Our Daily Bears - Baylor Bears vs. WVU MountaineersThe Decade of the Bear Continues...https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52604/odb_fav.png2012-10-02T17:12:55-05:00http://www.ourdailybears.com/rss/stream/31692092012-10-02T17:12:55-05:002012-10-02T17:12:55-05:00Week 5 Grades vs. WVU
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<p>Baylor lost the shootout in Morgantown this past weekend, and as you might expect, the grade reports from ODB's football contributors explains why. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We're back again this week with our staple Grade Report from Saturday's contest with the WVU Mountaineers. Gird your loins now, because this report isn't for the faint of heart (or, probably the relatives of most of our defenders). Helping me this week, as always, are Brandon Lamar (@theBrandonLamar) and Prashanth Francis (@PrasFrancis).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Let's get right to it with the...</p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><i>Quarterback:</i></h3>
<p><b>MCM: A+.</b> Don't let the incompletions and the early interception fool you, Florence had a simply masterful game. Outshone by his opponent's eight touchdowns, Florence did everything asked of him in a situation that required him to. We weren't winning that game or getting close without <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75553/nick-florence">Nick Florence</a> quite simply playing his ass off. He did. He very nearly willed this team to victory by running our offense as a highly-tuned machine. The play at the end of the first half, if it occurred at the end of the game, would be as iconic as Robert's throw to the endzone against OU. I believe that. The school record for yardage is again his and he led the team to a finer road performance offensively than RGIII ever did. Than any Baylor QB ever has. He should get more credit than he is.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #76923c;"><b>Pras: A+</b>. I’m not sure how much more you can ask him to do. <span> </span>He put up a 196.4 QB rating, which <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/35519/robert-griffin-iii">Robert Griffin III</a> did in less than half of his games last year, and that includes an interception which was clearly not his fault. He diagnosed plays at the line well, ran the zone read well, and showed some great elusiveness at times against a WVU defense that brought the house on more than one occasion. On a day where Florence was without his best RB for part of the game, playing in an away stadium that was incredibly amped up, and knowing that the only way Baylor would win would be for him to lead them to 50+ points, Florence responded admirably. He will face better defenses this year, but if continues to play like that, Baylor is going to win more than they lose.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>BL: A+.</b> What can you say about Nick yesterday other than he was fantastic. He finished with 581 yards , 5 touchdowns and 1 interception (which could’ve been caught). He reclaimed the Baylor single-game passing record by crushing RG3’s 479 yard game last year against Oklahoma. We can’t possibly expect any more from the young man than what he gave us on Saturday.</p>
<h3><i>Runningback(s):</i></h3>
<p><b>MCM: Salubi B+, Martin B+, #FreeLache: INC. I</b> say incomplete on Lache because I WANT MOAR. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/35523/jarred-salubi">Jarred Salubi</a> started the game impressively, in my opinion, by hitting the holes hard and gashing WVU for moderate gains, exactly what we need him to do. We were victimized by his injury relatively early, but <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75552/glasco-martin">Glasco Martin</a> filled in capably in his straight dive skillset. All in all, we didn't ask them to run much and had only moderate success at it. Lache got in a few series while Salubi was out and looked decent, not great, but managed to stay behind his blockers and take what the play gave him. This wasn't going to be a game where we ran for 200 yards because we didn't need to with the way our receivers were playing and Nick Florence gun-slinging all over the field. I never caught myself thinking "We won't be able to win this game if we can't run the ball." That was how this game played out. Others will be different, so we need to continue improving. We'll talk about this more below.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #76923c;"><b>Pras: Salubi B+, Martin B, #FreeLache! : B+/ #1 In my heart. </b> I never realized how important Salubi was to the offense.<span> </span>His ability to stay in and block is pivotal for what the team wants to do in the passing game. Moreover, he was the most effective running back, clearly elevating his game from the previous weeks. I’m still not convinced that he will be the team’s best RB by the end of the year, and I’d like to see #FreeLache! get enough snaps to actually develop instead of just tease, but even I can see that Salubi needs to be the starting RB for the next few games at least.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">BL: B-. We need more out of this position, but it’s a combination of problems. Our backs only ran for a combined 125 net yards, for an average of 3.2 yards per carry, on a total of 38 carries. In a game like yesterday when you’re in a shootout, you keep throwing the ball. The really telling stat is that our longest run of the day was only 12 yards. We’ve got to be able to create big plays in the running game, because no one will be worried about giving up 3.2 ypc to us.<span style="color: #76923c;"></span></p>
<h3><i>Wide Receivers:</i></h3>
<p><b>MCM: Terrance Williams A+, Tevin Reese A-, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/35521/lanear-sampson">Lanear Sampson</a> A, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/112991/levi-norwood">Levi Norwood</a> A.</b> Reese gets downgraded because he didn't catch the first pass, something that is becoming an issue for him. If the ball isn't thrown perfectly to hit him in stride, he's not going to give all that much effort to go after it. If there was a grade above A+ for Terrance, I'd give it to him. He was amazing. Sampson shrugged off a performance against ULM characterized by the dropsies and Norwood is developing into a very strong possession receiver. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/112989/antwan-goodley">Antwan Goodley</a> caught a touchdown pass, too! Fantastic work by our entire corps.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #76923c;"> </span><span style="color: #76923c;"> <b>Pras : Williams A+, Reese A+, Sampson A, Norwood A.</b> I agree, Mr. Announcer Man, why wouldn’t you want to play WR for Art Briles?<span> </span>These guys, especially Williams and Reese, have a great feel for camping out in the holes in zone coverage and are YAC beasts.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>BL: A+.</b> Again, what else can you say about these guys? Terrance Williams is now the Big 12 single-game receiving leader with 314 yards on 17 receptions and 2 touchdowns. Sampson and Reese also went over 100 yards receiving yesterday, and that trio each had at least 1 reception of 50 yards or more. Norwood and Stonum did what they needed with their limited opportunities, and Antwan Goodley made a fantastic touchdown catch late in the game.</p>
