The West Virginia Mountaineers finished the first quarter of their regular season last Thursday. The second quarter begins this week against the Texas Longhorns. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m., and FS1 will televise the game. We are previewing the Mountaineers’ trip to Austin.
Previewing the Mountaineers’ Trip to Austin
Both Teams at Crossroads
Both Texas and West Virginia enter Saturday’s game sporting even records at two wins and two losses each. Each team expected better early. As a result, both teams find themselves at a crossroads.
For Head Coach Steve Sarkisian, he wants to see his Longhorns prove their pre-season encouragers right. He wants–perhaps needs–Texas to “be back.” The Longhorns certainly field plenty of talent. Offensively, they feature weapons Bijan Robinson, a pre-season Heisman candidate, Xavier Worthy, and both Quinn Ewers and Hudson Card at quarterback. Ewers remains the presumptive starter when healthy, but Card has played well in Ewers’ stead. Sarkisian has not lost the fan base yet, but he is dangerously close to losing it.
For Head Coach Neal Brown, he wants to see his Mountaineers prove their pre-season detractors wrong. Many predicted WVU to finish this season with a worse record (just five wins) than last despite the addition of JT Daniels to the roster. The Mountaineers, after all, have been “close” for a few years now. With better quarterback play, they may have won three more games last season. This season, they are still four plays from an undefeated start. Brown knows that “close” does not cut it, however. Fans’ patience wears thin, too, which warms up his seat considerably.
Previewing Texas
Texas has had trouble running up the middle, even with Robinson. The interior linemen have faced some growing pains, though Sarkisian seems intent on establishing a power run game. Indeed, they average 32 run plays per game to 29 pass plays per game offensively. Some of that has to do with the quarterback. While both Ewers and Card possess plenty of talent, Card does not process the game as quickly as Ewers at this point in his career. Card will most likely start one more game as Ewers recovers from his injury.
Robinson, of course, remains a dangerous weapon for the Longhorns, as he averages over six yards per carry on 67 rushes. Worthy, on the other hand, has been banged up and has looked less dominant so far this season. He has just 14 catches for 212 yards. Jordan Whittington leads the team in receptions (18) and ranks second in receiving yards (199).
Defensively, Texas looked dominant against Alabama, but they have not swarmed the ball as well the past two games. Through four games, they count just eight sacks and two turnovers forced. That said, they generally play with sound fundamentals, and, when at their best, they keep plays in front of them well. They look vulnerable through the air, surrounding 245 yards per game. The run defense remains solid, as they yield just three-and-a-half yards per carry.
Mountaineers Must Start Strong and Defend the Pass
Last week, the Mountaineers started slow offensively, and they need to start stronger to keep pace in what could be a high-scoring affair. Texas’ defense gives up just under 22 points per game, and they score nearly 37. That said, the Longhorns gave up 37 points to Texas Tech last week. The Red Raiders did their damages largely through the air, accumulating 331 yards on 56 attempts. Tempo offense gave the Longhorns fits, too, as Texas Tech ran a total of 82 plays.
The Mountaineers have fared well against the run, giving up fewer than 100 yards per game and just over three yards per carry. They must, of course, continue to attack the run well. If Sarkisian continues to pound the middle early, West Virginia should fare well. If he starts running on the edges early, however, this could leave the Mountaineers off balance.
Against the pass, West Virginia has fared a little worse, giving up 204 yards per game but looking vulnerable in the zone. Opposing teams like Pitt and Virginia Tech have also left about 100 yards on the field with dropped passes. The Longhorns’ receivers will not be as forgiving. The secondary, as a result, needs to take another step forward this week to limit big plays from the Longhorns. Newcomers like Jacolby Spells will certainly be asked to perform this weekend.
In previewing the Mountaineers’ trip to Austin, we hesitate to predict a result. Before the season, we circled this as a possible win, but the Longhorns find themselves in as precarious a spot as the Mountaineers: both teams are boxing out of the corner. This makes both teams dangerous. Ultimately, we think we will see another game like last week, where both teams score in the mid-30s and the game will come down to the final exchange of possessions. If West Virginia can force another final-quarter turnover, we think they can squeak by, but the task will not be easy.
