Countdown to Kickoff - Oklahoma State
November 17, 2018 11:00 AM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The road to the Big 12 Championship game for West Virginia now travels through Stillwater, Oklahoma.
If the 8-1 Mountaineers want to get to the big game, they are going to have to figure out a way to slow down one of the most explosive offenses in the Big 12.
Boise State couldn't do it. Iowa State couldn't do it and neither could Texas and Oklahoma.
West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen earlier this week called Oklahoma State "scary" because of what it is capable of doing offensively.
But somewhere within the Texas Tech, Kansas State and Baylor game tapes is the secret sauce for success against these high-powered Cowboys, who are five up and five down with regular season games left against the seventh-ranked Mountaineers and then at TCU next Saturday.
This is coach Mike Gundy's most inconsistent team since his one in 2014 that finished 7-6 and placed seventh in the Big 12.
The three ensuing seasons saw Oklahoma State win 10 games each year, including three straight victories over West Virginia by scores of 33-26, 37-20 and 50-39.
During last year's game in Morgantown, Oklahoma State jumped out to a quick 13-0 lead and continued to score throughout. The Cowboys did most of their damage on the ground, gaining 246 yards and generating four rushing touchdowns.
Running back Justice Hill has had another outstanding season in 2018, but it remains to be seen how much he will be able to play today after suffering a rib injury during last Saturday's loss at Oklahoma. Gundy did say after the OU loss that Hill would be ready to go.
He needs 70 more yards to pass All-American Terry Miller for second in school history in career rushing with 4,581 yards.
"Anytime you have Justice Hill back there it scares you to death," Holgorsen said.
Hill is complemented by perhaps the most explosive wide receiver in the Big 12 in sophomore Tylan Wallace, who shows 68 catches for 1,282 yards and nine touchdowns. His wingman, Tyron Johnson, is not too far behind with 40 catches for 614 yards and four scores.
"You lose a Biletnikoff winner (James Washington), and then you have another Biletnikoff finalist in the Wallace kid, who has been playing really well," Holgorsen said. "Johnson, the other receiver, is a five-star kid out of Louisiana."
Delivering them the football is fifth-year senior quarterback Taylor Cornelius, coming off a 501-yard passing performance last Saturday at Oklahoma. Cornelius has completed 60.6 percent of his 355 pass attempts for 3,123 yards and 23 touchdowns.
He ranks third behind Texas Tech's Alan Bowman and West Virginia's Will Grier in Big 12 passing.
"Their quarterback is getting better every week," Holgorsen said. "He's been there forever, so he's been in that quarterback room for the last five years and knows what coach Gundy wants."
The Oklahoma State defense has given up lots of points, yardage and big plays this year, which doesn't quite match some of the top-shelf players the Cowboys have on that side of the ball such as bookends Jordan Brailford and Jarrell Owens.
Brailford leads the Big 12 with nine sacks while Owens has been in the opponent's backfield 8 ½ times, five of those to bring down the quarterback.
"They cause a lot of chaos with their front," Holgorsen noted. "They have great defensive linemen, and I think their linebackers are outstanding."
Holgorsen also believes Oklahoma State's corner duo of Rodarius Williams and A.J. Green is the best his team will face this year.
Oklahoma State's feast or famine defense leads the conference with 36 sacks and has made 77 tackles for losses, but it has also given up 59 rushing plays of 10 yards or longer and 61 pass plays of 15 yards or more.
That's a lot.
There will be opportunities for West Virginia if it can overcome those negative yardage plays Oklahoma State hunts for.
"It's going to be a fun game because they can catch you for a negative yardage play real quick, or we can hit them with a big play," offensive coordinator Jake Spavital noted. "It turns into a chess match – a guessing game."
The guessing begins at 3:30 p.m. ET. The contest will be televised nationally on ABC (Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe).
The Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG's pregame coverage begins with the GoMart Mountaineer Tailgate Show (Dan Zangrilli, Dale Wolfley and Jed Drenning) at noon leading into regular game coverage with Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Drenning at 2:30 p.m. on affiliates throughout West Virginia and online via WVUsports.com and the mobile app TuneIn.
Here is today's Countdown to Kickoff:
10 – There are TEN fifth-year seniors on this year's West Virginia roster: Toyous Avery Jr., Dravon Askew-Henry, Will Grier, Jabril Robinson, Billy Kinney, William Crest Jr., Kenny Bigelow Jr., Yodny Cajuste, Trevon Wesco and Brenon Thrift.
9 – West Virginia continues to rank NINTH in the College Football Playoff Poll, released earlier this week.
8 – The Mountaineer defense has had at least EIGHT tackles for losses in seven out of nine games this year. Its high is 12, achieved against Tennessee and Baylor.
7 – SEVEN is the number of tackles for losses linebacker David Long Jr. had in last year's game against Oklahoma State
6 – The Mountaineers rank SIXTH in fourth-down conversions with a 71.4 percent success rate.
5 – Quarterback Will Grier ranks FIFTH nationally in points responsible for with 194.
4 – Oklahoma State had FOUR rushing touchdowns in last year's 50-39 victory over West Virginia in Morgantown.
3 – West Virginia ranks THIRD nationally in passing efficiency with week with a team passer rating of 179.23.
2 – The Mountaineers have had TWO multi-100-yard receiving games this year, both posted by David Sills V and Gary Jennings Jr. One came in the opener against Tennessee and the other occurred against Baylor.
1 – The Mountaineers are seeking their FIRST win in Stillwater since 2014 when WVU defeated the Cowboys 34-10.
