Game Preview: WVU vs. Utah
Series: Utah 1-0
Last meeting: 1964: WVU 6 Utah 32
Television: 1:30 p.m. ESPN, Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Rene Ingoglia (analyst), Kris Budden (sideline)
West Virginia (7-5) will look to close its season on a high note when the Mountaineers travel deep in the heart of Texas to take on Utah (6-6) in the appropriately named Heart of Dallas Bowl.
The Mountaineers are coming off a pair of losses to close the season after redshirt junior quarterback Will Grier injured the middle finger on his throwing hand and will look to end that skid against a Utah team that achieved bowl eligibility in the final game of the season.
Grier is not expected back for the bowl and will be one of several West Virginia players that are not expected to be on the field along with senior running back Justin Crawford, who is skipping the bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft, and guard Kyle Bosch, who was injured and missed the Oklahoma game.
That could change some things for head coach Dana Holgorsen’s club in regards to who sees time on the field but the objective will remain the same in trying to close the season with a win.
Redshirt sophomore Chris Chugunov will undoubtedly receive the nod at quarterback and has used the last month to become more comfortable with the offense and with his responsibilities after his first career start on the road at Oklahoma. At running back, West Virginia has a pair of sophomores ready to step in to fill the void in Kennedy McKoy and Martell Pettaway, both of which received time during the year. Finally, expect Grant Lingafelter, a senior, and Josh Sills to handle the work on the interior line.
Holgorsen is now in his seventh year atop the program and has amassed a 53-36 record during that timeframe including a 2-3 mark in bowl games. The Mountaineers did however win their last bowl matchup against a Pac 12 team beating Arizona State 43-42 in the 2016 Cactus Bowl.
The Mountaineers are 15-20 all-time in bowl contests.
There isn’t much of a common history between these two programs or coaches, so unsurprisingly this will be the first meeting between Hoglorsen and his counterpart Kyle Whittingham.
The Utes head man is currently in his 13th year in Salt Lake City and has a 110-56 career mark, including a highly impressive 10-1 record in bowl matchups during his coaching career. As a program, Utah is 4-0 in bowl games since becoming a member of the Pac-12 and overall has a 16-4 mark.
This will be the second meeting all-time between the two power-five programs with the first also coming in a bowl venue as well in the 1964 Liberty Bowl. That contest was played in Atlantic City’s Convention Hall in a one-sided 32-6 affair in favor of the Utes.
Like West Virginia, Utah is a team that had plenty of success in the group of five before transitioning to the Pac-12 and while there has been a transition of sorts, the program has had its share of success.
The program is similar to West Virginia in the fact that it mines its talent from all over including the junior college ranks and have built their ranks to produce a high-level of NFL talent.
“They are more California junior colleges, and we are east coach junior colleges,” Holgorsen said.
Despite finishing the season 6-6, Utah did not lose to a team that didn’t finish the season with a winning record and had several close calls over highly rated teams such as a three-point loss to Stanford, a one-point loss at USC, an eight-point loss to Washington State and a three-point loss at Washington.
Prior to the start of the season, the Utes elected to move away from returning starter Troy Williams to give the quarterback job to sophomore Tyler Huntley. Through the nine games he’s played due to injury and other issues, Huntley has amassed a 5-4 record throwing for 2,246 yards and 15 touchdowns.
The Utes will run the ball with Huntley on designed plays with 480 yards and 4 scores, while if Williams is in the game it is more scripted to handoffs to the running backs and staying in the pocket. Huntley missed the final regular season game due to injury but is fully expected to suit up for the bowl game.
The lead dog in the backfield for Utah is sophomore Zack Moss, a Florida prospect that that leads the Utes across the board in carries (194), rushing yards (1,023) and touchdowns (9). That is behind a veteran offensive line with four players starting every game this season.
When the ball is in the air, the primary pass-catcher is Oregon graduate transfer Darren Carrington who was named second team all-Pac-12 with 918 receiving yards and six touchdowns despite missing a game due to injury and parts of others. Junior Raelon Singleton is second on the team with 479 yards and 4 scores, with 349 of those yards coming in the final seven games of the year.
The Utah defense was banged up at times throughout the year but is expected to be close to full strength for the bowl game and will attempt to hold the Mountaineers in check. A man-free team that will rely primarily on press-man coverage on the outside, but sometimes shift into cover two or three, Utah is holding teams to 23.9 points and 354 yards per contest on the year.
