wins going into Saturday's matchup and are looking to clinch a bowl berth. 

Jack Mackenzie - SicEm365

RT Campbell Barrington (Sr.) said that the offensive line is “playing together really well right now.”

"Nobody wants to miss a bowl game like last year, and it definitely is more motivation," defensive lineman Treven Ma'ae (RSr.) said.

To add fuel to the fire, Baylor has yet to win in Morgantown since West Virginia joined the Big 12 conference in 2012. The Bears hold a 0-6 record in Milan-Puskar Stadium and have lost the last two games against the Mountaineers on last-minute field goals.

"We're winning games, and we're all excited, so that's keeping our energy high," Barrington said. "We're trying to stay focused on what's in front of us and on getting that win up in West Virginia because we've never won there; we're all really locked in for that."

During Baylor's three-game winning streak, the Bears have exploded on offense and have rushed for over 250 yards in three consecutive games for the first time since 2016. The improvement starts up front with the offensive line, which has had the same starting five for four straight games.

"We're all playing together really well right now," Barrington said. "After that first bye week, we took a lot more time to hone in, focus, reevaluate and make the right corrections to be where we are right now."

The offense's success can also be attributed to the emergence of running back Bryson Washington (RFr.), who has totaled 390 yards on the ground and six touchdowns across the last three contests. 

Washington's physical rushing style and ability to run over opposing defenders gives his teammates both on the field and on the sideline "tons of energy."

"We might miss a block here and there, but we know B-Wash is going to help us out and run over that one more person to get a first down or touchdown," Barrington said.

Baylor's juice on offense in recent weeks has also allowed the defense to think less, play free and compete more confidently.

"It's electrifying watching the offense," Ma'ae added. "We're starting to play complementary football. Our goal for the defense is to back them up and get them the ball back more so they can do what they do."

While the defense has struggled to stop high-volume passing attacks during the winning streak, it has made timely stops when it matters most. Another area of improvement that was emphasized during the bye week was tackling.

The Bears struggled to tackle the Cowboys and Horned Frogs in open space, and Aranda attributed that to his team's struggles with pre-snap motions and different looks — something that the team extensively worked on during the bye week. 

Tacking by itself, however, comes down to mindset, according to Ma'ae.

"It's the mentality of 'Are you trying to make the other person feel you?' When you roll off them, take your time rolling off them; eat the clock up," he said. "It's angles, pad level, feet and all of it."

Cole Tompkins - SicEm365.com

The Bears have yet to win (0-6) in Morgantown since West Virginia joined the Big 12 in 2012.

The Bears' other challenge this weekend will be walking into a hostile environment, which, according to the players, is something they enjoy after beating the brakes off Texas Tech in Lubbock in mid-October, 59-35.

"I look forward to that kind of stuff," Ma'ae said. "I like to hear the fans, especially the other team's fans. You want to be on a big stage, and there's no better place to do that than this weekend."

"It's going to be a great environment," Barrington reiterated. "There's going to be people chewing us out and doing whatever. We like that type of stuff; we're ready."

Just as they did against the Red Raiders, the Bears are emphasizing a quick start on Saturday to hopefully take the crowd out of the game early.

"Once you punch them in the mouth and keep doing it, by half-time, the fans start to leave," Ma'ae said. "I believe that you have to break their spirit."

Baylor (5-4, 3-3) and West Virginia (5-4, 4-2) will kick off at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16 at Milan-Puskar Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN2.