Enjoy today's game and be sure to stop back afterward for complete postgame coverage.
If the 8-1 Mountaineers want to get to the big game, they are going to have to figure out a way to slow down one of the most explosive offenses in the Big 12.
Boise State couldn't do it. Iowa State couldn't do it and neither could Texas and Oklahoma.
West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen earlier this week called Oklahoma State "scary" because of what it is capable of doing offensively.
But somewhere within the Texas Tech, Kansas State and Baylor game tapes is the secret sauce for success against these high-powered Cowboys, who are five up and five down with regular season games left against the seventh-ranked Mountaineers and then at TCU next Saturday.
This is coach Mike Gundy's most inconsistent team since his one in 2014 that finished 7-6 and placed seventh in the Big 12.
The three ensuing seasons saw Oklahoma State win 10 games each year, including three straight victories over West Virginia by scores of 33-26, 37-20 and 50-39.
During last year's game in Morgantown, Oklahoma State jumped out to a quick 13-0 lead and continued to score throughout. The Cowboys did most of their damage on the ground, gaining 246 yards and generating four rushing touchdowns.
Running back Justice Hill has had another outstanding season in 2018, but it remains to be seen how much he will be able to play today after suffering a rib injury during last Saturday's loss at Oklahoma. Gundy did say after the OU loss that Hill would be ready to go.
He needs 70 more yards to pass All-American Terry Miller for second in school history in career rushing with 4,581 yards.
"Anytime you have Justice Hill back there it scares you to death," Holgorsen said.
Hill is complemented by perhaps the most explosive wide receiver in the Big 12 in sophomore Tylan Wallace, who shows 68 catches for 1,282 yards and nine touchdowns. His wingman, Tyron Johnson, is not too far behind with 40 catches for 614 yards and four scores.
"You lose a Biletnikoff winner (James Washington), and then you have another Biletnikoff finalist in the Wallace kid, who has been playing really well," Holgorsen said. "Johnson, the other receiver, is a five-star kid out of Louisiana."
Delivering them the football is fifth-year senior quarterback Taylor Cornelius, coming off a 501-yard passing performance last Saturday at Oklahoma. Cornelius has completed 60.6 percent of his 355 pass attempts for 3,123 yards and 23 touchdowns.
He ranks third behind Texas Tech's Alan Bowman and West Virginia's Will Grier in Big 12 passing.
"Their quarterback is getting better every week," Holgorsen said. "He's been there forever, so he's been in that quarterback room for the last five years and knows what coach Gundy wants."
The Oklahoma State defense has given up lots of points, yardage and big plays this year, which doesn't quite match some of the top-shelf players the Cowboys have on that side of the ball such as bookends Jordan Brailford and Jarrell Owens.
Brailford leads the Big 12 with nine sacks while Owens has been in the opponent's backfield 8 ½ times, five of those to bring down the quarterback.
"They cause a lot of chaos with their front," Holgorsen noted. "They have great defensive linemen, and I think their linebackers are outstanding."
Holgorsen also believes Oklahoma State's corner duo of Rodarius Williams and A.J. Green is the best his team will face this year.
Oklahoma State's feast or famine defense leads the conference with 36 sacks and has made 77 tackles for losses, but it has also given up 59 rushing plays of 10 yards or longer and 61 pass plays of 15 yards or more.
That's a lot.
There will be opportunities for West Virginia if it can overcome those negative yardage plays Oklahoma State hunts for.
"It's going to be a fun game because they can catch you for a negative yardage play real quick, or we can hit them with a big play," offensive coordinator Jake Spavital noted. "It turns into a chess match – a guessing game."
The guessing begins at 3:30 p.m. ET. The contest will be televised nationally on ABC (Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe).
The Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG's pregame coverage begins with the GoMart Mountaineer Tailgate Show (Dan Zangrilli, Dale Wolfley and Jed Drenning) at noon leading into regular game coverage with Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Drenning at 2:30 p.m. on affiliates throughout West Virginia and online via WVUsports.com and the mobile app TuneIn.
Here is today's Countdown to Kickoff:
10 – There are TEN fifth-year seniors on this year's West Virginia roster: Toyous Avery Jr., Dravon Askew-Henry, Will Grier, Jabril Robinson, Billy Kinney, William Crest Jr., Kenny Bigelow Jr., Yodny Cajuste, Trevon Wesco and Brenon Thrift.
9 – West Virginia continues to rank NINTH in the College Football Playoff Poll, released earlier this week.
8 – The Mountaineer defense has had at least EIGHT tackles for losses in seven out of nine games this year. Its high is 12, achieved against Tennessee and Baylor.
7 – SEVEN is the number of tackles for losses linebacker David Long Jr. had in last year's game against Oklahoma State
6 – The Mountaineers rank SIXTH in fourth-down conversions with a 71.4 percent success rate.
5 – Quarterback Will Grier ranks FIFTH nationally in points responsible for with 194.
4 – Oklahoma State had FOUR rushing touchdowns in last year's 50-39 victory over West Virginia in Morgantown.
3 – West Virginia ranks THIRD nationally in passing efficiency with week with a team passer rating of 179.23.
2 – The Mountaineers have had TWO multi-100-yard receiving games this year, both posted by David Sills V and Gary Jennings Jr. One came in the opener against Tennessee and the other occurred against Baylor.
1 – The Mountaineers are seeking their FIRST win in Stillwater since 2014 when WVU defeated the Cowboys 34-10.
Enjoy today's game and be sure to stop back afterward for complete postgame coverage.
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