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Countdown to Kickoff – Oklahoma State Preview
November 06, 2021 10:29 AM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia will be looking to put an end to its six-game losing streak against Oklahoma State when the two teams meet up again later today inside Milan Puskar Stadium.
The 11th-ranked Cowboys (7-1, 4-1) have won three of those in Morgantown by scores of 33-26 in 2015, 50-39 in 2017 and 20-13 in 2019 - Neal Brown's first season at WVU.
"They're the No. 11 team in the country, and they've earned that," Brown said. "If you go back to 2008, I think Mike Gundy has done just a tremendous job, and he's stood the test of time. Credit to him and his staff, who many of them have been with him for a long time, to hold that up."
Last year's game in Stillwater turned in the second quarter when Tyren Irby's 56-yard fumble return keyed a 20-point Cowboy scoring outburst in a 27-13 victory. Backup quarterback Shane Illingworth took all of the snaps in that game and completed 15-of-21 passes for 139 yards.
Spencer Sanders, OSU's starting quarterback the last three seasons, has yet to play a game against West Virginia because of various ailments. The Denton, Texas, resident is on track to have his third straight 2,000-yard passing season, and he ranks third in OSU history behind Mason Rudolph and Brandon Weeden by averaging 200.4 yards per game through the air.
Sanders has also gained 1,195 career yards on the ground and is a big threat running the ball whenever Oklahoma State gets into the red zone.
Utah State transfer Jaylen Warren continues OSU's tradition of outstanding tailbacks by averaging 106.2 yards per game on the ground this season. Neal Brown described Warren as a "violent runner."
Two other skill players to keep an eye on are speedsters Tay Martin and Brennan Presley, who have combined to catch 59 passes for 837 yards and nine touchdowns.
Up front, senior offensive guard Josh Sills is a familiar name to Mountaineer fans. He transferred to Oklahoma State following the 2019 season and will be making his first Milan Puskar Stadium appearance since his departure.
The Cowboy defense ranks seventh in the country allowing just 295 yards per game. OSU, No. 3 in the country in third down-defense allowing just a 27% success rate, also ranks among the national leaders in rushing defense, scoring defense and first downs allowed.
Oklahoma State has one of the most experienced defenses in the country this year with nine senior starters and 18 upperclassmen in its two-deep. The players to keep an eye on are defensive tackles Brendon Evers (#98), Israel Antwine (#95), linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (#20) and safety Kolby Harvell-Peel (#31).
And, as always, the Cowboys are exceptional on special teams, ranking 10th in the country in kickoff returns, averaging 28.2 yards per return.
Coach Mike Gundy is one of the most successful coaches in the Big 12 with a 144-68 career record at Oklahoma State, and he has had six seasons with at least 10 wins since 2010. The OSU graduate is currently on pace to match his best record of 12-1 produced in 2011 when the Cowboys finished the season ranked No. 3 after beating Stanford 41-38 in the Fiesta Bowl.
Gundy is 7-2 against West Virginia with both losses coming in back-to-back games in 2013 and 2014.
Here is today's Countdown to Kickoff:
10 – TEN Mountaineer players on this year's team have already earned their degrees: Alonzo Addae, Taijh Alston, Josh Chandler-Semedo, Jarret Doege, Isaiah Esdale, Exree Loe, Sean Mahone, Evan Staley, Deshawn Stevens and Tyler Sumpter.
9 – West Virginia's defense has produced 11 10-plus tackle performers in its last NINE games dating back to last year's Liberty Bowl win over Army.
8 – The Mountaineer offense has generated EIGHT plays of 40 yards or longer from the line of scrimmage so far this season.
7 – West Virginia's offense is seeking its SEVENTH 250-plus-yard passing performance of the season. Last week, quarterback Jarret Doege threw for a WVU-best 370 yards against Iowa State. Doege had a career-high 379 yards passing against Western Michigan in 2018 when he was a sophomore at Bowling Green.
6 – West Virginia has scored points on its opening possession in SIX out of its eight games so far this season.
