After a heartbreaking defeat on the road at Houston, West Virginia returns home to take on Oklahoma State (4-2). 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: OSU 9-5
Last meeting: 2002 WVU 24 OSU 19
Television: 3:30 p.m. ET ESPN - Mike Monaco (play-by-play), Robert Griffin III (analyst), Kris Budden (sideline)
Related: A Deep Dive Into The WVU vs. Oklahoma State Football Series
COACHES:
Neal Brown:
WEST VIRGINIA RECORD: 26-27, 5th Year
OVERALL RECORD: 61-43, 9th Year
VS. OKLAHOMA STATE: 1-3
Mike Gundy:
OKLAHOMA STATE RECORD: 160-77, 19th Year
OVERALL RECORD: 160-77, 19th Year
VS. WEST VIRGINIA: 8-3
NOTES:
--West Virginia head coach Neal Brown is in his fifth season atop the Mountaineers football program and has gone 26-27 in Morgantown during that time. Overall, Brown is 61-43 as a head coach in his ninth season in that role.
--The Mountaineers are the 15th winningest program of all time.
--WVU is 7-10-1 in games played on Oct. 21, including 6-2 at home. The last time WVU played on that date was in 2017 against Baylor (W/ 38-36).
--Since WVU began celebrating Homecoming in 1921, WVU has a 53-36-3 mark in Homecoming games, including 28-12-1 all-time at Milan Puskar Stadium. The Mountaineers are 15-7 in Homecoming games since 2000.
--The Mountaineers are 97-15 since 2002 when winning the turnover battle.
--West Virginia is ranked No. 8 nationally in third down defense, allowing opponents to convert on 28.4% of their attempts (23/81). WVU’s opponents are converting 28.6% (4/14) in the first quarter, 35.7% (10/28) in the second stanza, 27.8% (5/18) in third quarter and 19.0% (4/21) in the final quarter.
--The 2023 year marks the 44th season of competition for West Virginia at Milan Puskar Stadium. WVU has a 195-75-4 (.719) all-time mark at the facility, which opened in 1980.
--This is the 317th nationally televised game for West Virginia. All-time, the Mountaineers are 165-150-1 in nationally televised games.
--On first down, the Mountaineers have run 178 plays and have gained 953 yards for a 5.4 average. On second down, the Mountaineers have run 139 plays for 808 yards and a 5.8 average. On third down, the Mountaineers have run 84 plays for 443 yards and a 5.3 average gain. West Virginia has run 19 plays on fourth down for 79 yards and a 4.2 average. WVU’s touchdowns have come 11 times on first down (7 rush/4 pass), five times on second down (2 rush/3 pass), four times on third down (4 rush/0 pass) and two times on fourth down (1 rush/1 pass).
--Breaking down the West Virginia offensive numbers for the 2023 season shows that the Mountaineers have run 420 plays, 269 on the ground and 151 through the air.
--The rushing game has totaled 1,114 yards, an average of 4.1 yards per carry and 14 touchdowns. The passing attack has totaled 1,169 yards, 8 touchdowns and an average of 14.3 yards per completion. Combine the two and the Mountaineers have turned in 2,283 yards of total offense, 22 touchdowns, an average of 5.4 yards per play and an average of 28.5 points per game.
--Deeper analysis shows that the Mountaineer offense has gained 64 first downs by the run and 47 via the pass. On average, West Virginia has totaled 185.7 yards per game on the ground, 194.8 yards per game passing and 380.5 yards per game of total offense.
--Over the last nine years, West Virginia has produced 155 takeaways, tied for No. 40 among Power 5 schools.
--West Virginia is 77-59 all-time against current members of the Big 12 Conference. WVU is 7-4 vs. Baylor; 1-0 against BYU; 16-3-1 vs. Cincinnati; 0-1 against Houston; 6-5 against Iowa State; 10-2 vs. Kansas; 6-7 against Kansas State; 3-11 vs. Oklahoma; 5-9 against Oklahoma State; 8-5 vs. TCU; 6-6 against Texas; 7-6 vs. Texas Tech and 2-0 against UCF.
--Dating back to the 2002 Continental Tire Bowl, played in Charlotte, North Carolina, West Virginia has made 18 bowl appearances in the last 21 years, missing only the 2013, 2019 and 2022 seasons. The Mountaineers are one of 16 Power 5 schools to accomplish that feat: Georgia (21), Oklahoma (21), Wisconsin (21), Clemson (20), Florida (20), LSU (20), Ohio State (20), Oklahoma State (20), Virginia Tech (19), Alabama (19), Auburn (19), Florida State (18), Iowa (18), Oregon (18), Texas (18) and West Virginia (18).
