Baylor (1-0, 1-0) at West Virginia (1-1, 0-1)

Site: Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, WV

Time/Day: 11:00 a.m. Saturday

TV/Radio: ABC/ESPN Central Texas

Betting Line: Baylor -2 1/2

Series: West Virginia leads, 5-3

First things, first. Baylor finally played a football game last week. Given the extraordinary circumstances everyone has been through in 2020, the fact that the season could finally get under way is a little victory.

Then the Bears capped it was an easy 47-14 rout of Kansas in both the season and Big 12 opener. For the first time in 27 years, a new Baylor head coach won his debut.

For that, Dave Aranda was presented with the game ball.

Now, that the pleasantries and excitement have eased, the business of pursuing the rest of the season is in full stride. There is some work to do as the Bears play their first road game of 2020.

“There’s an excitement that comes when knowing that a game is pending,’’ Aranda said. “But the more clear and precise those things are, the more settled I think we are come game time. I think those will get better with it being your second time through.”

The Bears travel to a place where they have never won - Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, WV. They are 0-4 there and would like to get that first one in the left column.

But this trip is a little different. Playing the Mountaineers in front of a rowdy 60,000 fans who want you to lose is difficult. They won’t be there. West Virginia will not have any fans in the stands because the current COVID-19 protocols.

“I feel like the no fans, there will be an effect there,’’ Aranda said. “But, we would really like for our players and our coaches to just be so tuned in to what we’re doing and what the exact call or situation requires, that that stuff just kind of fades away.”

Here are some elements to look for

>The offensive line should have a different lineup to it vs. what it started against Kansas last week. Center Xavier Newman-Johnson is back following his one-game off the field situation. Everything has been trending for right guard Blake Bedier and right tackle Jake Burton to be a part of things. If so, it was then a question of whether they would start or be a part of the rotation. That’s probably a game-time scenario.

>Baylor’s passing game didn’t look that impressive against the Jayhawks throwing for just 149 yards (Charlie Brewer had 142 of them). To be honest, it didn’t need to be flashy. Still, it would have been a little more reassuring had it been more effective. Lead receiver Tyquan Thornton was targeted only once in the game. Given the upgrade of athleticism the Bears are going to be facing, that part of the offense needs to be much more crisp.

>The early returns are that West Virginia’s defense could create some issues. The Mountaineers are allowing just 274 yards per game (2nd in the Big 12) and are the top passing defense at 135 yards per game. Safety Alonzo Addae is off to a fast start with 16 tackles and one of the two defensive interceptions. Linebacker Tony Fields has been a presence in the middle of the defense with 19 stops and the other INT.

>WVU RB Leddie Brown is off to a good start with 227 yards through his first two games. He was over 100 yards last week in Stillwater, OK. He could be the key to helping QB Jarret Doege who was erratic last week against the Cowboys. West Virginia followers believed Doege simply missed some makeable throws.

Notable

With 7,884 passing yards, Charlie Brewer is 3rd all-time on Baylor’s passing yards list. He could pass Bryce Petty (8,195) if he throws for 312 yards Saturday. But he should pass Petty at some point this fall. Robert Griffin III holds the record at 10,366.

Keys to the Game

>Hit the A Gaps – With an inexperienced line last week with Jason Moore at center, Mose Jeffery at right guard and Casey Phillips at right tackle, the Bears weren’t keen on running between the tackles. Most of their rushing yards were on the edge. With the potential returns of Newman-Johnson, Bedier and Burton that could change how Baylor will approach that part of the running game. There has to be a considerable effort to hit that part of the defense for 3-6 yards consistently.

>Alpha or Zeta? – You don’t become an alpha wide receiver because you’re supposedly next in line. You earn it because of the things you do on and off the field. This could be an important game for Tyquan Thornton to put last week’s disappointment against the Jayhawks behind him and be more involved. Frustrated or not, he needs to be better for this wide receiver corps to be better.

>Harass Doege – While the West Virginia QB missed some throws last week, he also got his fair share of pressure that he didn’t handle very well. He’s been sacked five times in the first two games. Baylor’s defense got off to an encouraging start against Kansas. If a learn-on-the-go defensive line can handle this challenge against a Mountaineer offensive line that’s had its own share of issues, that may make a difference. It will be interesting to watch if Aranda and defensive coordinator Ron Roberts will blitz and how much. Terrel Bernard would be the likely candidate to do that.

>Survive the chaos – Really, Baylor’s four previous trips to West Virginia haven’t begun with the nightmare starting immediately. Obviously, the 58-14 blowout loss in 2018 was a disaster starting in the second quarter. It really comes down to just finding that mental edge that when things turn south – they happen in most football games and come in all shapes and sizes – and the Bears are going to have to react better and respond. Without an opposing crowd breathing down their throats, they have a chance to do that.

Prediction

Neal Brown is still rebuilding West Virginia. Dave Aranda has some challenges of his own with Baylor. What I believe this will come down to is how well the offense makes the improvement from Kansas to this one. That really means the passing game. Brewer likely will be asked to throw it more. I do not expect this to be an up-and-down battle. West Virginia’s defense appears to be pretty decent. I liked what I saw from Baylor’s defense. Yet this game will tell us a lot more about what the 2020 Bears are all about. Winning on the road is really hard. This is a coinflip game. Heads Baylor. Tails West Virginia.

I’m going heads.

Baylor 23, West Virginia 18