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Football Friday: BYU
September 23, 2016 06:34 PM | Football
LANDOVER, Md. - West Virginia’s final foray outside of Big 12 play happens Saturday afternoon at Fedex Field in Landover, Maryland when the Mountaineers face BYU at 3:30 p.m. in front of an ESPN2 nationally televised audience.
The Cougars (1-2) opened the season with an 18-16 victory over Arizona before dropping its next two games to Utah and UCLA but a combined four points. Kalani Sitake (pronounced kah-lah-nee see-tah-kay) is in his first season coaching BYU following a long tenure as Utah’s defensive coordinator and then last year becoming Oregon State’s top defensive strategist last season.
“They’re well coached and we know exactly what we’re going to get on Saturday with this outfit,” said West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen. “They have an unbelievable tradition in the history when it comes to playing really good football, and this team is no different.”
The Cougars have been very impressive defensively, holding their opponents to 20 points or less in their first three games for the first time since the national championship season in 1984.
It is on offense where BYU has struggled to discover its identity under first-year offensive coordinator Ty Detmer, a former star quarterback for the Cougars and long-time NFL performer. BYU is averaging just 17 points and 338.7 yards per game, including just 126.3 yards per game on the ground.
West Virginia, meanwhile, has had an extra week to get ready for the Cougars following early-season victories over Missouri and Youngstown State.
The Mountaineers were impressive in all phases against the Tigers in the opener, generating 494 of total offense against one of the top returning defenses in the country while limiting Missouri to a second quarter field goal and a meaningless touchdown late in the game.
Week two saw West Virginia produced 624 total yards and 38 points, while the defense gave up more yards and points than expected against an FCS foe.
On Saturday, WVU hopes to have some of that cleaned up against a storied non-conference program steeped in tradition. The Big 12 is seeking more quality wins outside of league play after seeing some of its top programs stumble in marquee non-conference matchups.
West Virginia getting one on Saturday over the Cougars will certainly help the cause.
“They could very easily be 3-0,” noted Holgorsen. “They have tremendous football players, they’re big, they’re fast and they’re passionate about playing the game of football.”
The Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG’s coverage begins with the Go-Mart Mountaineer Tailgate Show with Dan Zangrilli, Jed Drenning and Dale Wolfley beginning at noon leading into regular game coverage at 2:30 with Tony Caridi and Dwight Wallace on stations throughout West Virginia and online via leanStream and TuneIn.
Here is Saturday’s Countdown to Kickoff:
10 - West Virginia’s defense has six players who have recorded at least TEN tackles this season, led by senior cornerback Rasul Douglas’ 14 stops. Twelve of Douglas’ 14 tackles have been unassisted.
9 - The Mountaineer offense has had NINE pass plays of 22 yards or longer, including four covering a distance of at least 45 yards.
8 - West Virginia’s defense has limited its opponents to less than 300 yards passing in seven of its last EIGHT games.
7 - Through three weeks, West Virginia’s offense ranks SEVENTH nationally averaging 559.0 yards per game.
6 - The BYU defense has produced at least SIX tackles for losses in all three games this year, including eight in last Saturday’s 17-14 loss to UCLA.
5 - Junior Mike Molina has made FIVE out of his six field goal tries this year in place of regular kicker Josh Lambert, serving a three-game suspension for a violation of team rules. Molina’s makes have come from 19, 26, 21, 33 and 32 yards and his miss was from 30 yards.
4 - Sophomore Billy Kinney’s next punt of 50 yards or more will be the FOURTH of the young season. Kinney currently ranks second in the Big 12 and seventh nationally with an average of 47.1 yards per punt.
3 - West Virginia’s defense now has a streak of 27 straight game of holding its opponents to less than 50 percent conversation rate on THIRD down.
2 - Junior wide receiver Shelton Gibson’s TWO touchdown receptions this season has covered distances of 54 and 57 yards. Gibson is West Virginia’s team leader in career touchdown receptions with 11.
1 - Today’s game will be the FIRST-ever meeting between West Virginia and BYU on the gridiron.
Enjoy the game and be sure to stop back afterward for complete postgame coverage.
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