The Mountaineers will look to find offensive rhythm without their leader Grier, and the expectation is that Chugunov will be given more free-reign than he did against Oklahoma with an expansion of the wildcat packaged used with McKoy on deck as well.
The game will be played inside the old Cotton Bowl.
Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. and will be televised by ESPN
West Virginia Depth Chart:
OFFENSE:
QB: 11 Chris Chugunov, (r-So.), 3 David Isreal (So.)
RB: 4 Kennedy McKoy, (So.), 32 Martell Pettaway, (So.)
HB: 28 Elijah Wellman, (r-Sr.), 81 Trevon Wesco, (r-Jr.)
X WR: 13 David Sills, V, (Jr.), 8 Marcus Simms (So.)
Y/H WR: 12 Gary Jennings, Jr., (Jr.), 85 Ricky Rogers, (r-Jr.)
Z WR: 2 Ka'Raun White, (r-Sr.), 6 Reggie Roberson, Jr., (Fr.)
LT: 55 Yodny Cajuste, (r-Jr.), 72 Kelby Wickline, (r-So.)
LG: 73 Josh Sills, (r-Fr.), 76 Chase Behrndt (r-Fr.)
C: 79 Matt Jones, (r-So.), 78 Jacob Buccigrossi, (r-Fr.)
RG: 62 Kyle Bosch, (r-Sr.), 56 Grant Lingafelter, (r-Sr.)
RT: 53 Colton McKivitz, (r-So.), 65 Isaiah Hardy, (Jr.)
DEFENSE:
DE: 88 Adam Shuler, (r-So.), 91 Ezekiel Rose, (Jr.)
NT: 49 Lamonte McDougle, (Fr.), 99 Xavier Pegues (r-Sr.)
DE: 46 Reese Donahue, (So.), 92 Jon Lewis, (r-Sr.)
SAM LB: 10 Dylan Tonkery, (r-Fr.), 33 Quondarius Qualls (Jr.), 5 Xavier Preston, (Sr.)
MIKE LB: 3 Al-Rasheed Benton, (r-Sr.), 44 Hodari Christian (r-Sr.)
WILL LB: 11 David Long, Jr. (r-So.), 45 Adam Hensley (So.)
SPUR: 8 Kyzir White, (Sr.), 18 Marvin Gross, Jr., (r-Sr.)
BS: 6 Dravon Askew-Henry, (r-Jr.), 16 Toyous Avery, (r-Jr.), 1 Derrek Pitts, Jr., (Fr.)
FS: 2 Kenny Robinson, (Fr.), 9 Jovanni Stewart, (So.)
LCB: 19 Elijah Battle, (Sr.), 29 Sean Mahone (r-Fr.)
RCB: 4 Mike Daniels, Jr., (Sr.), 24 Hakeem Bailey, (r-So.)
SPECIAL TEAMS:
K: 30 Evan Staley (r-Fr.), 48 Mike Molina, (r-Sr.)
P: 15 Billy Kinney, (r-Jr.), 43 Luke Hogan, (r-Fr.)
LS: 52 Nick Meadows, (r-Sr.), 64 Rex Sunahara, (r-So.)
H: 15 Billy Kinney, (r-Jr.), 43 Luke Hogan, (r-Fr.)
KO: 30 Evan Staley, (r-Fr.), 43 Luke Hogan, (r-Fr.)
PR: 8 Marcus Simms (So.), 13 David Sills, V, (Jr.)
KOR: 8 Marcus Simms (So.) 12 Gary Jennings, Jr., (Jr.)
NOTES:
--This year marks the 126th year of West Virginia football with the Mountaineers currently sitting in 14th place all-time in wins in college football.
--WVU is 15-20 in bowl games, 2-3 under head coach Dana Holgorsen.
--Since 2000, West Virginia is 112-16 when scoring more than 30 points and 57-4 when scoring more than 40 points in a game.
--The Mountaineers are 83-11 since 2002 when winning the turnover battle.
--In the Holgorsen era, WVU has produced 83 games with 300 or more yards, 63 games with 400 or more yards, 34 games with more than 500 yards and 17 with more than 600 yards.
--Under Holgorsen West Virginia has scored 30 or more points in 58 games, 40 or more points in 29 games, 50 or more points in 10 games and 60 or more points three times.
--The West Virginia offense has had 37 scoring drives of 70 yards or more, with 35 of those resulting in touchdowns. The offense has put together 14 touchdown drives of 80-yards or more.
--The 2017 roster consists of 121 players from 20 different states.
