The Mountaineers are coming off a much needed win against TCU. Like last year's meeting it took overtime to decide a winner. With this win West Virginia is in great shape to make a bowl game, though likely one that is lesser-known. Even more good news for WVU is that Athletic Director Oliver Luck will be staying after rumors were swirling that he would become Texas’ new AD. And speaking of Texas, they pay a visit to Morgantown this week. They started off slowly, but after a change at defensive coordinator they come to WVU having won five in a row and undefeated in the Big 12.
Quarterback Clint Trickett played okay last week, but he will need to play a whole lot better this week. Trickett threw for 267 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions against the Horned Frogs. The Longhorns’ pass defense is very efficient since they are allowing just under 200 yards per game from opposing QBs. Trickett is going to have his work cut out for him, but in recent games he has shown that he can scramble and pick up decent yards on the ground. So even when the pressure gets there, he can turn a negative play into a positive play. Trickett may also be on the move a lot since the Texas defense has recorded twenty sacks this season for a total loss of 130 yards.
The one area of offense that the Mountaineers have been unstoppable in this season is the running game. If West Virginia wants to win this game, then they must establish a running game early and pound a terrible rush D. Charles Sims continues to be the go-to guy in the backfield. Last week he carried the ball 24 times for 154 yards and one touchdown. With Texas’ rush D giving up 194 yards per game, expect Sims to have another big game. Also look for Dreamius Smith to get more involved this week as well. He was used only seven times last week and on those seven carries he amassed just six yards.
While Sims was the only one to produce on the ground, through the air the wide receivers did a little bit better. Daikiel Shorts was the top receiver with six receptions for 98 yards. Shorts has played excellently this year and Trickett needs to look his way more often since he can make big plays when given the ball. Mario Alford has shown up in the last two games and has been a good safety net for Trickett. Much like in the running game, Sims had an impact in the passing game as well. He had three catches for 35 yards and a touchdown, showing that he can be a dual threat back. If he can stay healthy then expect many NFL teams to look at him.
There are still a few receivers on the team who are inconsistent and they need to start showing up, especially in big games like Saturday's. Jordan Thompson, Ivan McCartney and Kevin White all need to bring their A games this weekend and help out Trickett in the passing game. Thompson had an okay game against TCU, hauling in five catches for 34 yards. White was a lot less effective. Both need to come ready to play on Saturday. McCartney pops up here and there, but otherwise doesn’t really do too much. He is a great deep threat, and Trickett can get him the ball, but his Achilles’ heel this year has been drops. If he can limit his dropped passes then look for him to be more effective.
Without knowing which offense will show up, it is up to the defense sometimes to keep West Virginia in these close games. However, with them the same problem exists. The defense has been horribly inconsistent this year, not a comforting thought when faced with a fast moving team like Texas. The Longhorns can pass and run the ball better than any team that the Mountaineers have faced this season.
In the passing game, quarterback Case McCoy is averaging 243.6 yards per game. On the ground the Longhorns are rushing for 203 yards per game. As of right now, the passing game should be more of a concern since the secondary continues to show signs of weakness. McCoy will try to exploit this. However, McCoy does have a weakness of his own. He has thrown five interceptions this season with five touchdowns resulting. Last week the Mountaineers defense picked off Casey Pachall twice. Look for them to pick off McCoy at least twice in this game.
While the secondary has to take advantage of McCoy's interception-prone passing, the defensive line and linebackers have to watch out for running back Johnathan Gray. This season Gray has rushed for a total of 724 yards and four touchdowns. The Mountaineers’ rush defense is allowing 176 yards per game and Gray is definitely going to try to boost that average. The defensive front has done a decent job against running backs this season, but now with a guy like Gray running the ball they have to do a much better job. They will have to meet him at the line of scrimmage and prevent him from making big plays down the stretch.
This is going ot be a very interesting game to say the least since both teams seem pretty evenly matched. It is all going to come down to whose defense plays better and can they force the other team to turn the ball over. Whichever team does that will come out on top in this one. West Virginia’s defense has come up with 23 turnovers this season, while Texas’ has gotten 17 on the season. This game will be a battle until the end.
Also on a more personal note, this will be the final home game that I will attend as a student here at WVU. I have seen some great and some terrible teams in my four years here, but good or bad I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. I still remember singing Country Roads at the very first WVU game I went to my freshman year as they beat Coastal Carolina. I remember being in the stands when they played LSU at home, which has been by far the best game I’ve been to, even though WVU lost. When the final whistle blows, it’s going to feel a little weird since I will never see them play as a student ever again. That doesn’t mean I won’t see them play again though, I’m sure I’ll see them as a casual viewer and hopefully one day as a big time broadcaster.
Anyway, enough about me and onto the prediction and player of the game.
Prediction: WVU-30 Texas-26
Player of the Game: Charles Sims 17 carries 164 yards 2 TDs
Back to the West Virginia Mountaineers Newsfeed