Score Predictions for West Virginia at Baylor

The Mountaineer Maven staff makes their picks for this week's game.

The West Virginia Mountaineers are back on the road as they travel to Waco, TX, to take on the Baylor Bears Saturday at noon and televised on FS1.

Schuyler Callihan: Baylor 23, West Virginia 21

This is going to be a tough game for the Mountaineers. Baylor is a little better than I anticipated and the way things have played out not just the last two weeks but the entire season doesn't give me any confidence that West Virginia is able to get the job done on the road. WVU has now lost six straight road contests, five of which have come against Big 12 opponents. 

Both of these teams struggle to score the ball but have very stingy defenses. The only difference is Baylor creates turnovers, West Virginia doesn't. Baylor doesn't turn the ball over offensively, West Virginia does. It's hard to win football games when you lose the turnover battle, much less on the road. I've got the Bears squeaking out a tight, low-scoring affair.

Christopher Hall: West Virginia 20 Baylor 16

The key to this game is the Baylor running game versus the West Virginia offense.

Baylor averages 238.2 rushing yards per game, good enough for second in the Big 12 Conference. Meanwhile, West Virginia only allows 87.8 ypg on the ground. If West Virginia can force Baylor into passing situations, it bodes well for a Mountaineer defense that leads the conference in sacks (17) while Baylor gave up three sacks last week against Oklahoma State. 

The West Virginia offense has been its own worst enemy and was three yards away from being 1-4 on the season instead of 2-3. They've been a unit of inconsistency and have taken on an identity of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, a tale to two halves, of sorts. 

You would think this team would come out ready to prove the doubters wrong after a disappointing loss at home to Texas Tech last week. However, some could say the same thing heading into the game against the Red Raiders after taking the fourth-ranked Sooners to the wire, ready to prove they truly are Big 12 contenders. 

The most significant stat is the turnover margin. Baylor leads the Big 12 in that category at +5, while West Virgina sits dead last at -5.

However, on Thursday night during his weekly coach's show, Neal Brown said more players will see snaps at Baylor, primarily due to expecting temperatures hitting the mid-90s more. I think this alleviates some issues on offense and turnovers become less of a factor. 

I believe a few young Mountaineers are ready to make some big plays, and it might be the difference-maker. This will keep the starters fresh for the fourth quarter. Additionally, redshirt freshman backup quarterback Garrett Greene's role could expand this week after throwing over the middle in the RPO game last week - this has potential for big plays written all over it, or, maybe, enough to get the job done.

Nonetheless, I'm going against every instinct I have, and I'm taking West Virginia in this one. West Virginia finds a way to win 20-16.

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