<h3><i>Offensive Line:</i></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>MCM: Pass blocking -- B+. Run blocking -- B. </b>Kept Florence clean for the most part except for obvious long third downs where they brought the house and we didn't pick it up. WVU was extremely aggressive the entire game and our OL did a great job keeping a good pocket for Nick to be able to deliver his passes. My hope is that our young tackles continue to improve in the running game-- I think we're seeing people pinch down a lot more than they did last season because Florence doesn't scare them like RGIII did-- and we can start to see more holes bust open inside. I don't think people realize how difficult it is on our offensive line to run at the pace we set offensively. They don't get enough credit for that. Because I've been out of town this week, I haven't had time to go back and watch them closely enough to give individual grades.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #76923c;">Pras : B</span></b><span style="color: #76923c;">. I’ll talk about this more later, but our OL is still not where we had hoped it would be in the offseason. We use a lot of TE sets to give us an extra blocker and gave up noticeably more pressure when Salubi was out, suggesting that the 7<sup>th</sup> blocker is important, too. LT Drango has done better in pass blocking that <span> </span>RT Baker, but they still need development time before we can leave them on islands and run the 4/5 WR sets.<span> </span>While they do have LG Richardson and C Wade get out to the second level in run blocking at times, both of them are better in close quarters.<span> </span>RG Kaufhold is the main OL they pull and is much better at blocking in space, though it’d be nice if he were a hair quicker.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>BL: B+.</b> I can’t criticize these guys too much. I only remember one false start penalty, and given our inexperience and that environment, I think that’s acceptable. We did give up 3 sacks, and we’ve got to improve on that as our next 2 games are against substantially better defenses. Our run blocking was good, as we didn’t have many runs for losses; we just aren’t getting big plays once the RBs get to the second level.<span style="color: #76923c;"></span></p>
<h3><i>Defensive Line:</i></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>MCM: D.</b> I've made my thoughts known. I don't really want to talk about it again. They've been put in a horrible position by losses and are doing everything they can, it's just not working. At least <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/160541/javonte-magee">Javonte Magee</a> got more playing time this game to learn and adapt to the speed of play at the BCS level.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #76923c;">Pras : D-</span></b><span style="color: #76923c;">. The main thing that is keeping me from giving them a failing grade is that I truly think that part of their problem is that they are not being put into a position to succeed by Phil Bennett. It’s clear at this point that our defensive line is our primary weakness (assuming Hicks can replace Holl in 2 weeks). By so frequently rushing only 3, Bennett is assuring the opposing QB as much time as he needs to throw and/or scramble.<span> </span>Even when Bennett did call for blitzes, he would sometimes counterbalance this by dropping a DE into coverage which did absolutely no good at all.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #76923c;">Regardless, even accounting for not being put into an optimal position to succeed, Baylor’s DL was awful Saturday.<span> </span>When WVU wanted to run the ball, they were generally able to, with "successes" being holding them to 3 yards.<span> </span>I’m not sure how much talent is on the WVU OL, but they simply manhandled the Baylor DL far too often.<span> </span>There was one play where Hager had to fight off two different OL to make a tackle on a RB.<span> </span>Even in a one gap, 3-3-5 system, this is bad.<span> </span>In the past, I’ve felt that Bennett was calling plays to try to hide his safeties, but I think it’s time to start addressing this problem and take your chances at safety.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>BL: Defense: Q.</b> Everything about the defense sucked. If I watched this game 10 times, I don’t know if I could find anything positive to say. I know Mark and I were both in minor melt-down mode during the game yesterday, and honestly, I don’t feel any better about it today.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Editor's Note: BL wasn't kidding. That was the only defensive grade he gave me. </i></p>
<h3><i>Linebackers:</i></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>MCM: Hager B, Lackey B-. </b> It's hard to grade anyone on defense because of the overall quality, or lack thereof, of the unit, but it's particularly hard on the linebackers. These guys are just swamped with OL on the second level constantly. It's a wonder they continue to lead the team in tackles. That said, they have room to improve on telegraphing their blitzes (as in, stop doing it) and they need to be better getting off blockers, particularly when rushing the QB. Lackey seems to take really strange routes to the QB whenever he gets the chance to rush, as if he is trying too hard to run around people. That's ok when you have superstar speed. He doesn't. This was the best unit on the defense again.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #76923c;">Pras : Hager B+, Lackey B-</span></b><span style="color: #76923c;">. I have been treating the surprising play of our two new starting LBers as if they were equal and it’s time to stop this.<span> </span>After charting the game against UL-Monroe and getting halfway through the WVU game, it’s clear to me who the superior player is.<span> </span>While both Lackey and Hager have done well adapting to stating roles, Hager has been better at the myriad duties of a 4-2-5 LB and a 3-3-5 LB.<span> </span>Lackey has had the opportunity to play the weak side and blitz more frequently, but he either doesn’t get home to the QB or misses the RB too frequently to be an elite player.<span> </span>I suspect that Hager’s size and athleticism have him in his current role, which involves a lot more fighting off interior OL to make a play than is fair.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #76923c;">Even accounting for the fact that Lackey has been in position to make plays but too often doesn’t, the LBs are the best unit on this defense.<span> </span>Better play is always nice, but they should not be the focus of our ire.</span></p>
<h3><i><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/112990/ahmad-dixon">Ahmad Dixon</a></i></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>MCM: INC/B.</b> I gave him two grades because he missed time with concussion-like symptoms from about 9:00 left in Q3 to the end of the game. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/112987/prince-kent">Prince Kent</a> filled in admirably, leading me to hope he gets more time going forward, but he's no Dixon. When he played, he played well and was our best and most consistent tackler. We just don't put him in the position to succeed relative to expectations because he's constantly having to cover. Constantly. At some point we'll realize that he could be a force coming off the edge, if only a few plays per game. He's got the mentality, athleticism, and strength to do it. But I really think he needs to go back to safety to replace <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/112994/sam-holl">Sam Holl</a>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #76923c;">Pras : B+</span></b><span style="color: #76923c;">. It’s hard to grade Ahmad Dixon because he’s asked to do so many things and generally ends up covering the mistakes of others. He’s clearly our best defender and plays above averge in man coverage and run support. He also played as a "OLB" in 3-4 coverage, but that was employed against a 4 WR set that saw Holl and Dixon with coverge near the LOS and run responsibilities. I would like to see him used on blitzes more frequently as I think he has the athletic ability to close that Lackey does not. I’d also be ok with Mark’s suggestion of trying him out at safety and moving Kent into the starting lineup.</span></p>
