Baylor (5-4, 3-3 Big 12) at West Virginia (5-4, 4-2), Saturday, 4 p.m. EST (ESPN2)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Baylor by 3.
Series record: West Virginia leads 8-4.
What’s at stake?
Either team will become bowl eligible with a win. Baylor is coming off a bye week and is riding a three-game winning streak that turned around a 2-4 start to the season. West Virginia has won two straight, both on the road, and will try to avoid its fourth loss at home this season.
Key matchup
West Virginia’s defense vs. Baylor QB Sawyer Robertson. The junior has come on strong during the Bears’ current win streak with eight touchdown passes and one interception. He also is sneaky good on the ground, averaging 5.4 yards per carry with two games of at least 73 rushing yards. A year ago, Robertson went 17-of-19 for 219 yards in a home loss to West Virginia. The Mountaineers this year have turned some opposing quarterbacks into stars, allowing 14.4 yards per completion. West Virginia’s four interceptions are tied with Cincinnati for the fewest in the league.
Players to watch
Baylor: RB Bryson Washington. The redshirt freshman ran for a season-high 196 yards and scored four TDs two weeks ago against TCU. He is averaging 6 yards per carry this season. He also has caught 15 passes.
West Virginia: QB Garrett Greene or Nicco Marchiol. Coach Neal Brown said he isn’t sure whether Greene is ready to return after missing the past two games with an upper body injury. Marchiol won both starts on the road in Greene’s absence, including last week at Cincinnati. Greene is the Big 12’s top rushing quarterback but has gotten into trouble with his arm, throwing two interceptions apiece in losses to Iowa State and No. 20 Kansas State.
Facts & figures
The Baylor linebacking duo of Matt Jones and Thomas Keaton are averaging a combined 18 tackles per game. … West Virginia has been outscored in the second half in seven of its nine games. … Baylor is averaging nearly 45 points per game during its current winning streak. … The Bears are trying to become bowl eligible for the third time in coach Dave Aranda’s five seasons. West Virginia is going after a fourth bowl berth in six years under Brown.
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