Hurricane Florence compelled the West Virginia Mountaineers to watch the action around the country this weekend instead of bolstering its own resume. Fortunately, it doesn’t appear that West Virginia or Will Grier lost any momentum heading into their Big 12 opener against Kansas State. This Saturday, the Mountaineers seek to extend their streak against the Wildcats to three wins. The teams kick off at 3:30 at Milan Puskar Stadium in a game that will be nationally televised on ESPN.
The Wildcats
What more can be said about Head Coach Bill Snyder? While nearing the end of his illustrious career, Coach Snyder still commands respect. And even though his Wildcats have started the season slowly, nobody doubts his ability to improve his team. The Wildcats started the season by narrowly escaping defeat at the hands of FCS South Dakota 27-24. Then, Kansas State suffered a rare lopsided loss at the hands of Mississippi State, as the Bulldogs cruised to a 31-10 victory in Manhattan.
First Two Games
Through those first two games, the Wildcats turned the ball over five times while forcing only one. Additionally, the Wildcats recorded only two sacks while surrendering seven. Collectively, the team only had two tackles for loss in those two games. This is definitely not the start for which new Defensive Coordinator Blake Seiler hoped.
The offense did not fare any better. Uncharacteristically for Snyder-coached teams, the offense lost the football five times in the first two games. As a result, absent an 85-yard punt return by Isaiah Zuber in the fourth quarter against South Dakota, the Wildcats would have started the season 0-2. In those two games, redshirt sophomore quarterback Skylar Thompson completed only 15 of his 31 passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns, adding 92 yards on the ground over 23 carries. And redshirt junior running back Alex Barnes racked up only 178 yards on 38 carries, for 4.7 yards per attempt. In total, the offense averaged well under five yards per play during those first two games.
Last Weekend
Kansas State jumpstarted its passing offense against University of Texas-San Antonio last weekend, resulting in a 41-17 win. Thompson had a much better outing, throwing for 213 yards and two touchdowns while adding 66 yards and another touchdown on the ground. Zuber hauled in seven receptions for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Barnes, however, managed only 50 yards on 13 carries, for an average of only 3.8 per attempt, a far cry from his first season’s average of over 7 per carry. The Wildcats still turned the ball over twice. Fortunately, UTSA was unable to capitalize on the favorable turnover margin (they gave the ball back to the Wildcats only once).
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, defensive playmakers still did not step up in the win. Kansas State was particularly ineffective up front, as they tallied only four tackles for loss and one sack against UTSA. By comparison, UTSA managed nine tackles for loss and three sacks against the Wildcats. Despite this lack of pressure, the defense continued its time-honored tradition of bending without breaking. The effort, while uninspired, was sufficient to seal the win.
Mountaineers Extend Streak
So far this season, West Virginia has shown a balanced, efficient offense. While Will Grier was criticized last season for opting too often for the long ball, he has shown the poise and maturity this season to take what opposing defenses give him. As a result, the Mountaineers have regularly sustained long scoring drives. Do not expect this to change as the Wildcats have been unable to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. As usual, Kansas State will likely cover the home run plays well, but West Virginia’s balanced attack will carry the day.
The Wildcats will pose a moderate challenge to the Mountaineers’ secondary, and Thompson’s legs will keep the linebackers honest. That said, the Wildcats’ offensive line has regressed, allowing substantial pressure. The Mountaineers’ front is more than capable of generating big plays as a result. This will keep the pressure off the secondary.
The last four games between these teams have been decided by a total of 13 points, with two games being one-point decisions. History favors a close game, but expect the Mountaineers to jump out early. To date, the Mountaineers have surrendered only 40 yards in the first quarter through two games. Expect more of the same. West Virginia takes this one 45-17, extending its win streak against the Wildcats to three.
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