Game Preview: West Virginia football vs. Kansas

West Virginia (2-1) is fresh off a bye week and will take on Kansas (0-3). WVSports.com offers a look at some key elements of the match up to get you ready for kick off.

In this game preview, we dive into numbers and notes, a depth chart, our video preview of the game as well as where to can watch the contest.

Series: WVU 8-1

Last meeting: 2019: WVU 29 KU 24

Television: 12 p.m., FOX, Gus Johnson (PBP), Joel Klatt (analyst)

NUMBERS AND NOTES:

--Neal Brown is in his second season atop the West Virginia football program after a 5-7 campaign in his first year. Overall, Brown has a 42-24 record as a head coach.

--West Virginia holds a 182-70-4 (.718) all-time mark at Mountaineer Field, which opened in 1980.

--West Virginia is 15th all-time in wins.

--The Mountaineers are 10-6 in games played on Oct. 17, including 7-1 at home. The last time WVU played on Oct. 17 was in 2015 at Baylor at 62-38 loss. The Mountaineers last played at home on Oct. 17 in 2009, a 24-7 win over Marshall.

--West Virginia is 277-216-21 all-time in the month of October.

--This is the 278th nationally broadcast game for the program. The Mountaineers are 145-131-1 in those previous contests.

--West Virginia is the only Power 5 school in the nation to rank in the Top 20 in rushing defense, passing defense, total defense, scoring defense and red zone defense

--Coaching staff assignments: Matt Moore (AHC-OL/Field), Gerad Parker (OC-WR/Press Box), Chad Scott (Co-OC-RB/Field), Jordan Lesley (Defensive Lead-DL/Field), Jahmile Addae (Defensive Lead-CB/Field), Jeff Koonz (ST Coordinator-ILB/Field), Jeff Casteel (OLB/Press Box), Sean Reagan (QB/Press Box), Travis Trickett (TE-IR/Field), Dontae Wright (S/Press Box)

--West Virginia is 37-37 in Big 12 Conference games but 46-41 all-time against teams from the Big 12 Conference.

--West Virginia is 90-14 since 2002 when winning the turnover battle.

--The Mountaineers have gone to a bowl game in 16 of the last 18 years.

--West Virginia has 109 players from 20 different states.

--West Virginia has 19 fifth-year seniors and 18 players that have already graduated.

--In 2020 the makeup of the offensive roster includes offensive roster includes 12 true freshmen, 10 redshirt freshmen, three sophomores, 11 redshirt sophomores, five juniors, five redshirt juniors and seven redshirt seniors. The total offensive personnel includes five quarterbacks, eight running backs, 17 wide receivers, four tight ends/fullbacks and 19 offensive linemen.

--In 2020 the makeup of the defensive roster includes 10 freshmen, 11 redshirt freshmen, four sophomores, three redshirt sophomores, four juniors, eight redshirt juniors, two seniors and nine redshirt seniors. The total defensive personnel for 2020 includes 14 defensive linemen, nine linebackers, 11 cornerbacks, two spears, five bandits and 10 safeties.

--Since 1980, West Virginia is 203-22-1 when scoring 30 or more points in a game. Since 2000, the Mountaineers are 65-6 when hitting the 40-point plateau, and WVU is 195-6 all-time when scoring at least 40 or more points in a game.

--West Virginia has improved drastically in the red zone. The Mountaineers are No. 4 nationally in red zone defense allowing only 60-percent of those opportunities to result in points. Offensively, the offense is ranked No. 19 scoring 93-percent of the time.

--A total of 11 true freshmen have played for West Virginia during the 2020 season: Sam Brown (WR), Lanell Carr (DL), Jairo Faverus (SP), Garrett Greene (QB), Charles Finley (TE), Zach Frazier (OL), Akheem Mesidor (DL), Daryl Porter Jr. (CB), Taurus Simmons (BAN), Reese Smith (WR) and Jordan White (OL).

-- Over the last five years, West Virginia has produced 117 takeaways, good for No. 19 nationally and tied for No. 6 among Power 5 schools.

--West Virginia will be without redshirt junior defensive end Taijh Alston due to injury.

