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No. 23 WVU on upset alert while visiting Baylor

WACO, Texas — The last time junior David Sills V traveled to McLane Stadium on the campus of Baylor University the lanky wide receiver was hoping to test out his new skills as a pass catcher.

He got his wish as head coach Dana Holgorsen elected to put his quarterback-turned-receiver into the game to see if the coaching staff’s newest experiment was worth all the time they had spent teaching the Wilmington, Delaware native the skills of the trade.

“I remember pretty much everything that happened, how (head) coach (Dana) Holgorsen came about asking me and everything like that,” Sills explained. “Making the decision to play receiver, talking to a lot of guys on the team, whether they think I should burn my redshirt and play. Never playing receiver before, just playing on scout team.”

The experiment finished with mixed results when Sills, who would leave the program after WVU’s bowl win against Arizona State, hauled in two Skylar Howard passes for 64 yards and one touchdown.

“Then up to now, going to junior college for a year, getting quarterback all the way out of my system,” continued the receiver. “Now coming back, having the mindset to work hard and really just be the best that I can be. Coming back, I have taken that, the coaches do a great job up here. The strength coaches, the position coaches and everyone do a great job of pushing you and getting you to the highest level. Some people can take all of it and some people need to take it and keep pushing forward and keep going through it.

“They push us to our limits and you have to react to it and do whatever they say. At the end of the day, they are doing it to make you the best player that you can be. That is what I have tried to do since I came back here.”

And, so is Mountaineer Nation.

Heading into No. 23 West Virginia’s (4-2, 2-1 Big 12) seventh game of the season, Sills V finds himself listed among the elite pass catchers in the country and his name listed among other future NFL prospects when the Mid-Season All American list was released.

But, his mind still drifts back to that first time.

“When I decided to make the decision to burn my redshirt my freshman year, once I got onto the field in warmups and everything I was ready to go,” explained Sills V. “I didn’t have second thoughts about it. Then through the season my freshmen year I didn’t have any thoughts if I made a mistake or anything like that. I have always said that if I went back and redid my life I wouldn’t change anything. I would take anything that has happened. Really just try to make it a positive for me. I really didn’t have any regrets. When I burned my redshirt my freshman year, I had a great time. I have some awesome memories that I will remember forever.”

One of those, however, was not the final score as the then-No. 2 ranked Bears sent the Old Gold and Blue back to Morgantown with a 62-38 thumping.

Now, Sills V and his Mountaineer teammates return to Waco as the ranked team while the Bears (0-6, 0-3 Big 12) of first-year head coach Matt Rhule are still in search of their first win in 2017. 

WVU, which plays host to No. 10 Oklahoma State at noon next Saturday, will look to avoid the upset bug and the Mountaineers will lean heavily on an offense ranked No. 5 nationally in scoring (44.2 ppg) and No. 6 in passing (362.2 ypg) and total offense (547.2 ypg).

University of Florida transfer quarterback Will Grier (151-of-230, 2092 yards, 21 touchdowns) continues to impress every time he takes the field and has the weapons around him to keep opposing defenses on their heels.

Senior running back Justin Crawford (94-609, 7 TDs) leads a rushing attack that averages more than 200 yards per game and if defenses load the box to stop the run, Grier has been able to get the ball into the hands of a talented receiving corps which includes Sills V (39-601, 12 TDs), junior Gary Jennings Jr. (48-586, 1 TD), senior Ka’Raun White (31-461, 5 TDs) and sophomore Marcus Simms (17-315, 3 TDs).

“When I came back I texted him (Grier) and told him I was ready to work and whenever he wanted to throw, wherever he was, whenever I would be there. All of the receivers had that mindset so really just doing that. Building a relationship on and off the field, really shows in the games.”

Mountaineer fans are hoping it will continue to show against the Bears on Saturday night.

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