5 – Junior Winston Wright Jr. ranks FIFTH nationally averaging 29.7 yards per kickoff return. He did not get an opportunity to return a kick during last Saturday's win against Iowa State.
4 – FOUR big plays resulted in 28 of Iowa State's 31 points scored last Saturday. Two long Breece Hall runs, a Brock Purdy 68-yard pass to Tarique Milton and Jake Hummel's 24-yard pick six were the culprits.
3 – West Virginia's offense has converted at least THREE red zone scoring attempts in 15 of its last 18 games, including seven of eight this year and five games in a row.
2 – Coach Neal Brown shows TWO victories this year over nationally ranked teams. The Mountaineers defeated then-No. 15 Virginia Tech 27-21 on Sept. 18 and outlasted then-No. 22 Iowa State 38-31 last Saturday.
1 – Senior linebacker Josh Chandler-Semedo ranks FIRST in the Big 12 and 11th nationally averaging 5.6 solo tackles per game.
Today's game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN (Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky and Kris Budden).
Mountaineer Sports Network coverage on stations throughout West Virginia and online via WVUsports.com and the popular mobile app WVU Gameday begins at noon with the Go-Mart Mountaineer Tailgate Show leading into regular network coverage with Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Jed Drenning at 2:30 p.m.
The contest has been deemed Military Appreciation Day with various tributes planned throughout the game to members of our armed forces. Also, 2009 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Major Harris' No. 9 will be officially retired during an on-field ceremony at the end of the first quarter.
Harris led West Virginia to its first undefeated, untied regular season record in school history in 1988 and berth in the 1989 Sunkist Fiesta Bowl to face top-ranked Notre Dame for the national championship.
"My introduction to West Virginia football (was) being a young fan and watching Major Harris," Brown said. "At the time, he was so unique."
Harris becomes only the fifth WVU football player to have his jersey retired, joining college/professional hall of famers Ira Errett Rodgers, Sam Huff, Bruce Bosley and Darryl Talley.
"The hope is we'll have a big crowd. We need them," Brown said earlier this week. "This is a team that's had our number a little bit, so we're looking forward to getting out there and competing."
The 11th-ranked Cowboys (7-1, 4-1) have won three of those in Morgantown by scores of 33-26 in 2015, 50-39 in 2017 and 20-13 in 2019 - Neal Brown's first season at WVU.
"They're the No. 11 team in the country, and they've earned that," Brown said. "If you go back to 2008, I think Mike Gundy has done just a tremendous job, and he's stood the test of time. Credit to him and his staff, who many of them have been with him for a long time, to hold that up."
Last year's game in Stillwater turned in the second quarter when Tyren Irby's 56-yard fumble return keyed a 20-point Cowboy scoring outburst in a 27-13 victory. Backup quarterback Shane Illingworth took all of the snaps in that game and completed 15-of-21 passes for 139 yards.
Spencer Sanders, OSU's starting quarterback the last three seasons, has yet to play a game against West Virginia because of various ailments. The Denton, Texas, resident is on track to have his third straight 2,000-yard passing season, and he ranks third in OSU history behind Mason Rudolph and Brandon Weeden by averaging 200.4 yards per game through the air.
Sanders has also gained 1,195 career yards on the ground and is a big threat running the ball whenever Oklahoma State gets into the red zone.
Utah State transfer Jaylen Warren continues OSU's tradition of outstanding tailbacks by averaging 106.2 yards per game on the ground this season. Neal Brown described Warren as a "violent runner."
Two other skill players to keep an eye on are speedsters Tay Martin and Brennan Presley, who have combined to catch 59 passes for 837 yards and nine touchdowns.
Up front, senior offensive guard Josh Sills is a familiar name to Mountaineer fans. He transferred to Oklahoma State following the 2019 season and will be making his first Milan Puskar Stadium appearance since his departure.
The Cowboy defense ranks seventh in the country allowing just 295 yards per game. OSU, No. 3 in the country in third down-defense allowing just a 27% success rate, also ranks among the national leaders in rushing defense, scoring defense and first downs allowed.