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<h3><i>Defensive Backs:</i></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>MCM: &$%*$#. </b>Just read what Pras said. I'm tired of harping on our safeties every week. We put them in awful positions with no pass rush, failed blitzes, corners lined up 12 yards off the ball, everything. We expected it to be bad because Geno Smith is really good and his receivers are great ... but not that bad. I'm exhausted just thinking about it again. To their credit, there were two different passes, one on Joe Williams and another on <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/133945/k-j-morton">K.J. Morton</a>, where the defender was in the right place with good coverage, the pass just beat them. That happens. Of course, those plays were offset by touchdown passes where nobody was within five yards of a receiver at any time during the play.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #76923c;">Pras : CB: C, S: D-</span></b><span style="color: #76923c;">. It’s impossible to grade our secondary without recognizing that they were going to be giving up a lot of points on Saturday. Bailey and Austin are amongst the best in the Big12, we were at WVU, and the proficiency of Baylor’s offense meant that the Geno Smith-lead Scoring Machine would need to score a lot of points. That means that they were going to have to defend against a lot of attempts, most of which occurred with Geno Smith having a clean enough pocket to have a nice picnic.<span> </span>In light of all of that, I’m not going to lambaste them. Losing Goodson obviously hurt, although he wasn’t exactly Revis Island out there before he left.<span> </span>Joe Williams actually had decent coverage on the Bailey fade TD, but he couldn’t get his hands up in time and Geno through a great pass. But let’s not get too carried away with our magnanimity. Even grading on a curve, they gave up a ton of receptions, yards, and TD’s.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #76923c;">Casey and Wilson pull up Holl’s grade. Not that Casey was great, but he wasn’t as bad as Holl.<span> </span>I will never understand why Holl was used as if he had the capabilities and flexibility of Dixon on Saturday. In the 3-4, Holl didn’t stick with his coverage responsibilities long enough and was ineffective in run defense. When playing safety, he didn’t pick up WR handed off to him from the CB’s and was generally found out of position whilst a Mountaineer scored another TD.<span> </span>I don’t have the final stats yet, but WVU clearly attacked the middle of the field and Holl.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #76923c;">If these guys were professionals, my review of Holl would be more scathing. Holl is a student athlete, though, and a Baylor student on top of that, so I’m going to refrain and simply ask for Bennett to stop putting him in a position to fail.</span></p>
<h3><i>Special Teams:</i></h3>
<p><b>MCM: B+.</b> Outside of missed kicks, special teams have been a pleasant surprise this season. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/133958/spencer-roth">Spencer Roth</a> had a great day pinning the Mountaineers deep and Baylor managed to keep <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84134/tavon-austin">Tavon Austin</a> mostly in check in the return game. At least for us, anyway. You have to remember we kicked off at least 9 times. I don't really believe the missed kicks cost us much, if anything, because we weren't going to stop them on defense and needed to be scoring touchdowns. I am, however, really tired of seeing missed field goals. Supremely tired. I wish Briles had shown faith in his special teams (see what I did there?) by letting them kick it onsides at the end of the game.</p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color: #76923c;"> </span></i></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #76923c;"><b>Pras : B-.</b> Kickoff coverage wasn’t as good as it has been in the past weeks, but they were also facing perhaps their toughest opponents of the year in the Austin-Bailey combo.<span> </span>Our punter continues to be seen infrequently, but has been good when surfacing.<span> </span>Those missed FG’s by Stork really hurt...it’s impossible to avoid thinking about how the game would have changed if he had made those.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>BL: C.</b> Spencer Roth punted well. Aaron Jones missed both of his field goals, we gave up 2 big kick returns, which clearly our defense can’t handle. We can’t afford these kind of mistakes.</p>
<h3><i>Closing Thoughts:</i></h3>
<p><b>MCM:</b> It's no secret by now that this team will go as far as our offense takes us. Luckily, our offense is extremely good. We haven't suffered much, if any, of the dropoff many expected after losing so much last season. That doesn't mean there aren't areas to improve, however, and one of the big ones is consistency in the running game. It's just not there at this point, and that's probably a combination of a step down in running backs from Ganaway to our current crop, the loss of RGIII's running threat, and inexperience on the offensive line. Shifting people around has been a bigger problem than I anticipated.</p>
<p>Defensively, our problems are simple to identify and extremely hard to fix. I honestly believe at this point that we've seen all there is to see of Sam Holl as a starting safety on a Big XII team. Until we fix our center field, we're going to continue to get burned. Hard. But we don't exactly give him the strongest platform on which to stand when we get zero pass rush. Like I said yesterday, Geno Smith dropped back to pass and we hit him one time. Once. That has got to change. I think the first step is abandoning any pretense that we can get to the QB rushing 3 guys. We obviously cannot.</p>
https://www.ourdailybears.com/baylor-bears-vs-wvu-mountaineers/2012/10/2/3445540/week-5-grades-vs-wvuMark C. Moore2012-10-01T15:49:54-05:002012-10-01T15:49:54-05:00Briles finally loses at Hyper-Efficiency Chicken
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<figcaption>Rob Christy-US PRESSWIRE - Presswire</figcaption>
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<p>On the inevitable fall of Baylor's 9 game win streak and the epic game of Hyper-Efficiency Chicken between Art Briles and Dana Holgorsen.</p> <p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">The 2011 Baylor football team combined offensive mastermind Art Briles with a level of offensive talent he had never had and a Heisman winning quarterback who briefly broke the record for most efficient season by a college quarterback ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>College football itself has seen it’s best players become even more efficient than their predecessors because of new schemes, new training and an increase in tempo across the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the figure below, I’ve charted the QB Rating of the Heisman winner by year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notice a trend?