Mountaineers Tame Bears

Matchup
1st Downs	17	22
3rd down efficiency	5-14	1-10
4th down efficiency	0-1	1-1
Total Yards	285	567
Passing	205	396
Comp-Att	17-29	21-31
Yards per pass	7.1	12.8
Interceptions thrown	3	0
Rushing	80	171
Rushing Attempts	36	33
Yards per rush	2.2	5.2
Penalties	8-75	6-64
Turnovers	4	0
Fumbles lost	1	0
Interceptions thrown	3	0
Possession	31:57	28:07

 

On a cold Thursday night in Morgantown, the no. 13 West Virginia Mountaineers (6-1, 4-1) steamrolled the Baylor Bears (4-4, 2-3) 58-14. A 31-point explosion in the second quarter broke the game open and the Mountaineers took a 41-0 lead into halftime. Will Grier threw for over 350 yards and Gary Jennings and David Sill both had over 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns.

West Virginia won the toss and elected to receive.

The Mountaineers took their opening drive right down the field for a touchdown on three plays. On the first two plays, Will Grier threw a quick screen to David Sills to the right, then hit Marcus Simms on a quick screen to the left before finding Gary Jennings streaking down the field for a 53-yard touchdown pass.

A fired-up West Virginia defense matched the offense and held Baylor to a three and out on their first offensive series. Kenny Robinson made a big hit and knocking the ball loose from Denzel Mims coming across the middle to force a third and long.

West Virginia was driving on their second possession of the game before the offense stalled at the WVU 27-yard line. Evan Staley missed the 44-yard field goal attempt wide right.

Defensive back Keith Washington got the ball right back for the Mountaineers. On Baylor’s third play, Charlie Brewers pass went through the hands of Denzel Mims and right to Washington.

The West Virginia offense once again sputtered inside Baylor territory, setting up a 40-yard field goal. This time the field goal was blocked, and it was the second straight trip the Mountaineers came up empty-handed.

The defense forced another Baylor turnover on the ensuing possession. Brewers pass floated over the middle and Toyous Avery jumped in front of it and returned it to the Bears 23-yard line. However, a holding call pushed the ball back to the 33.

West Virginia’s offense couldn’t find the end zone and again had to settle for a field goal. Staley put it through the uprights from 25 yards out, giving the Mountaineers a 10-0 lead.

After a Jovanni Stewart sack on third down, West Virginia started their drive from their own 29-yard line. A 42-yard pass and catch from Will Grier and David Sills got them down to the Bears 15-yard line. On third and ten, Will Grier was mauled by defensive tackle James Lynch for a 15-yard loss. Evan Staley would hit a 47-yard field goal and the Mountaineers went up 13-0.

On another third and long situation for the Bears, Charlie Brewer was sacked again. WVU linebacker David Long ran through Brewer forcing Baylor to punt.

The Mountaineers started the drive near midfield and with the great field position, West Virginia found the end zone on the sixth play of the drive. Grier threw it up to David Sills in the end zone for the 25-yard touchdown pass.

Baylor was held to a three and out and after WVU took over at their own 33-yard line, Will Grier hit David Sills streaking down the numbers at the Baylor 35-yard line and Sills ran it into the end zone putting the Mountaineers up 27-0.

On the following possession, middle linebacker Shea Campbell intercepted a pass near the line of scrimmage intended for running back JaMycal Hasty.

Running Back Martell Pettaway made quick work of the great field position with a 33-yard run up the middle for the Touchdown.

On the Mountaineers next possession, Tevin Bush ran 79 yards down the 1-yard line on a jet sweep, on the first play, setting up a quarterback sneak for six.

The Mountaineers went into halftime with a 41-0 lead behind a 31-point second quarter. Will Grier was 15-22 for 302 yards and three touchdowns. David Sills hauled in four passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns.

The West Virginia defense had a big first half. They had three interceptions and held the Bears to 87 yards of total offense.

Hakeem Bailey forced a fumble on the kickoff to start the second half and the Mountaineers took over at the Baylor 27-yard line. Three straight incompletions and West Virginia settled for a 44-yard field goal from Staley.

Baylor finally put a drive together and got on the board. The Bears ran nine plays for 56 yards capped off by a two-yard run from Josh Fleeks.

The Mountaineers answered with a scoring drive of their own. Will Grier had two big completions on the drive. The first to tight end Trevon Wesco for 20 yards and the other was a screen to Alec Sinkfield for 31 yards putting WVU deep into Baylor territory. Three straight rushed by Leddie Brown put six more points on the board and the Mountaineers led 51-7.

Baylor put together a long drive on their ensuing possession. Quarterback Jalen McClendon went 7-7 for 77 yards and finished the drive running it in from the one-yard line. The Bears attempted an onside kick and West Virginia’s Logan Thimons recovered it.

With the Mountaineers leading 51-7 nearing the end of the third quarter, back up quarterback Jack Allison came into the game. On Allison’s second pass attempt, he hit Gary Jennings in stride over the middle for a 36-yard touchdown pass and the Mountaineers took a 58-14 lead.

This was a much-needed game for the Mountaineers after struggling offensively the last two and a half games. The Mountaineers face a top 10 Texas Longhorn team next Saturday.