Oklahoma State has one of the most experienced defenses in the country this year with nine senior starters and 18 upperclassmen in its two-deep. The players to keep an eye on are defensive tackles Brendon Evers (#98), Israel Antwine (#95), linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (#20) and safety Kolby Harvell-Peel (#31).
And, as always, the Cowboys are exceptional on special teams, ranking 10th in the country in kickoff returns, averaging 28.2 yards per return.
Coach Mike Gundy is one of the most successful coaches in the Big 12 with a 144-68 career record at Oklahoma State, and he has had six seasons with at least 10 wins since 2010. The OSU graduate is currently on pace to match his best record of 12-1 produced in 2011 when the Cowboys finished the season ranked No. 3 after beating Stanford 41-38 in the Fiesta Bowl.
Gundy is 7-2 against West Virginia with both losses coming in back-to-back games in 2013 and 2014.
Here is today's Countdown to Kickoff:
10 – TEN Mountaineer players on this year's team have already earned their degrees: Alonzo Addae, Taijh Alston, Josh Chandler-Semedo, Jarret Doege, Isaiah Esdale, Exree Loe, Sean Mahone, Evan Staley, Deshawn Stevens and Tyler Sumpter.
9 – West Virginia's defense has produced 11 10-plus tackle performers in its last NINE games dating back to last year's Liberty Bowl win over Army.
8 – The Mountaineer offense has generated EIGHT plays of 40 yards or longer from the line of scrimmage so far this season.
7 – West Virginia's offense is seeking its SEVENTH 250-plus-yard passing performance of the season. Last week, quarterback Jarret Doege threw for a WVU-best 370 yards against Iowa State. Doege had a career-high 379 yards passing against Western Michigan in 2018 when he was a sophomore at Bowling Green.
6 – West Virginia has scored points on its opening possession in SIX out of its eight games so far this season.
5 – Junior Winston Wright Jr. ranks FIFTH nationally averaging 29.7 yards per kickoff return. He did not get an opportunity to return a kick during last Saturday's win against Iowa State.
4 – FOUR big plays resulted in 28 of Iowa State's 31 points scored last Saturday. Two long Breece Hall runs, a Brock Purdy 68-yard pass to Tarique Milton and Jake Hummel's 24-yard pick six were the culprits.
3 – West Virginia's offense has converted at least THREE red zone scoring attempts in 15 of its last 18 games, including seven of eight this year and five games in a row.
2 – Coach Neal Brown shows TWO victories this year over nationally ranked teams. The Mountaineers defeated then-No. 15 Virginia Tech 27-21 on Sept. 18 and outlasted then-No. 22 Iowa State 38-31 last Saturday.
1 – Senior linebacker Josh Chandler-Semedo ranks FIRST in the Big 12 and 11th nationally averaging 5.6 solo tackles per game.
Today's game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN (Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky and Kris Budden).
Mountaineer Sports Network coverage on stations throughout West Virginia and online via WVUsports.com and the popular mobile app WVU Gameday begins at noon with the Go-Mart Mountaineer Tailgate Show leading into regular network coverage with Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Jed Drenning at 2:30 p.m.
The contest has been deemed Military Appreciation Day with various tributes planned throughout the game to members of our armed forces. Also, 2009 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Major Harris' No. 9 will be officially retired during an on-field ceremony at the end of the first quarter.
Harris led West Virginia to its first undefeated, untied regular season record in school history in 1988 and berth in the 1989 Sunkist Fiesta Bowl to face top-ranked Notre Dame for the national championship.
"My introduction to West Virginia football (was) being a young fan and watching Major Harris," Brown said. "At the time, he was so unique."
Harris becomes only the fifth WVU football player to have his jersey retired, joining college/professional hall of famers Ira Errett Rodgers, Sam Huff, Bruce Bosley and Darryl Talley.
"The hope is we'll have a big crowd. We need them," Brown said earlier this week. "This is a team that's had our number a little bit, so we're looking forward to getting out there and competing."
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