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1473581/Heisman_QB_Rating.JPG" target="_blank"></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img width="470" height="332" alt="Heisman_qb_rating_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1473581/Heisman_QB_Rating_medium.JPG"></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: ">There is little doubt; Robert and Art made beautiful music. As the season progressed, Briles put an increasing amount of trust in Robert and challenged the offense to win games against some of the stingiest defenses in the Big 12. In fact, there is a decent argument to be made that had Briles had as much confidence in his offense at the start of conference play as he did by the end of the year, Baylor would have won at least one additional Big 12 game. By the end of the year, an offense loaded with future NFL talent (some of which is still around), challenged the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/washington-huskies">Washington Huskies</a> to a game of Hyper-Efficiency Chicken to be played in San Antonio, Texas. Washington obliged. While they did establish a 28 point lead at one point, there were few, if any, teams who could beat Baylor at this game last year, especially by the end of the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/2011/12/30/2670150/alamo-bowl-2011-baylor-washington-statistics-score">Bill Connelly wrote</a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: ">:</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Washington in no way played defense in 2011, but they played at a slow pace, played mostly in control, and went 3-0 in close games because of it. If they could keep the Valero Alamo Bowl a boxing match, they had a very good chance to win. But keeping up with Baylor is just so much fun. You can't help yourself. They scored touchdowns…and took a 42-24 lead one minute into the third quarter…It looked as if they were going to beat Baylor at their own game. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">One problem: you don't beat Baylor at their own game.</b> The Bears scored 28 of the game's final 35 points. At some point, Washington seemed to consciously realize they were in a street fight and attempted to dial it back. They went ahead, 56-53, on a 13-play, six-minute drive early in the fourth quarter. But their defense was gassed, and Baylor just kept on scoring. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Washington scored just twice in their final seven possessions and ended up losing by double-digits… </b>But they got sucked into a street fight in this one, and they just couldn't keep up the pace of haymakers for 60 minutes.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Blessed with one of the best offenses of the last decade, and yoked with one of the worst defenses in Division I football, Art Briles made the rational, if aggressive, decision to play a game of Hyper-Efficiency Chicken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lining up against his opponent, he firmly pushed the pedal to the medal and went all in on his bet that you were not going to be able to run a more efficient offense than the RG3-lead Bears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oklahoma got close with the BellDozer, A&M and Oklahoma State jumped out to big early leads (and had home field advantage), while Kansas State was playing a different game entirely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, Robert did not return to Baylor for his last year of eligibility. Briles (and his leading propagandist, Mark C Moore) assured us that the Baylor offense would continue to be talented and effective. Early in the year, teams were not willing to assume that <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75553/nick-florence">Nick Florence</a> was remotely as good as Robert and challenged the new-old QB to beat them with his arm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Florence showed that while he wasn’t as good as Robert, he was more than capable of taking the keys to the the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTI0KDuQl_4">Mercy</a> and driving it to above average results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given that the 2011 Baylor defense had decided to return, these results were necessary for wins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Heading into their date with West Virginia in Morgantown last week, there were plenty of reasons for Baylor fans to be hopeful, despite being 11.5 point 'dogs and gap in the college polls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had seen Baylor face good offenses both last year and this year, challenge them, and beat them at Hyper-Efficiency Chicken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t think either fan base was ready for what ended up happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While West Virginia ended up winning the game, I can’t help but think that if this were actually a game of chicken, the two cars would have just run straight into each other, drivers' laughing maniacally with courage-filled hearts and adrenaline-filled minds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>West Virginia won because they were the team who were able to drive off after the collision.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">West Virginia won because they are the this year’s 2011 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/baylor-bears">Baylor Bears</a>, because Geno Smith has staked his claim to this year's Robert Griffin III, because Tavon Austin may be this year's Kendall Wright and because Art Briles of all people should know…</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You don’t beat the 2011 Baylor Bears at their own game.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
https://www.ourdailybears.com/2012/10/1/3439596/art-briles-finally-loses-a-game-of-hyper-efficiency-chickenPrashanth Francis2012-09-30T12:31:11-05:002012-09-30T12:31:11-05:009.30.2012 Daily Bears Report: Moving On
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<figcaption>Rob Christy-US PRESSWIRE - Presswire</figcaption>
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<p>Everything I can find this Sunday morning about the game yesterday in Morgantown and how Baylor moves on, regroups on defense, and continues to improve. </p> <p>
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<img width="100" height="100" src="http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/bay/graphics/auto/logo-bubble-baylor.png"><br><span style="font-size: large; "></span><span style="font-size: x-large; "><strong>63<br></strong></span><span style="font-size: large; "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-size: large; "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-size: large; "><span style="font-size: small; "><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong style="font-size: medium; "><strong>BAYLOR</strong></strong></strong></strong><br></strong></strong></span><span style="font-size: x-small; "><span style="font-size: large; "><span style="font-size: x-small; ">(3-1, 0-1) Rank: 25/24</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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<td style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; text-align: center; width: 52px; "><strong><span style="color: #fdbb30; ">1ST</span></strong></td>
<td style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; text-align: center; width: 53px; "><strong><span style="color: #fdbb30; ">2ND</span></strong></td>
<td style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; text-align: center; width: 53px; "><strong><span style="color: #fdbb30; ">3RD</span></strong></td>
<td style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; text-align: center; width: 53px; "><strong><span style="color: #fdbb30; ">4TH</span></strong></td>
<td style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; text-align: center; width: 52px; "><strong><span style="color: #fdbb30; ">F</span></strong></td>
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<td style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; text-align: center; background-color: #012f22; "><img width="64" height="30" src="http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/bay/graphics/auto/logo-team-baylor.jpg"></td>
<td style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; text-align: center; ">14</td>
