--It’s time for some serious concern and serious discussions when it comes to this team. I thought for sure that West Virginia would come out and play inspired football today against Baylor but instead it was their poorest effort of the season given what unfolded last week, and it pretty much was from start to finish. It’s one thing not to be ready to play for a half and to accept blame for that while mentioning it multiple times, it’s another entirely to come out in the game after and put this type of performance on tape. The Mountaineers weren’t even competitive for large portions of this game, and it was again so many of the same issues, with miscues, poor effort, execution, penalties and basically what we’ve been talking about for stretches in every game this season. Neal Brown has to answer for this type of performance because there is simply no excuse for this to happen two weeks in a row. For the first time since Brown has assumed the role of head coach I think there is legitimate concern about where the program is at and the buy-in all around. You simply can’t come out and play this poorly after making it a focus all week and lose in this fashion. This is how you lose people both in the program and in the stands and regardless of how it happened, the fact it did for the second week in a row shakes confidence. This game wasn’t even as close as the lopsided score suggests since Baylor took their foot off the gas. That’s just inexcusable and the fact that this is on the heels of last week makes it all the more concerning.
--West Virginia hasn’t won a road game since November of 2019. That’s an issue. This was a complete team loss as well, as again, no phase played well. The Mountaineers are now sitting at 2-4 and realistically it’s time to start wondering about the state of this club for the rest of the year? I truly believed that this team was ready to take another leap this year and the fact that it’s not only failed to do that but looks arguably as bad as any time under Brown is beyond concerning. As I wrote last week, you don’t get excuses in year three and results matter. Nobody signed up for results like this and this is the most disappointing effort and result of the first three years of his tenure. Brown is now 13-15 over his three years and while everybody expected a rebuild, nobody saw this step back this year.
--I understand that most of the discussion is going to be about the quarterback and I’ll get to that later, but the offensive line play today might have been the worst it’s been all season. West Virginia didn’t even give Jarret Doege a shot in this one as Baylor was able to basically tee off on him at every opportunity. He was under pressure almost from the jump and there is no position on this football team that has been more disappointing than this group. Not only have they not taken any steps forward from a season ago where the unit showed some progress from 2019, I think it’s more than fair to suggest that this unit has gotten worse this season. I don’t know what the answer is because clearly they’re playing the guys they believe are the best, but it hasn’t been good enough or even close to it. I’d even argue that the 2019 unit might have been better overall because at least they could pass protect.
--West Virginia had under 100-rushing yards again. That’s 18 of the 28 games that West Virginia has played under Neal Brown that they’ve failed to eclipse the century mark on the ground.
--If West Virginia is going to lose football games in this fashion, there is no reason that Brown shouldn’t insert Garrett Greene more, if not full-time, just to see what you’ve got there. It makes no sense to continue to play Jarret Doege if the entire team is just going to get rolled over regardless. I think Doege had some positives in this game despite facing a difficult pass rusher for most of the game and even was able to extend some plays with his feet, but we know the limitations there and it’s important to see what, if anything, the Mountaineers are going to be able to get out of Greene this year or next.
--Doege didn’t play poorly overall, but again it’s the same limitations and a failure to produce in the biggest moments that continue to haunt him. He was 3-7 on third down and generated only one scoring drive in three red zone trips with the game in balance. He did spark the offense at times and made some nice throws, but in the red zone he really struggled. I understand he’s going to get the blame from a lot of people for anything that happens on this team, but I do think he’s made improvements the past two games. He was 3-5 on deep balls in this game before things got out of control to showcase some of what I’ve mentioned. But with these type of results, you really have to evaluate playing for the future if not for the future of your football team than for the sake of the fan base.
--Greene has a way to go as a passer but at least gives you an exciting option in the run game and you can build some packages for him moving forward if the coaches elect to go that route. What else do you have to lose at this stage if the rest of the team isn’t going to play with effort in every situation? I don’t know the answer, but I can say with confidence that the fan base isn’t going to accept trotting out the same stuff with these type of results week after week.
--The offense was 2-12 on third downs before they elected to basically waive the white flag. Woof. A big reason for that? Average distance was 8.5 yards which made it nearly impossible for a team that couldn’t protect to execute in those situations.
--Every time Winston Wright touched the ball it was a positive. Problem is that didn’t happen nearly enough with only 6 touches when the game actually mattered. He is one of the only players on the roster that has the ability to make things happen on his own and that must be a priority.
