Game Preview: WVU vs. Texas

No. 10/11 West Virginia (7-1, 4-1) hits the road for a matchup against a resurgent Texas (5-4, 3-3) football team Saturday afternoon inside Darrel K. Royal Stadium.

The Mountaineers will be looking for their eighth win of the season on the road against a Longhorns team that has won back-to-back games over Baylor and Texas Tech.

The Longhorns are coached by Charlie Strong, who is in his third year atop the Texas football program after coming over from Louisville where he turned around the fortunes of the Cardinals program during his four-years. Since his arrival in Austin, Strong has led the Longhorns to a 16-18 overall record.

During his tenure as the head coach at Louisville the long time defensive coordinator amassed a 37-15 record along with a pair of Big East Championships including winning the matchup between him and West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen in 2011.

Strong also won the 2014 matchup in Austin, as the Longhorns defeated the then No. 24 Mountaineers 33-16 in a game where Texas ran the football effectively on the West Virginia defense.

This Texas football team is much like the other under Strong and will rely on a potent ground game led by an impressive offensive line and junior D’onta Foreman who rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown against the Mountaineers last season. This year, Foreman is the nation’s leading rusher with 1,446 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging over 180 yards per game. At 6-foot-1, 249-pounds, Foreman not only has the size to bulldoze over defenders but the speed to run past them in the open field.

Last week against Texas Tech, Foreman finished with 341 yards and three touchdowns.

True freshman Shane Buechele is the quarterback for the Longhorns and has thrown for 2,257 yards and 19 touchdowns with only six interceptions. Overall, Buechele has been efficient completing 61.9-percent of his passes while also adding a rushing touchdown on the year.

Overall, the Texas offense is averaging 37 points per game and 505.4 yards of total offense, good enough for 27th and 14th nationally. While the ground game accounts for 247 yards per game.

Texas also will utilize senior quarterback Tyrone Swoopes, who started against the Mountaineers in 2014, in what they refer to as the "18-Wheeler" package running and throwing the football in short-yardage situations as well as conventional looks. Overall Swoopes hasn’t thrown an interception yet but is second on the team with a total of seven rushing touchdowns.

At wide receiver, the Longhorns spread the ball around and feature a deep group with at eight players that have caught at least 10 passes this season. Junior wide receiver Armanti Foreman leads the team with 33 receptions for 414 yards and three touchdowns, while junior Jake Oliver (23-280), freshman Devin Duvernay (13-300-3) and junior Dorian Leonard (17-245-3) are several of the options.

With a dominant run game, this Longhorns football team has the weapons to effectively throw the football and all eight wide receivers with at least ten catches have caught a pass over 40-yards. Texas has exceled at running the football to set up plays down the field in the air. To date, the Longhorns are undefeated at home this season.

Defense has been the trademark of Strong with his time coordinating that side of the ball but this season's Longhorns are allowing 33.2 points and 464.1 yards per game this year. However, Texas has exceled with generating pressure from its front and linebackers and is tied for first in the conference in sacks with 34 through nine games compared to only 13 for the Mountaineers.

Since Strong took over the defensive unit, the Longhorns have forced 19 sacks in the last four games and use a variety of fronts and pressures to confuse offenses.

Sophomore Anthony Wheeler leads the Longhorns in tackles with 60 and a pair of forced fumbles, while former five-star prospect sophomore Malik Jefferson is second with 57 stops and 4.5 sacks on the year. In total 17 players on the Longhorns roster have recorded at least one sack this year.

West Virginia is 2-2 against Texas since joining the Big 12 and 1-1 in Austin. Last season, the Mountaineers defeated the Longhorns 38-20 taking advantage of five turnovers and turned that into 24 points en route to the win. West Virginia lost in its last trip to Austin when the Mountaineers entered that matchup ranked No. 24 in the nation but fell behind early and never recovered in a 33-16 loss.

The game will kick off at 12 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 – 24 Maurice Fleming (r-Sr), 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), 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 2-2 against Texas and 1-2 against Charlie Strong with one of those meetings coming when the Longhorns coach was at Louisville.

--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 618 plays, 346 on the ground and 272 through the air. The rushing game has totaled 1,789 yards for an average of 5.2 yards per carry and 15 touchdowns. The passing attack has totaled 2,297 yards for an average of 13.1 yards per completion and 16 touchdowns.