<td style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; text-align: center; ">21</td>
<td style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; text-align: center; ">7</td>
<td style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; text-align: center; ">21</td>
<td style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; text-align: center; "><strong>63</strong></td>
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<td style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; text-align: center; background-color: #012f22; "><img width="64" height="30" src="http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/bay/graphics/auto/logo-team-westvirginia.jpg"></td>
<td style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; text-align: center; ">14</td>
<td style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; text-align: center; ">21</td>
<td style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; text-align: center; ">21</td>
<td style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; text-align: center; ">14</td>
<td style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; text-align: center; "><strong>70</strong></td>
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<p><b><a style="outline: none; color: #013224; text-decoration: underline; " href="http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2012-2013/04-wvu.html">Box Score</a> | <a style="outline: none; color: #013224; text-decoration: underline; " href="http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/092912aah.html">Notes</a> | <a style="outline: none; color: #013224; text-decoration: underline; " href="http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/092912aaa.html#">Photo Gallery</a> <img height="9" src="http://grfx.cstv.com/graphics/teams/icons/media-icon-photogallery.gif"><br><b><a style="outline: none; color: #013224; text-decoration: underline; " href="http://www.baylorbears.com/allaccess/?media=337630">Highlights</a> <img src="http://graphics.collegesports.com/graphics/allaccess/camera.gif"> | <a style="outline: none; color: #013224; text-decoration: underline; " href="http://www.baylorbears.com/allaccess/?media=337629">Postgame</a> <img width="11" height="7" src="http://graphics.collegesports.com/graphics/allaccess/camera.gif"></b><br></b></p>
<p><b></b><span style="font-size: x-small; ">Morgantown, W.Va. • Attendance: 60,012</span></p>
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<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; " width="100" height="100" src="http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/bay/graphics/auto/logo-bubble-westvirginia.png"><span style="font-size: large; "><strong style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-size: medium; "><span style="font-size: large; "><strong><span style="font-size: x-large; "><strong>70</strong></span></strong></span><br></span></strong></span><strong style="font-size: small; "><strong><strong style="font-size: medium; ">WVU<br></strong></strong></strong><span style="font-size: large; "><strong style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-size: medium; "><strong></strong></span></strong><span style="font-size: x-small; ">(4-0, 1-0) Rank: 9/7</span></span>
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<b><a style="font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 20px;" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/events/96156">WVU 70, Baylor 63</a> </b>: <b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; "><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; "><a href="http://www.ourdailybears.com/baylor-bears-vs-wvu-mountaineers/2012/9/29/3429186/wvu-70-baylor-63-defense-entirely-optional" target="_blank">Post-Game</a> </span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; ">| <a href="http://www.ourdailybears.com/baylor-bears-vs-wvu-mountaineers/2012/9/29/3429674/thoughts-on-baylors-loss-to-wvu" target="_blank">Thoughts</a> </span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; ">| </span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; "><a href="http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/092912aaa.html" target="_blank">Recap</a> | </span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; "><a href="http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2012-2013/04-wvu.html" target="_blank">Box Score</a> |<a href="http://www.baylorbears.com/allaccess/?media=337630" target="_blank"> </a><a target="_blank" href="http://www.baylorbears.com/allaccess/?media=337630"><font color="#515151">Highlights</font> </a></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; ">| </span><a href="http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/092912aah.html" target="_blank"><font color="#515151">Game Notes</font> </a> <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; ">| </span><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; "><a style="font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 20px;" href="http://www.baylorbears.com/allaccess/?media=337629" target="_blank">Quotes</a></b></b>
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<p>Yesterday was probably a much wilder day in college football than anyone expected beginning with the shootout in Morgantown and ending with Mike Leach's Washington State squad pushing Oregon in the first half before the Ducks put the game away. FSU had a scare at the hands of USF, TCU struggled on offense at SMU in a monsoon, and Texas apparently triumphed over a powerhouse Okie State team they were supposed to beat anyway, somehow justifying everything said about <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134590/david-ash">David Ash</a> today. It was a wild weekend, to say the last.</p>
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<p>With the offensive fireworks yesterday and the resulting acclaim for WVU's Geno Smith, every news outlet on Earth seems to have written something about the game. Here's the best of what I've found, beginning with the coverage from our own SB Nation sites.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.smokingmusket.com/2012/9/29/3424952/wvu-wins-big-12-debut-beats-baylor-in-70-63-shootout-fashion">WVU Wins Big 12 Debut; Beats Baylor 70-63 In Shootout Fashion - The Smoking Musket</a><br>It was like the Alamo Bowl, only more Orange Bowl-like</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://college-football.si.com/2012/09/29/west-virginia-baylor-geno-smith-big-12/">Geno Smith, West Virginia outlast Baylor in historic Big 12 shootout | Campus Union</a><br>There’s a strong temptation right about now, with the Milan Puskar Stadium scoreboard still sparking and heaving from West Virginia’s 70-63 win over Baylor, to just start listing broken records. But we promise to curate carefully. So many records were snapped that to behold them all at once is to risk desensitization.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2012/9/30/3431680/west-virginia-baylor-2012-final-score-recap">West Virginia vs. Baylor 2012 highlights: Highest scoring football game in Big 12 history - SBNation.com</a><br>Geno Smith of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/west-virginia-mountaineers">West Virginia Mountaineers</a> outpaced <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75553/nick-florence">Nick Florence</a> of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/baylor-bears">Baylor Bears</a> in a 70-63 track meet in the highest scoring Big 12 football game ever.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012/9/30/3431944/baylor-vs-west-virginia-final-score-geno-smith">Baylor vs. West Virginia final score: Geno Smith powers record-breaking win - SBNation.com</a><br>West Virginia defeated Baylor in an offensive slugfest that featured a combined 126 points and nearly 1,500 total yards.