--The end of the half sequence is just unacceptable. I see the reasoning, somewhat, if you don’t trust your offense and want to try to take it into the half and make some adjustments. But first, the Mountaineers didn’t take a timeout and allowed Baylor to bleed the clock and then basically ran a play that had no chance of generating anything outside of running the time out. I understand that there can be trust issues with the offense at large, but you’re giving yourself no shot at all by simply playing it safe. West Virginia entered the break down 28-10 and that was largely seen as waving the white flag and it’s easy to see why many people would believe that after another very poor half of football. Clock management continues to be an issue and this week West Virginia goes into the half with two timeouts in their pocket after not having any to end the game last week. The offense also had to take a timeout on the first play of the game when the play clock was ticking down.
--The Mountaineers allowed 28 points and 322 yards of total offense in the first half and truthfully I don’t think Baylor did anything that I would consider surprising. The Bears relied on running the football, their short passing game and then hitting some shots down the field out of play action and it was like the West Virginia defense had never seen it. There were plenty of instances where receivers were running free with nobody even near them and it was just a deflating effort. The Bears averaged 22.6 yards per completion in the first half and the Mountaineers allowed more points and yards in those first two quarters than every game this season outside of Maryland and the yardage with Texas Tech. Woof. Things didn’t get much better in the second half allowing two scores on the first drive to put the game out of reach. This just wasn’t the effort on that side of the ball that we’re accustomed to seeing.
--The West Virginia defense came into the game No. 2 nationally averaging 9.0 tackles for loss. The Mountaineers had 3 in this game and even that number surprised me.
--It was good to see some of the younger players get on the field and get their opportunities, but it also shows you why some of them haven’t with pass protection and some other issues. Still, as mentioned above, we’re at a critical junction now where you have to start thinking about the future if you’re going to get these type of efforts week-by-week. I’ve never in my entire career of doing this been one to look at such a move so early, but this type of effort makes it hard to think otherwise.
--It doesn’t matter in the final result and isn’t an excuse, but how do you pick up a holding penalty when a player is literally tackled to the ground by an offensive lineman? Shew.
--One positive on this team has been the play of kicker Casey Legg. I had real questions there entering the season, but he knocked through two more field goals today and still hasn’t missed this year. That’s one of the true unexpected bright spots of this season.
--Both teams were 3-3 in the red zone, but the difference is and has been all season Baylor scored touchdowns. Critical mistakes continue to plague this team in key situations.
--West Virginia is 0-3 in the Big 12 for the first time since 2015 and I think it’s fair to say that any chances of playing in the title game have essentially dried up.
--The season isn’t over although it might feel like it right now. The Mountaineers are 2-4 and enter a critical bye week to try to regroup or come out with a plan moving forward. This team is in real danger of things going off the rails completely and Brown and these coaches are going to be tested. That’s why they’re paid to correct it though and these next six weeks are going to determine a lot moving forward.
--West Virginia hasn’t won a road game since November of 2019. That’s an issue. This was a complete team loss as well, as again, no phase played well. The Mountaineers are now sitting at 2-4 and realistically it’s time to start wondering about the state of this club for the rest of the year? I truly believed that this team was ready to take another leap this year and the fact that it’s not only failed to do that but looks arguably as bad as any time under Brown is beyond concerning. As I wrote last week, you don’t get excuses in year three and results matter. Nobody signed up for results like this and this is the most disappointing effort and result of the first three years of his tenure. Brown is now 13-15 over his three years and while everybody expected a rebuild, nobody saw this step back this year.
--I understand that most of the discussion is going to be about the quarterback and I’ll get to that later, but the offensive line play today might have been the worst it’s been all season. West Virginia didn’t even give Jarret Doege a shot in this one as Baylor was able to basically tee off on him at every opportunity. He was under pressure almost from the jump and there is no position on this football team that has been more disappointing than this group. Not only have they not taken any steps forward from a season ago where the unit showed some progress from 2019, I think it’s more than fair to suggest that this unit has gotten worse this season. I don’t know what the answer is because clearly they’re playing the guys they believe are the best, but it hasn’t been good enough or even close to it. I’d even argue that the 2019 unit might have been better overall because at least they could pass protect.
--West Virginia had under 100-rushing yards again. That’s 18 of the 28 games that West Virginia has played under Neal Brown that they’ve failed to eclipse the century mark on the ground.
