Baylor @ West Virginia preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 5, 2013 ) West Virginia 42, Baylor 73

How does No. 4 Baylor follow up one of the greatest comebacks in school history, rallying from 21 down in the fourth quarter to top previously unbeaten TCU? The Bears hope to build on that momentum as they travel to Morgantown to face a West Virginia squad that's also coming off a big come-from-behind win. The Mountaineers only rallied from a 14-point deficit before kicking a 55-yard field goal on the game's final play to top Texas Tech last weekend.

This game could be as high-scoring as last week's Baylor 61-58 win, with the Bears averaging 52.7 points while the Mountaineers put up 36.7 points a contest. Quarterback will certainly be a position of interest; West Virginia's Clint Trickett leads the Big 12 in passing yards a game with 367.2 while Baylor's Bryce Petty is third with a 306.8 average. The Bears' edge could be in the running game — Shock Linwood is the only conference back averaging more than 100 yards on the ground — and defense, with Baylor allowing a league-best 20 points per game.

TV: Noon ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: Baylor -8

ABOUT BAYLOR (6-0, 3-0 Big 12): While much of the attention on the Baylor offense after the win over TCU has gone to Petty, Bears coach Art Briles has made sure to talk up Linwood, who rushed for 178 yards on 29 carries. Briles would like to use Linwood more to take some pressure off the passing game, feeling that the sophomore helps power the team when he's running well. “He is a guy that provides passion because when he runs, he runs with everything he's got — and he's got a lot,” Briles said. “Everyone in the locker room respects that guy, without question.”

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (4-2, 2-1): While the Mountaineers have been giving up points this year — only Towson and Kansas have failed to reach 30 against West Virginia — coach Dana Holgorsen has been happy with his defense. Playing against the high-powered teams in the Big 12 — as well as non-conference foe Alabama — Holgorsen isn't expecting his team to shut teams down the entire game, but he's encouraged by the constant effort on that side of the ball. “We're not going to suffocate teams like Baylor or Texas Tech or Oklahoma State or TCU,” Holgorsen said. “Nobody is. What you can do is you can keep playing defense, maintain a positive attitude and get excited about key stops and being able to have key stops translate into winning games.”

EXTRA POINTS

1. Baylor has scored at least one touchdown in 22 of 24 quarters it has played this season.

2. West Virginia has produced a school-record five straight games with 500 or more yards of total offense.

3. The teams have met twice before, with the winner in each contest scoring at least 70 points.

PREDICTION: Baylor 54, West Virginia 42