LAWRENCE, Kan. – West Virginia takes its ground attack to the Land of Oz for today’s Big 12 Conference game against Kansas at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas.

 

The Mountaineers’ last trip here in 2013 resulted in a 31-19 Jayhawk victory when running back James Sims ran for 211 yards and two touchdowns. That victory snapped Kansas’ 27-game losing streak in Big 12 play.

 

Last year in Morgantown, West Virginia defeated Kansas, 33-14, in a tough, physical game.

 

Despite Kansas’ 0-10 record this year, Mountaineer coaches have been impressed with how hard the Jayhawks are continuing to play and expect another tough battle this afternoon.

 

A victory will make West Virginia bowl eligible for the fourth time in five seasons under coach Dana Holgorsen.

 

Today’s game will kick off at noon ET and will be televised on FSN (Aaron Goldsmith, Brian Baldinger and Leslie McCaslin). The Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG’s coverage begins with the Mountaineer Tailgate Show at 8:30 a.m. leading into game coverage at 11 a.m. with Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Jed Drenning on affiliates throughout West Virginia and also online through leanStream and the mobile app TuneIn.

 

Here is today’s Countdown to Kickoff, presented by the Friends of Coal:

 

10 – TEN Mountaineers players are on track to graduate when the 2015 regular season is completed: Darren Arndt, Cody Clay, Karl Joseph, Marquis Lucas, Tony Matteo, Nick O’Toole, Shaq Petteway, Kyle Rose, Sean Walters and Dayron Wilson.

 

9 – Quarterback Skyler Howard has completed NINE passes of 40 yards or longer this year, seven of those going for touchdowns including last Saturday’s 53-yard touchdown toss to Jovon Durante against Texas.

 

8 – Junior running back Wendell Smallwood had his EIGHTH career 100-yard rushing game last Saturday against Texas with a career-best, 165-yard performance. Smallwood has now rushed for 328 yards in his last two games.

 

7 – Five different West Virginia defenders have produced at least SEVEN tackles for losses, led by junior defensive tackle Noble Nwachukwu’s 8½ negative yardage plays heading into today’s game.

 

6 – SIX Mountaineer players have now seen action on more than 500 plays, including four who have logged more than 600 snaps heading into today’s game against the Jayhawks.

 

5 – Sophomore wide receiver Ka’Raun White caught a season-high FIVE passes two weeks ago against Texas Tech, and he shows eight catches for 105 yards in his last two games against Texas Tech and Texas.

 

4 – West Virginia ranks FOURTH in the country this week with 16 interceptions. Overall, the Mountaineers have produced 22 turnovers so far this season.

 

3 – West Virginia has scored THREE special teams touchdowns over last two seasons, including Shelton Gibson’s 100-yard kickoff return for a score earlier this year at Baylor.

 

2 – Last Saturday Wendell Smallwood (1,119 yards) became just the SECOND running back under Dana Holgorsen at West Virginia to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season. The first to do so was Charles Sims in 2013.

 

1 – The Mountaineers are averaging 5.8 yards per play on FIRST down this year, producing 1,882 total yards on 326 plays.

 

Enjoy today’s game and be sure to stop back afterward for complete postgame coverage.