--If West Virginia is going to lose football games in this fashion, there is no reason that Brown shouldn’t insert Garrett Greene more, if not full-time, just to see what you’ve got there. It makes no sense to continue to play Jarret Doege if the entire team is just going to get rolled over regardless. I think Doege had some positives in this game despite facing a difficult pass rusher for most of the game and even was able to extend some plays with his feet, but we know the limitations there and it’s important to see what, if anything, the Mountaineers are going to be able to get out of Greene this year or next.
--Doege didn’t play poorly overall, but again it’s the same limitations and a failure to produce in the biggest moments that continue to haunt him. He was 3-7 on third down and generated only one scoring drive in three red zone trips with the game in balance. He did spark the offense at times and made some nice throws, but in the red zone he really struggled. I understand he’s going to get the blame from a lot of people for anything that happens on this team, but I do think he’s made improvements the past two games. He was 3-5 on deep balls in this game before things got out of control to showcase some of what I’ve mentioned. But with these type of results, you really have to evaluate playing for the future if not for the future of your football team than for the sake of the fan base.
--Greene has a way to go as a passer but at least gives you an exciting option in the run game and you can build some packages for him moving forward if the coaches elect to go that route. What else do you have to lose at this stage if the rest of the team isn’t going to play with effort in every situation? I don’t know the answer, but I can say with confidence that the fan base isn’t going to accept trotting out the same stuff with these type of results week after week.
--The offense was 2-12 on third downs before they elected to basically waive the white flag. Woof. A big reason for that? Average distance was 8.5 yards which made it nearly impossible for a team that couldn’t protect to execute in those situations.
--Every time Winston Wright touched the ball it was a positive. Problem is that didn’t happen nearly enough with only 6 touches when the game actually mattered. He is one of the only players on the roster that has the ability to make things happen on his own and that must be a priority.
--The end of the half sequence is just unacceptable. I see the reasoning, somewhat, if you don’t trust your offense and want to try to take it into the half and make some adjustments. But first, the Mountaineers didn’t take a timeout and allowed Baylor to bleed the clock and then basically ran a play that had no chance of generating anything outside of running the time out. I understand that there can be trust issues with the offense at large, but you’re giving yourself no shot at all by simply playing it safe. West Virginia entered the break down 28-10 and that was largely seen as waving the white flag and it’s easy to see why many people would believe that after another very poor half of football. Clock management continues to be an issue and this week West Virginia goes into the half with two timeouts in their pocket after not having any to end the game last week. The offense also had to take a timeout on the first play of the game when the play clock was ticking down.
--The Mountaineers allowed 28 points and 322 yards of total offense in the first half and truthfully I don’t think Baylor did anything that I would consider surprising. The Bears relied on running the football, their short passing game and then hitting some shots down the field out of play action and it was like the West Virginia defense had never seen it. There were plenty of instances where receivers were running free with nobody even near them and it was just a deflating effort. The Bears averaged 22.6 yards per completion in the first half and the Mountaineers allowed more points and yards in those first two quarters than every game this season outside of Maryland and the yardage with Texas Tech. Woof. Things didn’t get much better in the second half allowing two scores on the first drive to put the game out of reach. This just wasn’t the effort on that side of the ball that we’re accustomed to seeing.
--The West Virginia defense came into the game No. 2 nationally averaging 9.0 tackles for loss. The Mountaineers had 3 in this game and even that number surprised me.
--It was good to see some of the younger players get on the field and get their opportunities, but it also shows you why some of them haven’t with pass protection and some other issues. Still, as mentioned above, we’re at a critical junction now where you have to start thinking about the future if you’re going to get these type of efforts week-by-week. I’ve never in my entire career of doing this been one to look at such a move so early, but this type of effort makes it hard to think otherwise.
--It doesn’t matter in the final result and isn’t an excuse, but how do you pick up a holding penalty when a player is literally tackled to the ground by an offensive lineman? Shew.
--One positive on this team has been the play of kicker Casey Legg. I had real questions there entering the season, but he knocked through two more field goals today and still hasn’t missed this year. That’s one of the true unexpected bright spots of this season.
--Both teams were 3-3 in the red zone, but the difference is and has been all season Baylor scored touchdowns. Critical mistakes continue to plague this team in key situations.
--West Virginia is 0-3 in the Big 12 for the first time since 2015 and I think it’s fair to say that any chances of playing in the title game have essentially dried up.
--The season isn’t over although it might feel like it right now. The Mountaineers are 2-4 and enter a critical bye week to try to regroup or come out with a plan moving forward. This team is in real danger of things going off the rails completely and Brown and these coaches are going to be tested. That’s why they’re paid to correct it though and these next six weeks are going to determine a lot moving forward.
