Game Preview: WVU vs. Kansas

No. 14/15 West Virginia (6-1, 3-1) will look to get back on track as the Mountaineers are set to host Kansas (1-7, 0-5) in the first night game of the year in Morgantown.

The Mountaineers will look to bounce back after a 37-20 loss on the road to Oklahoma State, the first of the season for head coach Dana Holgorsen’s team. In that matchup, three turnovers led to 17-points for the Cowboys and ultimately proved to be the difference in the game.

Kansas enters Morgantown with one win on the season and the Jayhawks have yet to win a Big 12 Conference game in five attempts. Overall, Kansas has yet to win a Big 12 Conference game since the 2014 season against Iowa State. Head coach David Beatty is in the second year of a rebuilding job with the Jayhawks and has amassed a record of 1-19 during his two seasons after going winless last season.

The Jayhawks offense averages 19.4 points and 340.4 yards per contest, both marks are last in the Big 12 Conference this season. In five Big 12 games the Jayhawks have yet to surpass 24 total points.

Junior quarterback Montell Cozart returns as the starting quarterback for the Jayhawks and has tossed for 951 yards and seven touchdowns but has thrown eight interceptions. Cozart was the quarterback under center when the Mountaineers were upset by the Jayhawks 31-19 in 2013 but sophomore Ryan Willis was under center last year in the West Virginia 49-o win.

The top two pass catching options for Kansas are sophomore wide receiver Steven Sims with 42 catches for 578 yards and five touchdowns and junior LaQuvionte Gonzalez with 44 catches for 502 yards and 2 touchdowns, both have shown the ability to make big plays with touchdown passes over 65-yards.

Senior running back Ke’aun Kinner is the leading rusher for the Jayhawks rolling up 427 yards and a touchdown on the year, while sophomore Taylor Martin has rushed for 183 yards and three touchdowns on the season. As a team the Jayhawks average just over 100-yards per game on the ground.

The Kansas defense is allowing 39.3 points and 446 yards per game under long-time coordinator Clint Bowen. The Jayhawks have some experience on defense but overall the roster is littered with young players as Beatty looks to remake the Kansas football program. Overall, the defense ranks tops in the conference at getting off the field on third down and have improved in both defending the pass and sacking the quarterback.

Sophomore defensive end Dorance Armstrong has recorded a sack in six straight games, the first Jayhawk to do that since 2008 and has a total of eight on the season.

West Virginia is 3-1 against the Jayhawks since joining the Big 12 with the average score between the two teams sitting at 40-13 during those matchups. However, Kansas has proven it can pull the upset snapping a 27-game losing streak in the Big 12 Conference to knock off the Mountaineers in 2013.

The Mountaineers are heavily favored in this matchup and sitting at 3-1 in the Big 12 Conference still has goals of competing for a league crown over the last five weeks of the year. That means beating a Kansas team that has struggled mightily since the Mountaineers joined the league in 2012.

Overall Kansas has lost 34 consecutive Big 12 Road games with the last coming Oct. 4, 2008 against Iowa State. The Jayhawks have lost 42 cosecutive games away from Lawrence and 39 consecutive true road games.

With a win West Virginia would move to 4-1 in the Big 12 Conference for only the second time, the first being 2014.

The game will kick off at 7 p.m.

West Virginia Depth Chart:

OFFENSE:

QB - 3 Skyler Howard (Sr), 11 Chris Chugunov (r-Fr)

FB – 28 Elijah Wellman (r-Jr), 47 Michael Ferns (r-So)

RB – 7 Rushel Shell (r-Sr), 25 Justin Crawford (Jr), 4 Kennedy McKoy (Fr)

WR (X) - 1 Shelton Gibson (r-Jr), 12 Gary Jennings (So)

WR (Z) – 2 Ka’Raun White (Jr), 82 Devonte Mathis (r-Sr)

IR (Y) - 6 Daikiel Shorts (Sr), 5 Jovon Durante (So)

LT - 57 Adam Pankey (r-Sr), 74 Sylvester Townes (r-Sr)

LG – 70 Tony Matteo (r-Sr), 71 Rob Dowdy (r-Fr)

C - 65 Tyler Orlosky (r-Sr), 79 Matt Jones (r-Fr)

RG - 62 Kyle Bosch (r-Jr), 56 Grant Lingafelter (r-Jr)

RT - 53 Colton McKivitz (r-Fr), 77 Marcell Lazard (r-Jr.)