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.wacotrib.com/sports/baylor/171962651.html">Pass-catch records not as sweet in defeat | Wacotrib.com</a><br>Baylor’s Nick Florence and Terrance Williams tried to enjoy their record-breaking performances. It’s not every day that you shatter records set by two of the all-time greats in Baylor history, All-America quarterback <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/35519/robert-griffin-iii">Robert Griffin III</a> and receiver <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/35515/kendall-wright">Kendall Wright</a>. But after losing a 70-63 thriller to No. 9 West Virginia, they couldn’t get past the pain of the No. 25 Bears’ first loss of the season Saturday afternoon at Milan Puskar Stadium.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.wacotrib.com/sports/baylor/171963171.html">Baylor Notebook: Scoring frenzy almost record | Wacotrib.com</a><br>Baylor and West Virginia came close to having the most prolific offensive shootout in college football history.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.wacotrib.com/sports/baylor/171967381.html">9 touchdowns not enough for #25 Baylor in shootout loss to #9 West Virginia, 70-63 | Wacotrib.com</a><br>There’s no truth to the rumor that Washington Redskins rookie sensation Robert Griffin III is moonlighting as West Virginia’s quarterback on Saturdays.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/sports/ncaafootball/defense-an-afterthought-as-mountaineers-outslug-baylor.html?_r=0">After 8 Touchdowns, West Virginia’s Smith Is His Only Critic - NYTimes.com</a><br>West Virginia’s Geno Smith made this season’s first bid for the Heisman Trophy, completing 45 of 51 passes for 656 yards and 8 touchdowns.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/eye-on-college-football/20406910/quick-hits-west-virginia-70-baylor-63">Quick Hits: West Virginia 70, Baylor 63 - CBSSports.com</a><br>Instant analysis of the Mountaineers' record-breaking win over the Bears.</p>
<p><a href="http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/2012/09/overheard-baylor-has-its-way-with-wide-eyed-secondary-in-first-half-but-geno-smith-leads-mountaineers-to-victory.html/">Overheard: Baylor has its way with ‘wide-eyed’ secondary in first half, but Geno Smith leads Mountaineers to victory | College Sports Blog</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/ncaa/wires/09/29/2010.ap.fbc.t25.baylor.1044/index.html">No. 25 Baylor falls to No. 9 West Virginia 70-63 - NCAA - SI.com</a><br>MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - Nick Florence record's effort came up one touchdown short against No. 9 West Virginia.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://baylorlariat.com/2012/09/29/weekend-sports-recap-football/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=weekend-sports-recap-football">Weekend Sports Recap: Football | The Baylor Lariat</a><br>After just one play from scrimmage, the West Virginia defense intercepted senior quarterback Nick Florence’s pass over the middle. The ball hit junior inside receiver <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75577/tevin-reese">Tevin Reese</a> in the hands, but landed in the hands of the Mountaineer secondary.</p>
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<p><a href="http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.com/colleges/2012/09/baylor-west-virginia-rewrite-record-books-during-conference-opener.html">College Confidential: Baylor, West Virginia rewrite record books during conference opener</a><br>Baylor suffered its first loss of the season today to Big 12 newcomer West Virginia during an intense offensive battle. As West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith and the Mountaineers made their way to a one-possession game over the Baylor Bears,...</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57523036/offensive-shows-in-big-12-and-sec/">Offensive shows in Big 12 and SEC - CBS News</a><br> Mountaineers' first game in the Big 12 turned out to be the highest-scoring game in the history of the conference</p>
https://www.ourdailybears.com/daily-bears-reports/2012/9/30/3432956/9-30-2012-daily-bears-report-moving-on-wvu-geno-smith-nick-florenceMark C. Moore2012-09-29T17:12:02-05:002012-09-29T17:12:02-05:00Thoughts on Baylor's Loss to WVU
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<figcaption>Justin K. Aller - Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>As always, there was a lot of good and a lot of bad from the most schizophrenic team in all of college football. </p> <p>West Virginia 70, Baylor 63:</p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 8.981481552124023px;">You watched the game, so you know I didn't make that score up. It was the shootout everyone expected it to be and more. The O/U set by Vegas at the start of the game was 84. The teams combined for a Big XII-record 133 points (3 off the FBS record according to helpful folks on twitter) that probably won't be bested when West Virginia visits Waco in men's basketball. These two offenses apparently decided that the Alamo and Orange bowls were sadly boring affairs. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 8.981481552124023px;">I'm going to say some things here about Baylor's defense that are not positive. I want to make two things clear before I do: 1) I'm not taking anything away from WVU QB Geno Smith in doing so because he was simply transcendent today, and 2) I don't think we need to fire Phil Bennett. Yes, we're paying him for a lot more than we're getting right now. Yes, everyone expects for the defense to perform much, much better than it did today. No, we can't get where we want to be with that kind of performance. All that taken as fact, Phil Bennett is a good defensive coach. Despite the scorn I heaped upon him in the heat of the moment on twitter, it's not his fault that our players don't tackle when they have the chance, and it's not his fault they make terrible decisions like leaving <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84134/tavon-austin" class="sbn-auto-link">Tavon Austin</a> wide open down the sideline. Our biggest problem at this point is clearly the defensive line, where we're playing a redshirt freshman in an alignment we've never used before because we lost our starter before the season. Over and over again before the game I stressed that pressure would make all the difference; we couldn't expect any secondary, much less ours, to cover receivers like WVU's indefinitely. Today, we got almost zero effective pressure even when we did bring extra rushers. They were close on numerous occasions, but not close enough to impact the play and Geno Smith picked us apart. With better talent, close plays missed become important plays made. That we lack that talent in certain important areas now is not Bennett's fault. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 8.94444465637207px;">But, of course, the buck stops there on defense. Art Briles brought in Phil Bennett to be basically the head coach of the defense, and no matter what the reason is, the job isn't getting done. That falls on Bennett before it does anyone else. And I guarantee you that with his background, experience, and personality, he knows that better than anyone. The idea that we suck on defense because Bennett isn't trying or doesn't care should never enter your mind. It's not a question of desire. If I thought it was for a moment, I'd be all over riding him out of town on a rail. But it's not and we shouldn't. For the reasons I said above, our struggles are not really his fault, he will make it better, and even if we did go that direction this offseason, we're probably not getting anyone better, anyway. Let him continue to recruit, build, and be patient. It's extremely difficult, and I know I sound hypocritical suggesting it, but it's the only reasonable thing to do at this point. Recruiting is on the upswing; we can't torpedo that now by changing DCs again.