Waco’s McLane Stadium and its 55,000 attendees proved a friendly combination for the improving Baylor 2021 football team. Forging a 28-10 halftime lead and scoring in each quarter, the now 5-1 Bears (3-1 in Big 12 Conference play) emerged with a resounding 45-21 victory against the West Virginia Mountaineers.
The win was a good change of pace after a poor outing against Oklahoma State the week prior. Though votes have begun to accumulate in favor of the Bears, this weekend did not carry enough to insert them back into the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
The victory against WVA is the outstanding highlight of the Bears’ Fourth Year Junior QB Gerry Bohanon.
A 75-yard TD connection on the game’s second offensive snap between him and Tyquan Thornton set the tone, with Bohanon continuing to play it masterfully. He ended the day with career single-game highs of 336 yards passing and four touchdown throws. None of his 29 throws met with an interception, an effort that extended his remarkable run of 183 career attempts without a pick. Other highlights are listed below:
- Bohanon was not sacked, whereas the stout Baylor defense snared WVA’s QB six times in his backfield, registering seven total tackles for a loss;
- The Bears did not leave their running game in the locker room. 32 rushing attempts gained 171 yards and a 5.3 yards per carry average for the game;
- Since “foot” continues to lead off the game’s name, Bears placekicker Isaiah Hankins nailed a 45 yard 3 pointer, while punter Isaac Power averaged 47.4 yards on his five kicks with not a single return yard for West Virginia;
Commenting on his team’s preparation during the week, Baylor Head Coach Dave Aranda assured listeners that “Tuesday was our best Tuesday. Then Wednesday was our best Wednesday. And so on.”
Clearly, in this case, an ounce of preparation led to a pound of good results. The quality work will need to continue as Baylor prepares to next take the field as host to 19th ranked Brigham Young University on the afternoon of October 16. A few weeks later, the Bears will face-off against Oklahoma and Texas, each also at home.