DEFENSE:

DE - 97 Noble Nwachukwu (r-Sr), 88 Adam Shuler (r-Fr)

NT - 49 Darrien Howard (Sr), 67 Alec Shriner (r-Fr)

DE - 95 Christian Brown (r-Sr), 92 Jon Lewis (r-Jr)

SAM – 30 Justin Arndt (r-Sr), 5 Xavier Preston (Jr)

MIKE - 3 Al-Rasheed Benton (r-Jr), 44 Hodari Christian (r-Jr)

WILL – 11 David Long (r-Fr), 27 Sean Walters (r-Sr)

CB – 19 Elijah Battle (Jr), 1 Antonio Crawford (r-Sr)

FS – 2 Jeremy Tyler (Sr), 16 Toyous Avery (r-So)

SPUR – 8 Kyzir White (Jr), 18 Marvin Gross, Jr. (r-Jr)

BS - 22 Jarrod Harper (r-Sr), 7 Khairi Shariff (r-Sr)

CB – 13 Rasul Douglas (r-Sr), 24 Maurice Fleming (r-Sr), 14 Nana Kyeremeh (r-Sr)

SPECIAL TEAMS:

PK - 48 Mike Molina (r-Jr), 80 Jonn Young (Fr)

P - 15 Billy Kinney (r-So), 80 Jonn Young (Fr)

LS -46 Nick Meadows (r-Jr), 43 R.C. Brunstetter (r-So)

H – 15 Billy Kinney (r-So), 80 Jonn Young (Fr)

KO - 48 Mike Molina (r-Jr), 15 Billy Kinney (r-So)

PR - 12 Gary Jennings (So)

KR - 1 Shelton Gibson (r-Jr), 12 Gary Jennings (So)

Notes:

--Coaching assignments for this season include: DC/LB Tony Gibson (field), OC/TE-FB Joe Wickline (press box), CB Blue Adams (field), WR Tyron Carrier (field), S Matt Caponi (field), OL Ron Crook (field), D/ST Mark Scott (press box), RB JaJuan Seider (field), DL Bruce Tall (field)

--West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen is 1-0 against Kansas head coach David Beatty. He is 3-1 overall against the Jayhawks during his tenure. The Mountaineers are 2-0 in Morgantown against Kansas.

--A total of 26 players have seen their first WVU action this season: CB Jordan Adams, S Toyous Avery, CB Elijah Battle, QB Chris Chugunov, CB Antonio Crawford, RB Justin Crawford, CB Mike Daniels, OL Rob Dowdy, FB Michael Ferns, CB Maurice Fleiming, DE Reese Donahue, LB Adam Hensley, P Billy Kinney, LB David Long, OL Colton McKivitz, RB Kennedy McKoy, LB Zach Sandwisch, DL Alec Shriner, DE Adam Shuler, WR Marcus Simms, WR Steven Smothers, S JoVanni Stewart, S Kyzir White, TE Trevon Wesco, TE Stone Wolfley, S Kevin Williams.

--The 2016 roster consists of 120 players from 15 different states.

--There are 34 juniors and seniors on the West Virginia depth chart.

--The West Virginia offensive consists of 19 true freshmen, eight redshirt freshmen, three sophomores, seven redshirt sophomores, one junior, eight redshirt juniors, two seniors and six redshirt seniors.

--Breaking down the West Virginia offensive numbers for the season the Mountaineers have run a total of 543 plays, 299 on the ground and 244 through the air. The rushing game has totaled 1,448 yards for an average of 4.8 yards per carry and 12 touchdowns. The passing attack has totaled 2,033 yards for an average of 13.0 yards per completion and 13 touchdowns.

--The West Virginia offense has gained 71 first downs via the run and 99 via the pass. On average, West Virginia has totaled 207 yards per game on the ground, 290.4 yards per game passing.

--The West Virginia offense is ranked No. 18 nationally in total offense.

--West Virginia has had ten touchdown drives of 80+ yards this season.

--The West Virginia defensive roster includes 20 true freshmen, 10 redshirt freshmen, one sophomore, three redshirt sophomores, nine juniors, four redshirt juniors, two seniors and 10 redshirt seniors.

--The West Virginia defense had held Big 12 opponents to under 50-percent on third down conversions in 23 of 25 games with the lone exceptions being Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.

--The West Virginia defense is holding opponents to 20.6 points per game, good for second in the Big 12 Conference and 24th nationally. The Mountaineers also rank No. 30 in pass efficiency.

--West Virginia has 14 senior starters on its depth chart and 20 seniors on its two deep, the most in the Big 12 Conference.

--West Virginia is 78-11 since 2002 when winning the turnover battle.

--The Mountaineers are No. 14 all-time in college football winning percentage.

--Since 2000, West Virginia is 105-13 when scoring 30 or more points in a contest.

