West Virginia Offensive Players to Watch vs. Baylor
The Baylor Bears are coming off a much needed bye week following their loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Following the bye week they have a short week, as they are hitting the road to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers on Thursday night.
Baylor had no trouble dispatching West Virginia last season, cruising to a 45-20 blowout victory. West Virginia was held to 362 yards of total offense in the loss, as they failed to crack 100 rushing yards, finishing with 92 yards.
This season, though, the Mountaineers have not had any trouble producing a potent offense. Through five games this season they are averaging 38 points a game on 455 yards of total offense, despite a 2-3 record.
If the Bears want to bounce back from their loss to Oklahoma State, slowing down the Mountaineer offense will be a big step in doing so.
This week at InsidetheBears.com, we are providing an in-depth look at the Mountaineers ahead of Baylor's Thursday night matchup. Today, we will look at a few offensive players for the Mountaineers that could give the Bears trouble on defense.
Quarterback JT Daniels
When Daniels transferred to the Mountaineers in the offseason many believed he would bring the West Virginia offense to life, which it sorely needed. Through five games it is safe to say he has done just that, as the Mountaineer offense is night and day compared to last season.
Daniels has been the catalyst for the West Virginia on offense, even if its record doesn't look promising to start the season. He has thrown for 1,209 yards and eight touchdowns, completing 63.5 percent of his passes. If he can solve the Bears defense then the Mountaineers will be able to hang around in this game.
Receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton
If anyone is happy about the transfer of Daniels, it is receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton, who has been the quarterback's favorite target to start the season.
Ford-Wheaton leads the Mountaineers in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns so far. He has recorded 35 receptions for 412 yards and four touchdowns, averaging an impressive 11.8 yards per catch. He is big bodied receiver that won't make life easy for the Baylor secondary.
Running Back CJ Donaldson
While Daniels has come in this season and drastically improved the West Virginia offense, he is not the sole catalyst behind the improvement. Rather, his influence has opened up things for CJ Donaldson, whose life in the running game has gotten much easier.
Donaldson is second on the Mountaineers in total carries to fellow running back Tony Mathis Jr., but he leads the team in both rushing yards and touchdowns with 389 yards and six touchdowns respectively.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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Connor Zimmerlee is a writer and reporter for the FanNation network. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media.