--In 2023, the Mountaineers have 44 players with at least one game of starting experience.
--Fifteen true freshmen have played for the Mountaineers in 2023: DJ Cotton (DL), Ben Cutter (LB), Oreyend Fisher (DL), Rodney Gallagher III (WR), James Heard Jr. (BAN), Jordan Jackson (CB), Josiah Jackson (CB), Nick Krahe (OL), Corey McIntyre Jr. (DL), DJ Oliver (RB), Aden Tagaloa-Nelson (S), Traylon Ray (WR), Jahiem White (RB), Johnny Williams IV (OL) and Cooper Young (OL).
--Coaching assignments: AHC-OL Matt Moore (Field), OC-RB Chad Scott (Field), DC-OLB Jordan Lesley (Field), Co-DC-DBs ShaDon Brown (Press Box), ST Coordinator-ILB Jeff Koonz (Press Box), PGC-QB Sean Reagan (Press Box), DL Andrew Jackson (Field), WR Bilal Marshall (Field), TE Blaine Stewart (Field) and S Dontae Wright (Field).
--The 2023 roster currently consists of 117 players from 25 different states and four foreign countries: Australia (1), Finland (1), Sweden (1) and The Netherlands (1). Leading the way is West Virginia (20), Florida (13), Pennsylvania (13), Ohio (12), Georgia (8), Kentucky (6), Maryland (6), North Carolina (5), South Carolina (4), New Jersey (3), New York (3), Virginia (3), Alabama (2), Delaware (2), Michigan (2), Texas (2), Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri and Washington.
DEPTH CHART:
No depth chart has been released for this contest but this was the depth chart from the flip card prior to the start of the Houston game.
OFFENSE:
QB: 6 Garrett Greene, 5-11, 198, Jr.
8 Nicco Marchiol, 6-1, 226, r-Fr.
RB: 4 CJ Donaldson, 6-1, 238, So.
26 Justin Johnson, 5-11, 202, Jr.
WR (Z): 5 Devin Carter, 6-3, 215, r-Sr.
7 Traylon Ray, 6-3, 190, Fr.
WR (X): 84 Hudson Clement, 6-1, 197, r-Fr.
13 EJ Horton, 6-0, 178, Jr.
WR (H): 2 Rodney Gallagher, 5-10, 167, Fr.
29 Preston Fox, 5-10, 184, r-So.
TE: 81 Treylan Davis, 6-3, 255, r-So. -or-
87 Kole Taylor, 6-7, 246, Jr.
LT: 74 Wyatt Milum, 6-6, 310, Jr.
58 Nick Malone, 6-5, 298, r-Jr.
LG: 55 Tomas Rimac, 6-6, 318, r-So.
63 Bryce Biggs, 6-4, 310, r-So.
C: 54 Zach Frazier, 6-3, 311, Jr.
"67 Landen Livingston, 6-4, 294, r-Fr.
RG: 50 Brandon Yates, 6-4, 315, r-Jr.
66 Ja'Quay Hubbard, 6-5, 326, r-Jr.
RT: 72 Doug Nester, 6-7, 320, Sr.
60 Johnny Williams, 6-7, 308, Fr.
DEFENSE:
DE: 91 Sean Martin, 6-5, 291, Jr.
3 Tomiwa Durojaiye, 6-4, 278, r-Fr.
NT: 93 Mike Lockhart, 6-3, 309, r-Jr.
54 Fatorma Mulbah, 6-3, 306, r-Jr.
DT: 96 Edward Vesterinen, 6-3, 283, Jr.
97 Jalen Thornton, 6-2, 277 r-Jr.
BANDIT: 10 Jared Bartlett, 6-2, 236, r-Jr.
8 Tyrin Bradley, 6-1, 251, Jr.
MIKE: 1 Lee Kpogba, 6-1, 234, r-Sr.
36 Caden Biser, 6-0, 230, r-So.
WILL: 15 Ben Cutter, 6-0, 223, Fr.
33 Jairo Faverus, 6-0, 217, r-So.
SPEAR: 13 Hershey McLaurin, 6-1, 212, Jr.
5 Lance Dixon, 6-2, 221, r-Jr.
FS: 2 Aubrey Burks, 5-11, 188, Jr.
CAT: 12 Anthony Wilson, 5-9, 190, r-Jr.
24 Marcis Floyd, 6-0, 197, r-Sr.
CB: 14 4 Malachi Ruffin, 5-10, 193, r-Jr.
7 Andrew Wilson-Lamp, 6-2, 175, r-So.
CB: 11 Beanie Bishop, 5-10, 181, r-Sr.
6 Jacolby Spells, 5-11, 184, So.
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