Baylor Vs. West Virginia: Bears Take On Geno Smith, Mountaineers

The Baylor Bears face their toughest challenge yet in 2012 on Saturday, as they head to West Virginia to take on the ninth-ranked Mountaineers.

West Virginia has been nothing short of dominant, averaging 47.3 points per game. The Mountaineers are led by Geno Smith, who has to be considered a Heisman candidate. Smith has completed 81.4 percent of his passes for 1,072 yards, while throwing 11 touchdowns without an interception.

Needless to say, West Virginia goes as Smith goes -- and if Baylor is going to pull off the upset on Saturday, they'll need to contain Smith.

Baylor, though, boasts a solid passing game as well. Senior quarterback Nick Florence has thrown for 1,004 yards on the season, with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. Florence has also picked up 159 yards on the ground. The Bears average 361.7 yards per game through the air -- fifth best in the country.

Baylor also averages 207 rushing yards per game. Jarred Salubi has rushed for 221 yards on the season on 46 carries -- good for a 4.8 yards per carry average.

The early week lines have West Virginia has 12.5 point favorites over Baylor.

Saturday's contest for Baylor begins a three-game stretch for the Bears against opponents ranked in the top 15, as the Bears will face the TCU Horned Frogs and Texas Longhorns after the Mountaineers.

Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT in West Virginia. Televised coverage can be found on FX.

For the latest on all things Baylor, check out Our Daily Bears.