OFFENSE:
QB: 2 Jarret Doege, 6-2, 208, r-Jr.
12 Austin Kendall, 6-2, 214, r-Sr.

RB: 4 Leddie Brown, 5-11, 214, Jr.
20 Alec Sinkfield, 5-9, 184, r-Jr.

TE: 87 Mike O'Laughlin, 6-5, 255, r-So.
85 T.J. Banks, 6-5, 248, r-So.

WR (X): 0 Bryce Wheaton, 6-3, 218, r-So.
10 Sean Ryan, 6-3, 204, Jr.

WR (H): 16 Winston Wright, 5-10, 174, So.
9 Isaiah Esdale, 6-0, 203, r-Jr.

SLOT: 1 T.J. Simmons, 6-2, 201, r-Sr.
15 Reese Smith, 5-10, 186, Fr.

WR (Z): 13 Sam James, 6-0, 184, r-So.
17 Sam Brown, 6-2, 197, Fr. -or-
19 Ali Jennings, 6-1, 195, So.

LT: 50 Brandon Yates, 6-4, 306, r-Fr.
71 Junior Uzebu, 6-6, 298, r-So.

LG: 74 James Gmiter, 6-3, 301, r-So.
69 Blaine Scott, 6-3, 315, r-So.

C: 76 Chase Behrndt, 6-4, 315, r-Sr.
54 Zach Frazier, 6-2, 308, Fr.

RG: 57 Michael Brown, 6-3, 345, r-Sr.
53 Jordan White, 6-3, 300, Fr.

RT: 79 John Hughes, 6-5, 298, Jr.
68 Briason Mays, 6-3, 308, r-So.

DEFENSE:
DT: 55 Dante Stills, 6-3, 275, Jr.
90 Akheem Mesidor, 6-2, 268, Fr.

NT: 56 Darius Stills, 6-1, 282, Sr.
99 Quay Mays, 6-1, 302, r-Jr. -or-
95 Jordan Jefferson, 6-2, 295, So.

DE: 9 Jeffery Pooler, 6-2, 258, r-Sr.
52 Jalen Thornton, 6-2, 265, r-Fr.

BANDIT: 10 Dylan Tonkery, 6-0, 228, r-Sr.
50 Jared Bartlett, 6-2, 233, r-Fr.
8 Vandarius Cowan, 6-4, 241, r-Jr.

WLB: 7 Josh Chandler-Semedo, 5-11, 228, Jr.
17 Exree Loe, 6-0, 212, r-Jr.

MLB: 1 Tony Fields, 6-1, 220, Sr.
10 Dylan Tonkery, 6-0, 228, r-Sr.

SPEAR: 23 Tykee Smith, 5-10, 202, So.
24 Jairo Faverus, 6-0, 198, Fr.

CS: 29 Sean Mahone, 5-11, 204, r-Sr.
2 Noah Guzman, 5-11, 202, Jr.

FS: 4 Alonzo Addae, 5-11, 192, r-Sr.
22 Jake Long, 5-11, 198, r-Sr. -or-
20 Tae Mayo, 5-10, 181, r-Fr.

LCB: 5 Dreshun Miller, 6-1, 190, r-Jr.
3 Jackie Matthews, 5-10, 189, Jr.

RCB: 11 Nicktroy Fortune, 6-0, 196, So.
28 Daryl Porter, 5-11, 179, Fr.

SPECIAL TEAMS:
K: 30 Evan Staley, 6-1, 196, r-Sr.
48 Casey Legg, 6-4, 210, r-So.

H: 89 Graeson Malashevich, 5-9, 177, r-Fr.

P: 35 Tyler Sumpter, 5-10, 220, r-Sr.
40 Kolton McGhee, 6-0, 188, r-Fr.

KO: 48 Casey Legg, 6-4, 210, r-So.
30 Evan Staley, 6-1, 196, r-Sr.

LS: 51 Kyle Poland, 6-2, 234, r-Sr.
52 JP Hadley, 6-2, 239, r-So.

KOR: 16 Winston Wright, 5-10, 174, So.
13 Sam James, 6-0, 184, r-So.

PR: 20 Alec Sinkfield, 5-9, 184, r-Jr.
89 Graeson Malashevich, 5-9, 177, r-Fr.

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