Game Preview: West Virginia football vs. Virginia Tech

West Virginia looks to score a victory over a traditional rival when the Mountaineers host Virginia Tech for the first time since 2005. 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 28-23-1

Last meeting: 2017 WVU 24 VT 31

Television: 12 p.m., FS1, Cory Provus (PBP), Devin Gardner (analyst),

NUMBERS AND NOTES:

--Neal Brown is in his third season atop the West Virginia football program with a record of 12-12. Overall, Brown has a 47-28 record as a head coach.

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

--The Mountaineers are WVU is 6-4 in games played on Sept. 18, including 5-1 at home. The last time WVU played on Sept. 18, was vs. Maryland in 2010 (W 31-17).

--West Virginia is 16-9 all time against Virginia Tech in Morgantown.

--West Virginia is 151-175-6 all-time against current members of the ACC.

--West Virginia has won their last six home games.

--This will be the 286th nationally televised game for West Virginia with the program 149-134-1 in those games.

--Coaching staff assignments: Matt Moore (AHC-OL/Field); Gerad Parker (OC-WR/Press Box); Chad Scott (Co-OC-RB/Field); Jordan Lesley (DC-OLB/Field); ShaDon Brown (Co-DC-DBs/Field); Jeff Koonz (ST Coordinator-ILB/Field); Andrew Jackson (DL/Field); Sean Reagan (QB/Press Box); Travis Trickett (TE-IR/Field); Dontae Wright (S/Press Box).

--West Virginia is is 92-14 since 2002 when winning the turnover battle.

--The Mountaineers have gone to a bowl game in 17 of the last 19 years. West Virginia is one of 15 power five schools to accomplish that feat along with Georgia (19), Oklahoma (19), Wisconsin (19), Clemson (18), Florida (18), Florida State (18), LSU (18), Ohio State (18), Oklahoma State (18), Virginia Tech (18), Alabama (17), Auburn (17), Iowa (17) and Oregon (17).

--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.

--Over the last seven years, West Virginia has produced 126 takeaways, ranking No. 25 nationally and No. 14 among Power 5 schools.

--The 2021 roster currently consists of 108 players from 20 different states, Washington D.C. (1) and four foreign countries: Canada (3), Finland (1), Sweden (1) and The Netherlands (1).

--After registering 21 tackles for loss through the first two games, the WVU defense is ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 and No. 2 nationally in tackles for loss.

--Breaking down the West Virginia offensive numbers for the 2021 season shows that the Mountaineers have run have run 148 plays, 76 on the ground and 72 through the air.

--The rushing game has totaled 246 yards, an average of 3.2 yards per carry and seven touch- downs. The passing attack has totaled 621 yards, four touchdowns and an average of 14.1 yards per completion. Combine the two and the Mountaineers have turned in 867 yards of total offense, 11 touch- downs, an average of 5.9 yards per play and an average of 45.0 points per game.

--Deeper analysis shows that the Mountaineer offense has gained 18 first downs by the run and 27 via the pass. On average, West Virgin- ia has totaled 123.0 yards per game on the ground, 310.5 yards per game passing and 433.5 yards per game of total offense.

--On first down, the Mountaineers have run 64 plays and have gained 332 yards for a 5.2 aver- age. On second down, the Mountaineers have run 48 plays for 263 yards and a 5.5 average. On third down, the Mountaineers have run 30 plays for 209 yards and a 7.0 average gain. West Virginia has run six plays on fourth down for 63 yards and a 10.5 average.

--Sixteen true freshmen have played for the Mountaineers in 2021: Caden Biser (LB), Aubrey Burks (S), Will Crowder (QB), Treylan Davis (TE), Brayden Dudley (DL), Justin Johnson Jr. (RB), Davis Mallinger (S), Saint McLeod (S), Wyatt Milum (OL), Kaden Prather (WR), Cam Rice (DL), Tomas Rimac (OL), Hammond Russell IV (DL), Edward Vesterinen (DL), Victor Wikstrom (TE) and Andrew Wilson-Lamp (CB).