Injuries/Suspensions: West Virginia running back redshirt senior Rushel Shell left the game last week and his status is unknown as well as redshirt senior cornerback Antonio Crawford. West Virginia junior free safety Dravon Askew-Henry is out for the season with an ACL injury same can be said for redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste. Freshman linebacker Brendan Ferns is also out for the season with an ACL injury. Freshman cornerback Jake Long is out for the season with a shoulder injury. Redshirt sophomore Jaleel Fields is out for the season with a knee injury. Redshirt junior Xavier Pegues is out until late October with a shoulder injury.

Redshirts: West Virginia has played true freshmen running back Kennedy McKoy, defensive end Reese Donahue, SAM linebacker Zach Sandwisch and WILL linebacker Adam Hensley, wide receiver Marcus Simms, wide receiver Steven Smothers and safety JoVanni Stewart to this point.

Points to Click:

Bounce back in a big way. West Virginia has outside of the one match up in Lawrence dominated this series between the two teams and the Jayhawks are struggling once again this year. After a tough road loss, the first of the season for the Mountaineers, this is a game where West Virginia will need to start fast and show that there is no hangover from what happened in Stillwater. Kansas hasn’t won a Big 12 Conference game since 2014 and the Mountaineers don’t want to be the team that snaps a Jayhawks losing streak twice in the last four years. Last year, West Virginia took care of business in the way a team should in this match up and if the Mountaineers want to compete for a Big 12 championship they need to leave no doubt against the Jayhawks and start fast out of the gates in route to a seventh win of the year.

Get back on track offensively. While the numbers don't look that bad, West Virginia's offense struggled on the road against Oklahoma State. Senior quarterback Skyler Howard looked like the 2015 edition of himself at times as the pressure seemed to make him uncomfortable while the offensive line and running backs struggled to establish a run game outside of when the Cowboys showed a light box. The wide receivers also took a step back a week after making a highlight reel full of impressive catches, the group didn't make routine plays and West Virginia struggled to score. Kansas comes in allowing almost 40-points per game this year and is a good chance for a bounceback.

Stop the run. Kansas runs for around 100-yards per game but West Virginia could go a long way toward shutting down the Jayhawks by exceling in that area of the field. The Mountaineers have struggled at times when teams have been able to find balance. Even in a matchup against an offense that has struggled to score at times, West Virginia has to do its job to keep the ground game, well grounded.

Heat them up. Pressure has been a recipe for success this season for the West Virginia defense but against Oklahoma State it did not get home more often than not and the quick slant proved to be a nemesis as the Cowboys were able to move the ball consistently. Kansas is not the same as the Oklahoma State offense and the quarterback position has been prone to making some mistakes this season. Montell Cozart has thrown a total of eight interceptions already this year and pressure can make mistakes a lot more likely. I expect that the Mountaineers will be bringing the heat early and often in this one. But when they do bring pressure they must hit home and avoid big plays down the field that can keep this one close.

Play sound on special teams. West Virginia has had issues with its special teams units for much of the season and the Jayhawks have been generally solid in this department for the most part. This will be a key for West Virginia to clean up some of the things that have plagued this group such as field goal kicking and punt return team and not allow a big play to give the Jayhawks momentum. It hasn’t directly cost West Virginia a game yet, but the Mountaineers have been playing with fire with their special teams units.

Win clean, stay healthy. When you’re a 34-point favorite there is no sugar coating it, this is a game that West Virginia is supposed to win. If you want to win the Big 12 Conference this is a game that West Virginia has to win. At home, at night, the key for West Virginia will be to build a lead early in this game and put it out of reach so the Mountaineers can work some of their backups and avoid any further injury. Last week was a tough one from an injury perspective as several players left the game and did not return but this week the focus will shift to first and foremost winning the game and then getting out healthy while getting some valuable time for the reserves.

Score touchdowns in the red zone: West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen has said that the Mountaineers are shooting for at least a 50-percent touchdown rate in the red zone. It’s been a mixed bag to date and last week the offense hit right at that going 2-4 scoring touchdowns in the red zone. This is a game where the Mountaineers need to put points on the board and get it out of reach so the team can work some of the backups and younger players into the mix. Touchdowns instead of field goals will do.

Turnovers: This is an area that goes without saying as turnovers both avoiding them on offense as well as forcing them on the defensive side play a giant role in deciding the overall outcome of games. West Virginia had gone back to back weeks without turning the ball over while taking advantage of mistakes by the opposing teams and then had a meltdown against Oklahoma State. Three West Virginia turnovers resulted in 17-points for the Cowboys, which proved to be the difference in the final score. Turnovers can affect a game significantly and since 2002 West Virginia is 78-11 when on the positive side of that battle. That is a trend you want to continue being a 34-point favorite at home against a team that has struggled to score at times.