MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - For the first time in 23 years, Milan Puskar Stadium will be the location for two top 10 college football teams when 10th-ranked West Virginia plays host to No. 8 Oklahoma on Saturday night in an 8 p.m. game televised nationally on ABC.
The 8-2 Sooners have won seven straight since beginning the season 1-2, with early losses to Houston and Ohio State. OU has rebounded to defeat its next seven opponents by an average of 17 ½ points per game, including recent blowout victories against Kansas State, Kansas and Baylor.
The Sooners bring the nation’s third-ranked offense and the ninth-ranked scoring attack to Morgantown.
If 8-1 West Virginia wants to inject its name into the college football playoff conversation, it is going to have to find a way to slow down Oklahoma’s three-pronged offensive attack of quarterback Baker Mayfield, running backs Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine and wide receiver Dede Westbrook, that has generated more than 40 points in five of its last seven games.
West Virginia’s defense has surrendered a Big 12-low 20.6 points per game, so something has to give on Saturday night.
“I know the atmosphere is going to be great,” said West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen. “I’m happy for Mountaineer Nation to be able to have this and I look forward to Saturday night.”
ABC’s No. 1 crew of Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbsteit and Sam Ponder will describe the action to a national television audience, while the Mountaineer Sports from IMG’s radio coverage begins with the Go-Mart Mountaineer Tailgate Show at 5 p.m. leading into regular game coverage with Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Jed Drenning an hour before kickoff.
Former West Virginia University great Jeff Hostetler, who led WVU to a 41-27 victory over Oklahoma in 1982, will be Saturday’s honorary game captain for the Mountaineers.
Here is Saturday’s Countdown to Kickoff:
10 - West Virginia’s defense has held the opposition to less than 100 yards TEN times since the 2014 season, including twice this year.
9 - The Mountaineer defense has held Big 12 opponents to fewer than 25 points in NINE out of their last 10 games dating back to last season.
8 - West Virginia has won EIGHT straight games at Milan Puskar Stadium dating back to November 7, 2015 - a 31-26 victory over Texas Tech.
7 - Junior wide receiver Shelton Gibson has a team-best SEVEN catches for at least 40 yards this year - two shy of the nine he produced as a sophomore in 2015.
6 - Senior Daikiel Shorts Jr. now ranks SIXTH in career receptions at WVU with 165 catches for 2,122 yards. He needs five catches to surpass Shawn Foreman (1995-98) for fifth place with 169 career grabs.
5 - The Mountaineers committed FIVE critical turnovers in last year’s 44-24 loss at Oklahoma, the Sooners taking a fumble 41 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to blow the game wide open.
4 - WVU tied a season high with FOUR quarterback sacks last week against Texas. WVU has produced three or more sacks in FOUR games so far this year.
3 - West Virginia is now THREE games over .500 in all-time Big 12 Conference play following last Saturday’s 24-20 victory at Texas.
2 - TWICE this season, West Virginia has won games by scoring 25 points or less - the Mountaineers defeating Kansas State, 17-16, and downing Texas, 24-20.
1 - West Virginia’s most productive down this year has been FIRST down, the Mountaineers averaging 6.6 yards per play.
Enjoy Saturday’s game and be sure to stop back afterward for complete postgame coverage.