--The West Virginia offense has gained 84 first downs via the run and 110 via the pass. On average, West Virginia has totaled 223.6 yards per game on the ground, 287.1 yards per game passing.

--The West Virginia offense is ranked No. 10 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 24 of 26 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 20th nationally. The Mountaineers also rank No. 28 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 79-11 since 2002 when winning the turnover battle.

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

--Since 2000, West Virginia is 106-13 when scoring 30 or more points in a contest.

Injuries/Suspensions: West Virginia running back redshirt senior Rushel Shell (ankle) and redshirt senior cornerback Antonio Crawford (shoulder) did not play against Kansas and are considered up in the air. 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:

Stop (or at least contain) the run. Texas running back D’Onta Foreman is leading the nation in rushing at 180 yards per game. In fact, his numbers put him at 57th in the nation per game when looking at team rushing numbers. He’s been that good. West Virginia will face its biggest challenge on the ground to date against a Texas football team that runs the ball as well as anybody and uses the big, physical Foreman behind a big offensive line to grind out chunks of yards. What makes Foreman so dangerous is that not only does he have the ability to lower his shoulder and run over defenders, but the speed to turn carries into home runs once he gets into the open field. The junior has rushed for over 100 yards in ten straight games coming into this weekend including 341 a week ago against Texas Tech. This is a Texas team that is much improved offensively and the biggest key is going to come from limiting what the Longhorns can do on the ground.

Stop the big play. While running the football is the bread and butter for the Longhorns, freshman quarterback Shane Buechele has shown the ability to command the offense and make plays down the field in the passing game. Texas will spread the ball out to a number of wide receivers but each of the eight with double-digit receptions have at least one catch over 40-yards under their belt. The Longhorns are going to try to run the football and suck teams up then go over the top so the Mountaineers will have to keep them behind the sticks and not give up the big plays down the field in the passing game. Because holding the rushing attack in check will be a tough enough task.

Confuse the young quarterback. West Virginia’s defense has done an excellent job disguising what it’s done over the season and confusing opposing quarterbacks into making mistakes. Texas quarterback Shane Buechele has not looked like it for the most part, but he is still a true freshman and it will be the first time that he will be seeing the West Virginia 3-3-5 defense. Obviously, the Mountaineers will help itself out by keeping the Longhorns behind the sticks but there will be chances to bring pressure and bait the freshman into mistakes that would be critical in a game like this.

Do you. West Virginia has been exactly what head coach Dana Holgorsen has strived for this season in an offense that will take advantage of what the defense is giving them. Teams have played the Mountaineers more conservative for the most part forcing the offense to drive the field and string together plays as opposed to picking up big chunks. Now, Texas has had success with stopping West Virginia in the past and it will be key for the offense to continue to take what the Longhorns are allowing them to and not attempt to force the issue. The Mountaineers have moved the football efficiently this season and that’s because this is a team that does what it does and hasn’t gone out of its element.

Play sound on special teams. West Virginia has had issues with its special teams units for much of the season and on the road this can become a big issue quickly. The Mountaineers have missed at least one field goal in four straight games, as well as dealing with problems with the coverage and return units. That area must improve for the Mountaineers down the stretch and it has to happen on the road against a Texas team that is experiencing a late season resurgence.

Win first and second down to win third. The last time a ranked West Virginia team traveled to Texas the No. 24 Mountaineers were beaten soundly by Texas 33-16 in 2014. On the day, the Longhorns rushed for 227 yards and three touchdowns and was ahead of the sticks throughout the entire day. West Virginia had no answer for the Texas rushing attack and a large part of the score difference was the fact that the Longhorns were consistently in third and short situations. That is no different this year, as Texas will be running the football into the heart of the Mountaineers defense and making it difficult on first and second down will lead to success in getting them off the field.

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 scored only three of five times on red zone trips with only two of those being touchdowns. The schedule doesn’t get any easier from here and if you want to win on the road you have to be able to cash opportunities into six points instead of three.

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 only turned the ball over once against Kansas but it led directly to a Jayhawks touchdown. Before that, the three turnovers against Oklahoma State proved to be the difference in the game. The last thing West Virginia wants to do is give Texas short fields and opportunities to score off their own mistakes on offense or special teams.