West Virginia, Baylor getting offensive

Some much-hyped matchups actually live up to billing. Saturday’s Big 12 Conference football game between Baylor and West Virginia is a prime example.

The teams came in averaging a combined 98 points a game, with Nick Florence, the nation’s total offense leader, in command for Baylor and Geno Smith, a leading Heisman Trophy candidate, at the controls for West Virginia.

The score at the half: 35-35.

The final play of the half pretty much summed up the action so far.

Baylor was at its own 33-yard line as quarterback Florence dropped back to pass. Under a heavy rush, he scrambled away, tucked the ball as if he was going to run, then at the last second, right at the line of scrimmage, lofted a pass toward Lanear Sampson at the West Virginia 45.

Sampson caught it, slipped a tackle, and completed a 67-yard scoring play.

However, before the touchdown became official, there was a long video review of the play. Replays showed Florence right at the line of scrimmage when he threw the pass, but the officials let the call on the field stand -- probably because there was not indisputable evidence that Florence was beyond the line.

Florence has already passed for 321 yards, completing 11 of 16 passes with two touchdowns and an interception.

For West Virginia, Smith has completed 26 of 28 passes for 288 yards and four touchdowns.

The teams have already combined for 736 yards in total offense.

The game resembles last year’s Alamo Bowl, when Baylor outlasted Washington, 67-56. That game led to outster of Washington’s defensive staff.

The “over-under” for the Baylor-West Virginia game was set at 81, which may turn out to be way too low.

Incredibly, the 70 combined first half points do not approach the Big 12 record. In 2008, Oklahoma led Kansas State, 55-28, for a total of 83 points.

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