Mountaineers travel to Waco for finale against struggling Baylor Bears

At this point in the season, WVU head football coach Neal Brown has defeated the Mountaineers’ biggest rival, qualified for a bowl game and surpassed his previous season-high win total at WVU.

For now, Brown is just thinking about securing his eighth win so that he can look forward to his ninth. He is still operating one week at a time with National Signing Day and inevitable roster turnover that looms right around the corner.

Win No. 8 can be achieved Saturday night in the regular-season finale at Baylor.

Shaped by the rushing attack

Only three schools are rushing for more yards per game than the Mountaineers (232.9), and only one of them (UCF) is in the Power-Five.

“If you asked me 10 years ago if we were going to be fourth in the country in rushing, I probably didn’t have the vision for that,” WVU head coach Neal Brown said. “But we’ve recruited well on the offensive line. Our quarterback is a game-changer, and we’ve got multiple running backs, and our tight ends have done a nice job.”

Brown – who coached some of the nation’s top passing offenses at Troy – noted that the WVU offensive coaches accepted the identity change at the end of last season when quarterback Garrett Greene’s dual-threat abilities opened their playbook.

“I think this is what is best for this team,” he said. “I think that – and history has proven this true here – the most effective way to win is with a dual-threat quarterback.”

Baylor scouting report

The Big 12 – at least of recent – is known for its air-raid offenses and spread formations. Baylor is one of the few schools that operates against the grain with its offensive identity.

“They’re unique in our league,” Brown said. “Probably them and Iowa State are the most similar, but [they run] a lot of 12-personnel. They even get into some 13-personnel with three tight ends. Their tight ends have a multitude of skills. They do a lot of shifts and motions, and so I think alignment will be the real key, critical point for us.”

Only one team (BYU) in the Big 12 is scoring fewer points per game than Baylor (22.4). The Bears are also recording the fourth-fewest total yards per game (381.8) in the conference. They have not won a game since their 32-29 win over Cincinnati on Oct. 21.

Baylor head coach Dave Aranda – who has spent stints as defensive coordinator at Wisconsin and LSU – is know for producing chaotic and unpredictable looks with his defensive alignments, especially on third down.

“They’re going to play you in a lot of different fronts,” Brown said. “A lot of simulated pressures, four [or] five-man pressures. [They] mix up their coverage looks, and it’ll be a challenge. They’re going to definitely try to confuse Garrett. [They] always have a very good third-down package.”

Opponents are scoring 33.3 points per game against Baylor, which is the most in the conference.

How you finish

As for what’s on the line Saturday, most of the pressure is on the WVU sideline. The Mountaineers can continue their journey up the rungs of the bowl-game ladder with a win, but Baylor has little to lose with a 3-8 record.

With a win, WVU would also reach eight wins for the first time since 2018.

“I’m not sure we need to be overlooking anybody,” Brown said. “I think, to me, it’s just about finishing. We’ve got a singular focus this week. [There’s] only a game, there’s not any school stuff to worry about, and they’ve really dominated us down there.”