DEPTH CHART:
OFFENSE:
QB: 2 Jarret Doege, 6-2, 208, r-Sr.
6 Garrett Greene, 5-11, 193, r-Fr.

RB: 4 Leddie Brown, 6-0, 206, Sr.
24 Tony Mathis, 5-11, 205, r-So.
26 Justin Johnson, 5-11, 196, Fr.

TE: 87 Mike O'Laughlin, 6-5, 252, r-Jr.
85 T. J. Banks, 6-5, 245, r-Jr.

WR (X): 0 Bryce Wheaton, 6-3, 220, r-Jr.
3 Kaden Prather, 6-4, 210, Fr.

WR (H): 13 Sam James, 6-0, 183, r-Jr.
89 Graeson Malashevich, 5-9, 180, r-So.

SLOT: 16 Winston Wright, 5-10, 180, Jr.
15 Reese Smith, 5-10, 186, r-Fr.

WR (Z): 10 Sean Ryan, 6-3, 198, Jr.
9 Isaiah Esdale, 6-0, 202, r-Sr. -or-
17 Sam Brown, 6-2, 202, r-Fr.

LT: 50 Brandon Yates, 6-4, 295, r-So.
66 Ja’Quay Hubbard, 6-5, 310, r-So.

LG: 74 James Gmiter, 6-3, 298, r-Jr.
58 Nick Malone, 6-5, 290, r-So.

C: 54 Zach Frazier, 6-2, 308, Fr.
53 Jordan White, 6-2, 298, r-Fr.

RG: 72 Doug Nester, 6-7, 321, Jr.
79 John Hughes, 6-4, 305, r-Jr.

RT: 55 Parker Moorer, 6-5, 308, r-So. -or-
64 Wyatt Milum, 6-6, 291, Fr.

DEFENSE:
DT: 90 Akheem Mesidor, 6-2, 272, So.
52 Jalen Thornton, 6-2, 273, r-So.

DT: 55 Dante Stills, 6-4, 280, Sr.
95 Jordan Jefferson, 6-3, 298, r-So.

DE: 12 Taijh Alston, 6-4, 245, r-Jr.
91 Sean Martin, 6-5, 280, r-Fr.

BANDIT: 8 VanDarius Cowan, 6-4, 242, r-Sr. -or-
10 Jared Bartlett, 6-2, 225, r-So.

WLB: 5 Lance Dixon, 6-2, 210, r-So.
6 Exree Loe, 6-0, 218, r-Sr.

MLB: 7 Josh Chandler-Semedo, 5-11, 226, Sr.
47 Deshawn Stevens, 6-2, 255, r-Sr.

SPEAR: 19 Scottie Young, 5-11, 207, r-Sr.
9 Charles Woods, 5-11, 193, r-Jr.

CS: 29 Sean Mahone, 6-0, 200, r-Sr.
15 Kerry Martin, 6-1, 201, r-So.

FS: 4 Alonzo Addae, 5-11, 190, r-Sr.
25 Aubrey Burks, 5-11, 201, Fr.

LCB: 11 Nicktroy Fortune, 5-11, 194, Jr.
14 Malachi Ruffin, 5-10, 185, r-Jr.

RCB: 2 Daryl Porter, 5-11, 185, r-Fr.
3 Jackie Matthews, 5-10, 190, r-Jr.

SPECIAL TEAMS:
K: 48 Casey Legg, 6-4, 213, r-Jr.
35 Tyler Sumpter, 5-10, 219, r-Sr.

H: 89 Graeson Malashevich, 5-9, 180, r-So.

P: 35 Tyler Sumpter, 5-10, 219, r-Sr.

KO: 30 Evan Staley, 6-1, 202, r-Sr.

LS: 43 Austin Brinkman, 6-3, 215, r-Fr.
47 JP Hadley, 6-2, 242, r-Jr.

KOR: 16 Winston Wright, 5-10, 180, Jr.
17 Sam Brown, 6-2, 200, r-Fr.

PR: 15 Reese Smith, 5-10, 186, r-Fr. -or-
16 Winston Wright, 5-10, 180, Jr. -or-
9 Isaiah Esdale, 6-0, 202, r-Sr.

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