PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Charlie Brewer ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 289.3 passing yards in four conference games. He passed for 240 yards with a TD and an interception in the loss to Texas. Brewer is in his second circuit around the Big 12 and his ability to master the conference’s defenses will play a big role in the Bears’ chance to get bowl eligible.
–WR Jalen Hurd has become Brewer and Baylor’s go-to target both as a receiver and a rusher. But opponents know that and will be more focused on him the rest of the way. Hurd caught five passes for 72 yards against Texas and also rushed six times for 13 yards. He’ll need to be more productive against West Virginia for the Bears to have a chance.
–LB Clay Johnston posted 10 solo and 13 total tackles in the loss at Texas. He also had a sack for 12 yards and another half a TFL. Those are good signs that Johnston is 100 percent healthy.
–LB Blake Lynch has been a Swiss Army football player in his time at Baylor, playing WR then switching to defense and playing safety and now linebacker. He’s taking to the LB spot as he had 10 total tackles, including a TFL against Texas.
SERIES HISTORY: West Virginia leads Baylor 4-2. The Bears and Mountaineers first met when West Virginia joined the Big 12 in 2012. Baylor split the first four meetings during the Art Briles era, but the Mountaineers have won two straight since.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “(I) grew up a Penn State person, so I remember the days of watching all those games. As a football fan, I loved watching the backyard brawl between Pitt and West Virginia. Then, I married my lovely wife Julie, whose parents are both Mountaineers. Jeff Nixon, our offensive coordinator, he went there and played for two years. A lot of respect for their program and a lot of respect for Dana Holgorsen and Coach Gibson on defense. They have really good football coaches.” — Baylor coach Matt Rhule on his East Coast connections to West Virginia.
