Three Takeaways: November 11
11/11/2024 8:49:00 PM | Football
Bears have to prepare for West Virginia’s two very different QBs
Baylor Bear Insider Jerry Hill gives his three takeaways from Monday's weekly press conference with head coach Dave Aranda talking about the bye week and this week's matchup between Baylor (5-4, 3-3) and West Virginia (5-4, 4-2), which kicks off at 3 p.m. CT Saturday in Morgantown, W. Va., and will be broadcast by ESPN2:
- PASS DEFENSE NEEDS TO IMPROVE: Ranked toward the bottom of the league in pass defense efficiency, the Bears have allowed more than 300 yards in each of the last three games and eight touchdowns with two interceptions and six sacks. "We have improve playing the ball when it's in the air. I think that's been something that has not improved since the beginning of the year," Aranda said. "When we're playing zones, we've got to communicate and execute those zone responsibilities better."
- TRIGG A 'MISMATCH': Baylor's third-leading receiver on the season, Ole Miss transfer Michael Trigg (6-4, 246) is a mismatch problem for opposing defenses, whether the junior tight end has a linebacker or safety trying to cover him. Over the last four games, he's hauled in 17 catches for 169 yards and a touchdown, coming up big with a catch on 4th-and-9 in the game-winning drive against TCU. "The physicality of he's so long that what likes just a glancing blow has just sent guys flying. And he's fast, too," Aranda said. "As the season's gone on, he's gotten more and more locked into his job description is and what the assignments and the roles are. And his confidence has grown with the mastery of that. I think there's total trust between him and Sawyer (Robertson) and (offensive coordinator Jake Spavital) and the whole group. He can really flourish. I think he has things really just kind of the start for him, though."
- PREPARING FOR TWO QBs: At his weekly press conference, West Virginia coach Neal Brown was non-committal on whether or not quarterback Garrett Greene will get the start this week after missing the previous two games with an upper-body injury. Aranda said the defense has to prepare for both Greene and sophomore Nicco Marchiol, who has completed 27-of-37 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns with one pick in leading the Mountaineers to road wins over Arizona and Cincinnati. "I think there's more of a sit back and throw it with (Marchiol)," Aranda said. "You could just sense it off watching film, they're comfortable in that space with him. Less quarterback run than (Greene). The guy that started before was more quarterback run, less drop back pass. They move him around a lot. So, it'll be interesting to see kind of how that is moving forward."
Players Mentioned
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