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Countdown to Kickoff
December 05, 2015 09:50 AM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia concludes its regular season with today’s game against 5-6 Kansas State at Bill Snyder Family in Manhattan, Kansas.
West Virginia, 7-4, 4-4, is seeking an eighth victory for the first time since joining the Big 12 Conference in 2012 and its first victory against the Wildcats since the move to the new league.
West Virginia lost, 55-14, to Kansas State in Morgantown in 2012, fell, 35-12, to the Wildcats in Manhattan two years ago and was defeated, 26-20, in Morgantown last season.
Kansas State is looking to become bowl eligible for the 17th time under veteran coach Bill Snyder and will recognize its 18-player senior class before today’s game.
Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. ET and the game will be televised nationally on FS1 (Joe Davis, Brady Quinn and Kris Budden). The Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG’s coverage begins at 1 p.m. with the Mountaineer Tailgate Show leading in to regular game coverage at 3:30 p.m. on stations throughout West Virginia and online through leanStream and the mobile app TuneIn.
Here is today’s Countdown to Kickoff, presented by the Friends of Coal:
10 – The Mountaineers have had TEN 100-yard rushing performances so far this year, seven coming from junior Wendell Smallwood, two coming from junior Rushel Shell and one coming from quarterback Skyler Howard.
9 – West Virginia’s defense has allowed just NINE points in its last nine quarters against Texas, Kansas and Iowa State. WVU is ranked 41st in the country this week allowing 23.1 points per game.
8 – West Virginia is seeking an EIGHTH victory for the first time since joining the Big 12 in 2012.
7 – SEVEN of West Virginia’s eight scoring plays of 40 yards or longer from scrimmage have come through the air. WVU’s lone long scoring run from scrimmage occurred in week four when quarterback Skyler Howard ran for a 50-yard touchdown against Oklahoma.
6 – Shelton Gibson’s SIX catches for 148 yards last weekend against Iowa State were the most he’s made since week three when he had six catches for 118 yards in a 45-6 win over Maryland.
5 – Quarterback Skyler Howard has attempted 30 or more passes in a game just FIVE times this year; last year West Virginia quarterbacks averaged 41 pass attempts per game.
4 – West Virginia wide receivers have produced FOUR 100-yard games this year, three of those coming from Shelton Gibson and the other coming from true freshman Jovon Durante.
3 – The Mountaineer defense has allowed just THREE scoring drives this season of 12 plays or longer, one of those being a bizarre, 19-play, 43-yard scoring drive last week against Iowa State that featured two successful fake punt tries by the Cyclones.
2 – Quarterback Skyler Howard has been the team’s leading rusher in the Mountaineers’ last TWO games, running for a season-high 129 yards at Kansas two weeks ago and gaining 73 yards in last weekend’s win against Iowa State
1 – Running back Wendell Smallwood is looking to become the FIRST player since Steve Slaton in 2006 to rush for more than 1,500 yards in a season. Smallwood shows 1,306 yards with two games remaining.
Enjoy today’s game and be sure to stop back afterward for complete postgame coverage.
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