An in depth look at a BIG 12 Team
3 years 4 months ago - 3 years 4 months ago #173
by wvu4u2
An in depth look at a BIG 12 Team was created by wvu4u2
Editor’s note:This is the sixth in a 12-part series previewing WVU’s opponents for the 2021 football season.
Dave Aranda is a known defensive mastermind.For his Baylor Bears to take a step back toward respectability, his offense will have to take a major step forward — and without some key pieces.
The Bears finished 118th nationally in total offense (310 yards per game) and lost veteran quarterback Charlie Brewer (Utah) and running back John Lovett (Penn State) in the NCAA transfer portal.
Enter Jeff Grimes, who will take over as offensive coordinator after serving in the same role the last three seasons at BYU. Even with the departures, there are a few bright spots for Grimes to work with.The brightest likely comes at wide receiver, where the Bears are experienced and deep. Baylor returns its six leading pass-catchers from last season, led by senior RJ Sneed, who hauled in 39 passes for 497 yards and three scores last year. Junior Gavin Holmes (33 catches, 244 yards), senior Trestan Ebner (26 catches, 299 yards, three scores), senior Josh Fleeks (21 receptions, 181 yards), senior Tyquan Thornton (16 catches, 158 yards) and junior tight end Ben Sims (14 catches, 164 yards, three touchdowns) are also all back. That corps will be bolstered even further by Dartmouth transfer Drew Estrada.
Offensively, that’s the good news. Elsewhere, the question marks come fast and furious.
Brewer attempted all but 10 of Baylor’s passes last year and is second in school history with 9,700 passing yards.
His departure creates a seemingly wide-open race consisting of junior Gerry Bohanon, sophomore Jacob Zeno and freshmen Blake Shapen and Kyron Drones.
Whoever emerges out of that battle will play behind an offensive line that struggled in 2020 and is down three starters.
The Bears allowed the second-most sacks in the league in 2020 (31) and finished last in rushing yards per game (90.3).
The unit was bolstered a bit in the transfer portal as senior Grant Miller came in from Vanderbilt and Jacob Gall arrived from Buffalo.Returning players Connor Galvin and Xavier Newman-Johnson should also be squarely in the mix.
While the loss of Lovett, who led Baylor in rushing in 2018 and 2019, is significant, the Bears do have options in the backfield.
Ebner will figure into the mix for carries and sophomore Craig Williams flashed potential in rushing for 197 yards and two scores in just a four-game sample size.
While Ebner figures to make an impact both out of the backfield and as a receiver, he’s likely most dangerous on special teams, where he was a second-team All-American and the Big 12’s special teams player of the year after returning two kicks for touchdowns and averaging 32.2 yards per return.
While the offense has pieces, the defense will likely have to carry the Bears again, especially early. Baylor returns 22 players oon defense who saw snaps in 2020, and it all surrounds senior Terrel Bernard at linebacker. The two-time second-team All-Big 12 selection made 55 tackles with 6.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks in just five games before being sidelined the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.
The Bears’ entire secondary will return after finishing second in the league in pass defense (203 yards per game) a season ago. Senior hybrid safety Jalen Pitre led the Bears with 60 tackles and picked off two passes, with seniors J.T. Woods and Christian Morgan sharing the team lead with three picks each.
Up front, the Bears brought in sophomore Siaki Ika from LSU, and at 6-foot-4, 350 pounds, he figures to clog up the middle, freeing up junior TJ Franklin, senior Chidi Ogbonnaya and sophomore Gabe Hall to attack from the defensive end position.Junior Dillon Doyle will join Bernard at linebacker after finishing second on the team with 56 stops last season, with Abram Smith and Matt Jones factoring in as well.
West Virginia has won four of the last five games in the series against Baylor and six of nine since joining the league in 2012.
See more at WVGAZETTE.COM
or
Contact Ryan Pritt at 304-348-7948 orThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow him on Twitter @RPritt.
Dave Aranda is a known defensive mastermind.For his Baylor Bears to take a step back toward respectability, his offense will have to take a major step forward — and without some key pieces.
The Bears finished 118th nationally in total offense (310 yards per game) and lost veteran quarterback Charlie Brewer (Utah) and running back John Lovett (Penn State) in the NCAA transfer portal.
Enter Jeff Grimes, who will take over as offensive coordinator after serving in the same role the last three seasons at BYU. Even with the departures, there are a few bright spots for Grimes to work with.The brightest likely comes at wide receiver, where the Bears are experienced and deep. Baylor returns its six leading pass-catchers from last season, led by senior RJ Sneed, who hauled in 39 passes for 497 yards and three scores last year. Junior Gavin Holmes (33 catches, 244 yards), senior Trestan Ebner (26 catches, 299 yards, three scores), senior Josh Fleeks (21 receptions, 181 yards), senior Tyquan Thornton (16 catches, 158 yards) and junior tight end Ben Sims (14 catches, 164 yards, three touchdowns) are also all back. That corps will be bolstered even further by Dartmouth transfer Drew Estrada.
Offensively, that’s the good news. Elsewhere, the question marks come fast and furious.
Brewer attempted all but 10 of Baylor’s passes last year and is second in school history with 9,700 passing yards.
His departure creates a seemingly wide-open race consisting of junior Gerry Bohanon, sophomore Jacob Zeno and freshmen Blake Shapen and Kyron Drones.
Whoever emerges out of that battle will play behind an offensive line that struggled in 2020 and is down three starters.
The Bears allowed the second-most sacks in the league in 2020 (31) and finished last in rushing yards per game (90.3).
The unit was bolstered a bit in the transfer portal as senior Grant Miller came in from Vanderbilt and Jacob Gall arrived from Buffalo.Returning players Connor Galvin and Xavier Newman-Johnson should also be squarely in the mix.
While the loss of Lovett, who led Baylor in rushing in 2018 and 2019, is significant, the Bears do have options in the backfield.
Ebner will figure into the mix for carries and sophomore Craig Williams flashed potential in rushing for 197 yards and two scores in just a four-game sample size.
While Ebner figures to make an impact both out of the backfield and as a receiver, he’s likely most dangerous on special teams, where he was a second-team All-American and the Big 12’s special teams player of the year after returning two kicks for touchdowns and averaging 32.2 yards per return.
While the offense has pieces, the defense will likely have to carry the Bears again, especially early. Baylor returns 22 players oon defense who saw snaps in 2020, and it all surrounds senior Terrel Bernard at linebacker. The two-time second-team All-Big 12 selection made 55 tackles with 6.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks in just five games before being sidelined the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.
The Bears’ entire secondary will return after finishing second in the league in pass defense (203 yards per game) a season ago. Senior hybrid safety Jalen Pitre led the Bears with 60 tackles and picked off two passes, with seniors J.T. Woods and Christian Morgan sharing the team lead with three picks each.
Up front, the Bears brought in sophomore Siaki Ika from LSU, and at 6-foot-4, 350 pounds, he figures to clog up the middle, freeing up junior TJ Franklin, senior Chidi Ogbonnaya and sophomore Gabe Hall to attack from the defensive end position.Junior Dillon Doyle will join Bernard at linebacker after finishing second on the team with 56 stops last season, with Abram Smith and Matt Jones factoring in as well.
West Virginia has won four of the last five games in the series against Baylor and six of nine since joining the league in 2012.
See more at WVGAZETTE.COM
or
Contact Ryan Pritt at 304-348-7948 orThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow him on Twitter @RPritt.
Last edit: 3 years 4 months ago by wvu4u2.
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