The West Virginia Mountaineers defeated the Baylor Bears, 70-63, in an epic shootout on Saturday afternoon in Morgantown, W. Va.
The two teams combined for nearly 1,500 yards of total offense, as both quarterbacks put up gaudy numbers in picking apart the opposing defenses. West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith threw for 656 yards, overshadowing Baylor's Nick Florence, who racked up 581 yards through the air.
The teams were deadlocked, 35-35, at halftime. They went back-and-forth for the first two quarters, as neither team led by more than a touchdown at any point. That changed in the third quarter, when the Mountaineers scored 21 unanswered points to begin the second half. Of course, that didn't last for long, as the Bears came storming back to get to within a score shortly after the start of the fourth quarter.
West Virginia went back up by two scores on two different occasions in the final quarter, but Baylor answered each time. The Mountaineers were ultimately able to run out the clock on their last possession, as the Bears elected to kick deep after their final touchdown. Their defense, of course, was unable to keep West Virginia from getting a couple of first downs to close things out.
Box Score Hero: Smith had a performance for the ages, throwing for more touchdowns (eight) than incomplete passes (six). His final line? 45-of-51 for 656 yards and eight touchdowns. Just for fun, he also added 31 yards on the ground. Five of Smith's touchdown passes were caught by Stedman Bailey, who reeled in 13 balls for 303 yards.
Baylor quarterback Nick Florence was terrific as well, completing 29 of 47 passes for 581 yards and five touchdowns.
Rankings Ramifications: Baylor should fall out of the rankings, while West Virginia will at least pass Stanford, who lost to Washington on Thursday.
But Did They Cover? The Mountaineers were 11 and a half-point favorites, but only won by seven. Baylor bettors get the money there, while anyone who took the over on total points is a winner.
For More On This Game: Head over to The Smoking Musket for more on West Virginia, while additional coverage on Baylor can be found at Our Daily Bears.
Next Week's Schedule: West Virginia: Oct. 6 at Texas; Baylor: Oct. 13 vs. TCU.