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 8.94444465637207px;">Having said his position is secure, Bennett has got to figure things out quickly. We need to know before the TCU game how <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/113003/bryce-hager" class="sbn-auto-link">Bryce Hager</a> ended up with responsibility for Tavon Austin in the open field, why receivers ended up totally uncovered on the outside of the formation, what we can do to keep our DBs from giving up on the play and getting burned, etc. etc. Our depth took a serious hit today, and this off week might be the perfect time to audition a few spots. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 8.94444465637207px;">Moving to happier subjects, I can't say enough about how our offense performed, even taking the turnover into consideration. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75553/nick-florence" class="sbn-auto-link">Nick Florence</a> (29/47 for 581 yards and 5 TDs with 1 INT) moved the offense nearly at will, the running game looked better than it had before even if it isn't where we want it to be yet, and our wide receivers absolutely dominated WVU's secondary. We scored 63 points, the most ever in a losing effort by a FBS school, our highest output ever in a Big XII game, and by far the most we've ever scored on the road (in a non-bowl game). 700 yards is always worth celebrating. It just wasn't enough. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 8.94444465637207px;">Never forget that this game was on the road, in a charged-up stadium on homecoming, with a fanbase celebrating their welcoming party into the Big XII Conference. I was extremely impressed with the fact that our team never once gave up, even down 56-35, and even though I did myself. I'll own that. They showed character, determination, and tremendous poise today. Past teams would have lost this game by 40+ even with our talent. This team earned its way back into the final drive of the game actually mattering. They went to the home of a top-ten team and lost by a touchdown! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 8.94444465637207px;">I'm sad for <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/143866/demetri-goodson" class="sbn-auto-link">Demetri Goodson</a> that it looks like he'll miss significant time with another injury. I like watching him play and his story is worth rooting for no matter who you are. I feel terrible for him. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/35523/jarred-salubi" class="sbn-auto-link">Jarred Salubi</a> getting back into the game was good to see since he wasn't seriously injured, as well. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 8.94444465637207px;">Terrance Williams is incredible. School records today for catches (17) and yards (314), the latter also being a conference record. What a player. He was a man among boys in the WVU secondary and deserves more praise than he will get. That actually goes for the entire offense; in the aftermath of the Geno show Baylor's offensive game will go largely unrecognized. That's too bad. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 8.94444465637207px;">I'm going to do something this week about wrapping up the first third of the season and asking for views looking forward to the rest, so think about that. We're probably where we thought we'd be at 3-1 (0-1), and I've never been more convinced that we will make a bowl this season. I don't know exactly where the necessary wins will come from, but our offense is enough to get us there. The defense ... couldn't be worse than it was today. </span></li>
<li> <span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 8.94444465637207px;">I have to say again how impressive Geno Smith was in the pocket. Yeah, it's easy to find wide-open receivers, but I'd only ever seen him play live in the Orange Bowl last year and don't think he looked as good then as he did today. He was amazing and deserves the praise he'll get. He has a huge arm and just did not miss. </span><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 8.94444465637207px;">His receivers, </span><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84145/stedman-bailey" class="sbn-auto-link" style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 8.94444465637207px;">Stedman Bailey</a><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 8.94444465637207px;"> and Tavon Austin, were also extremely good. It's really hard not to like this WVU offense. </span> </li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 8.94444465637207px;">Really don't know what to think about our offensive line at this point, to be honest with you. For the most part they protected Florence well against a very strong pass rush, and at times they made WVU's defense look as helpless as our own. But other times they lost their assignments and our offense paid the price. Two drives ended because of sacks on third down, one by missed field goal and one right before the half by punt. Those were killer missed opportunities in a game we knew would be a shootout all the way. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 8.94444465637207px;">I'm going to have to go back and look at what they did in the third quarter to keep our offense largely in check, because that was the game. That's where they built the lead we couldn't close.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 8.94444465637207px;">Lastly, lest I be called a whiner, we need to talk about the officials for a moment. #76 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84152/pat-eger" class="sbn-auto-link">Pat Eger</a> held on almost every play of the game. If he didn't, #67 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/114636/quinton-spain" class="sbn-auto-link">Quinton Spain</a> did. On the TD where WVU went up 35-28 in the first half, Spain literally tackled <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75564/chris-mcallister" class="sbn-auto-link">Chris McAllister</a> from behind. I don't understand how officials miss things like that. Or the facemask that should have been in the second half when Florence was sacked. I'm not saying those things decided the game by any stretch-- our putrid defense did that-- it's just frustrating to watch obvious calls missed. </span></li>
</ul>
https://www.ourdailybears.com/baylor-bears-vs-wvu-mountaineers/2012/9/29/3429674/thoughts-on-baylors-loss-to-wvuMark C. Moore2012-09-29T14:59:35-05:002012-09-29T14:59:35-05:00WVU 70, Baylor 63; Defense Entirely Optional
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<figcaption>Patrick McDermott - Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>In a game rewriting the Big XII and FBS record books, Baylor's defense failed to show up entirely, allowing 8 touchdown passes, 800 yards of total offense, and 70 points. </p> <p>I said before the game that we'd need 2 turnovers to pull off the upset here. I was wrong. We needed not to have 2 of our own, miss 2 field goals, and fail completely at anything resembling defense.</p>
<p>I don't want to overreact to this game-- WVU is clearly just ... insane on offense-- but I don't know where we go from here on defense. You can't look at that game and tell me there was anything at all positive from that side of the ball. You can't.</p>
<p>What was positive was an outstanding performance from <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75553/nick-florence" class="sbn-auto-link">Nick Florence</a> and the offense, who single-handedly kept Baylor in the game despite the defensive abomination. They should, but probably won't in the aftermath of the Geno Smith Heisman parade, get credit for 700 yards of their own, a new Baylor passing record, and just an amazing game from senior WR Terrance Williams.</p>
