Baylor creeps past West Virginia on Halloween, 17-14

WACO, Texas - The Bears creeped past the Mountaineers in a grueling Halloween game at McLane Stadium, 17-14.

Shot out of the gate: The Baylor defense was sensational from the start of this game. In the first quarter, West Virginia had 4 drives that all led to punts. Three of the four 1st quarter drives were three-and-outs. The Mountaineers were 0-5 on third down in the 1st quarter and only managed to get 25 yards in 16 plays.

Struggled: The Baylor offense had one of their worst games of the season. From the get-go, every position group struggled. The wide receivers had two fumbles combined. Brewer struggled to get the ball out of his hands with pressure. The offensive line had a tough time picking up blitzes and creating holes for the running game. Penalties also plagued drives that had promise. They had 453 yards, but just could not capitalize when they needed to and failed to have very many of the explosive plays that they have had in past weeks. As a unit, it was a disappointing performance. 

Decisive Moment: After RJ Sneed muffed a punt, Bravvion Roy and Tyquan Thornton came to save the day. Roy blocked a 48-yard field goal that would have tied the game. Thornton on the ensuing drive caught a 43-yard pass that allowed the Bears to milk the clock and push the Mountaineers deep in their own territory with no timeouts remaining on the final drive.

MVP: The same unit that shot out of the gate gets the nod for MVP. The Baylor defense won this game for the Bears. The Bears forced 3 turnovers, only gave up 219 yards, and West Virginia only converted on 3 of their 17 third down attempts. A large chunk of their 219 yards came off of an 83-yard bomb for a touchdown. They also only were able to pick up 14 yards on the ground. 

Key stat: The Bears were sacked 8 times. Without a doubt, this played a huge role in how close this game was. Brewer had hardly any time to throw and often found himself spinning out of tackles before he could find a receiver. Brewer also failed to get the ball out quickly on several plays. 

Game Notes:

• The Bears are one of nine undefeated FBS teams and one of seven among Power 5 programs.
• Through seven games, the Bears had already reached their 2018 win total with five games remaining.
• Heading into the game, Baylor’s 9-game win streak dating back to 2018 was the 3rd longest in program history and 5thcurrently in the FBS.
• Only Baylor, Clemson, Alabama, and Ohio State have had three 7-0 starts this decade.
• The Bears have forced a punt on each first drive of their 8 games this season.
• Baylor’s AP ranking of #12 is their highest since they were #8 on October 16, 2016.

Game Summary

First Quarter

0:06 BAY: TD – WR RJ Sneed 13-yard reception: Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 4:13 – Baylor 7 – West Virginia 0

Second Quarter

9:44 BAY: Turnover – WR RJ Sneed fumbles, DB Noah Guzman recovers

0:47 WVU: Turnover – DB Jameson Houston intercepts QB Austin Kendall

Third Quarter

14:53 BAY: Turnover – WR Denzel Mims fumbles, DB Keith Washington Jr. recovers

10:15 WVU: Turnover – Snap fumble, LB Blake Lynch recovers

6:42 WVU: TD – WR George Campbell 83-yard reception: Drive: 1 play, 83 yards, 0:11 – Baylor 7 – West Virginia 7

4:34 BAY: TD – WR Denzel Mims 21-yard reception: Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:08 – Baylor 14 – West Virginia 7

4:22 WVU: TD – WR Winston Wright Jr. 95-yard kickoff return – Baylor 14 – West Virginia 14

Fourth Quarter

10:19 BAY: FG – K John Mayers makes 36-yard field goal: Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 6:06 – Baylor 17 – West Virginia 14

3:33 WVU: Blocked FG – DL Bravvion Roy blocks K Casey Legg’s 48-yard field goal