<p>Even as a lover of offense, this game was too much. Too many wide open receivers in our defensive secondary. Too many missed tackles leading to big gains. Too many ... just horrific defensive plays in general.</p>
<p>And to top it all off, when we had the chance to kick onsides down 7 in the final minutes, we kicked it deep for reasons I'll never understand. As if on that series we'd finally stop them where we hadn't in so many before it.</p>
<p>I'll have more later, I think. Maybe not.</p>
https://www.ourdailybears.com/baylor-bears-vs-wvu-mountaineers/2012/9/29/3429186/wvu-70-baylor-63-defense-entirely-optionalMark C. Moore2012-09-29T10:01:01-05:002012-09-29T10:01:01-05:00Baylor vs. WVU Game Thread
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ziuSRWvNC_ublvznkE0XKIAQASs=/0x67:4000x2734/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/262763/20120902_pjc_sn4_054.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE - Presswire</figcaption>
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<p>Big XII play is finally upon us and Baylor kicks it off on the road against the #9 ranked team in the country led by the presumptive favorite for the Heisman. This should be fun!</p> <div id="Content" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><table border="0" style="width: 641px;"><tbody> <tr><td style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"> <img src="http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/bay/graphics/auto/logo-bubble-baylor.png" height="125" width="125" style="vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong><strong> </strong>at </strong></span><img src="http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/bay/graphics/auto/logo-bubble-westvirginia.png" height="125" width="125" style="vertical-align: middle;"> </td></tr> <tr><td style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #004935;"><strong><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;">25/24</span> BAYLOR <span style="font-size: small;">(3-0)</span> at <span style="font-size: small;">9/7</span> WEST VIRGINIA <span style="font-size: small;">(3-0)</span><br><span style="font-size: small;">Sept. 29, 2012 | 11:06 a.m. CT / 12:06 p.m. ET<br>Morgantown, W.Va. | Milan Puskar Stadium (60,000)</span></span></strong></span><br><center> <img src="http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/bay/graphics/auto/logofx.png" height="16" width="27"> <span style="color: #004935;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">(<a href="http://www.baylorbears.com/blog/this_is_bear_country.html#wvutv" style="color: #013224; text-decoration: underline;">TV Listings</a>)</span></strong></span> </center> </td></tr> <tr><td src="http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/bay/graphics/auto/tickets.gif" height="15" alt="Tickets" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"><strong><strong></strong><img src="http://graphics.fansonly.com/schools/bay/graphics/auto/audio.gif" height="15" width="15" style="vertical-align: middle;"> <a href="http://www.baylorbears.com/allaccess/?media=328914" target="_blank" style="color: #013224; text-decoration: underline;">Listen</a> | <img src="http://graphics.fansonly.com/schools/bay/graphics/auto/gtk.gif" height="15" alt="Gametracker" width="23" style="vertical-align: middle;"> <a style="color: #013224; text-decoration: underline;">Gametracker</a> | <img src="http://graphics.fansonly.com/schools/bay/graphics/auto/gamenotes.gif" height="15" alt="Game Notes" width="15" style="vertical-align: middle;"> <a href="http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/bay/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2012-13/release/release_20120924aaa.pdf" target="_blank" style="color: #013224; text-decoration: underline;">Notes</a> | <img src="http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/bay/graphics/auto/icons-blogbubble.gif" height="13" alt="In-Game Blog" width="16" style="vertical-align: middle;"> <a href="http://www.baylorbears.com/blog/ingame.html" style="color: #013224; text-decoration: underline;">Live Blog</a> | <img src="http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/bay/graphics/auto/icon-front-ingame-flag4.png" height="11" width="15" style="vertical-align: middle;"> <a href="http://www.baylorbears.com/gameday/baylor-football-gameday-2012.html" target="_blank" style="color: #013224; text-decoration: underline;">Gameday Central</a></strong></td></tr> <tr><td style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><img src="http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/bay/graphics/line-break-635x8.jpg" height="8" width="635"></td></tr> </tbody></table></div>
<p>Good morning, ladies and gents! I know it's early, but we're an hour out now from watching our Baylor Bears take on the West Virginia Mountaineers! Check out the Baylor vs. WVU game hub for everything you missed this week about today's game.</p>
<p>Someone said to me on twitter last night that if we hold them to 35 points, we'll win. I agree. I've always agreed. I just don't see that happening. It would take a Herculean effort from that side of the ball to contain Geno Smith, Tavon Austin, and Stedman Bailey enough to pull it off. "But Mark," you're thinking, "Maryland just did it last week!" Yeah, well give me Maryland's DL and one good safety and I think we might have a chance, too.</p>
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<div class="pane sports_data_widget events clearfix"><div class="next_game"> <h3>Next Game</h3> <div class="pane-body"> <p class="game-title"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/baylor-bears">Baylor Bears</a> <br><span class="blog_link">@ <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/west-virginia-mountaineers">West Virginia Mountaineers</a> </span></p> <p class="game-info"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/events/96156">Saturday, Sep 29, 2012, 11:00 AM CDT</a><br> Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium</p> <div class="coverage"> <div class="entry"> <h5><a href="http://www.ourdailybears.com/baylor-bears-vs-wvu-mountaineers/2012/9/28/3425046/video-baylor-vs-wvu-preview">Video: Baylor vs. WVU Preview</a></h5> <p class="byline"><span class="author">posted by <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Mark%20C.%20Moore">Mark C. Moore</a></span> <span class="time">about 10 hours ago</span></p> <p class="byline">0 comments | 0 recs</p> </div> <div class="entry"> <h5><a href="http://www.ourdailybears.com/baylor-bears-vs-wvu-mountaineers/2012/9/28/3423502/baylor-bears-vs-wvu-mountaineers-prediction-thread">Baylor Bears vs. WVU Mountaineers Prediction Thread</a></h5> <p class="byline"><span class="author">posted by <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Mark%20C.%20Moore">Mark C. Moore</a></span> <span class="time">about 14 hours ago</span></p> <p class="byline">68 comments | 0 recs</p> </div> <div class="entry"> <h5><a href="http://www.ourdailybears.com/baylor-vs-ulm/2012/9/28/3421590/what-the-ul-monroe-game-tape-foreshadows-about-the-west-virginia-game">What the UL-Monroe Game Tape Foreshadows about Saturday</a></h5> <p class="byline"><span class="author">posted by <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Prashanth%20Francis">Prashanth Francis</a></span> <span class="time">about 18 hours ago</span></p> <p class="byline">7 comments | 0 recs</p> </div> </div> <p class="foot clearfix"><span class="link-more"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/events/96156">Complete Coverage ></a></span></p> </div> </div></div>
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https://www.ourdailybears.com/2012/9/29/3427008/baylor-vs-wvu-game-threadMark C. Moore