--Coaching staff assignments: AHC/DC/LB Tony Gibson (field), OC/QB Jake Spavital (field), CB Doug Belk (press box), WR Tyron Carrier (field), S Matt Caponi (field), RB Tony Dews (field), LB/ST Mark Scott (press box), DL Bruce Tall (press box), OL Joe Wickline (field)
--There are 34 Mountaineers who have seen their first WVU action during the 2017 season: Hakeem Bailey (CB), Chase Behrndt (OL), Dante Bonamico (S), Druw Bowen (WR), Tevin Bush (RB), Mitch Chugunov (WR), Elijah Drummond (FB), Brendan Ferns (LB), Will Grier (QB), Isaiah Hardy (OL), Jalen Harvey (DL), Osman Kamara (S), Jake Long (CB), Sean Mahone (CB), Dominique Maiden (WR), Alejando Marenco III (WR), Lamonte McDougle (DL), Quondarius Qualls (LB), Xavier Pegues (DL) Derrek Pitts Jr. (S), Jeffery Pooler (DL), Ray Raulerson (OL), Reggie Roberson Jr (WR), Kenny Robinson (CB), Ezekiel Rose (DL), Josh Sills (OL), Evan Staley (K), Darius Stills (DL), Rex Sunahara (LS), Logan Thimons (LB), Dylan Tonkery (LB), Kelby Wickline (OL), Corey Winfield (CB) and Jonn Young (P).
--West Virginia has run a total of 891 plays with 440 coming on the ground and 451 through the air. The rushing game has totaled 1,924 yards for an average of 4.4 per carry and 18 touchdowns. The passing attack has totaled 3,897 yards, 36 touchdowns and an average of 13.7 per completion.
--The Mountaineers have gained 111 first downs via the run and 154 with the pass. West Virginia has averaged 160.3 yards per game on the ground and 324.8 in the air for a total of 485.1 yards per game.
Injuries/Suspensions: Redshirt junior quarterback Will Grier will not play after breaking his finger. Senior running back Justin Crawford is missing the bowl game and senior offensive guard Kyle Bosch isn't expected to play due to an injury as well. Redshirt freshman linebacker Brendan Ferns will miss the remainder of the 2017 season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
Redshirts: Six true freshmen played in the season opener against Virginia Tech in Tevin Bush (RB), Lamonte McDougle (DL), Derrek Pitts Jr. (S), Reggie Roberson Jr. (WR), Kenny Robinson (CB) and Darius Stills (DL).
--A total of fifteen redshirt freshmen have seen action for the Mountaineers in 2017: Chase Behrndt (OL), Dante Bonamico (S), Druw Bowen (WR), Mitch Chugunov (WR), Elijah Drummond (HB), Brendan Ferns (LB), Osman Kamara (S), Jake Long (CB), Sean Mahone (CB), Jefferey Pooler (DL), Josh Sills (OL), Evan Staley (K), Logan Thimons (LB), Dylan Tonkery (LB), and Jonn Young (P).
POINTS TO CLICK:
--Mix it up on offense. There is little doubt that the gospel for the Utah defense will be what West Virginia put on the game tape against Oklahoma in the final regular season game of the year as opposed to the first 11 before that one. That is in large part because that was the most extended look at Chugunov under center and the offense was quite a different look. West Virginia relied on the use of the wildcat with McKoy in the backfield executing the scheme and the plan is to further expand that package but not make it as much of a base as the look was against the Sooners. Chugunov had had an entire month to become more familiar with the offense and what he needs to do to execute the scheme and coordinator Jake Spavital has made it clear that they will run the base looks and he feels comfortable with what his quarterback can do at that spot. The time off has also allowed more time for the Mountaineers to give some new looks and they’re going to need it.
--Stop the run. Utah is a ball-control offense that wants to keep the ball on the ground and chew up both yards and clock. Yes, they have the ability to effectively throw the ball but the Utes want to run the football and control the line of scrimmage. After watching tape of the Mountaineers defense the past few weeks, the Utes have to be salivating at the effort on that side of the ball and it will be essential for the Mountaineers to stop the run and force Utah into situations they don’t want to be in.
--Take shots. Because of the style of play from the Utah defense and the expectation that West Virginia will try to run the football after what the Mountaineers put on tape against Oklahoma there should be opportunities to take shots down the field and if the accuracy and timing are there, they could make things happen down the field against a team that tries to limit opportunities. Chugunov and his wide receivers are going to have a spotlight on them in this one to make plays.
--Tackle, tackle, tackle. This has been an issue for several games now and if you’re going to stop the run you have to be able to tackle. There really isn’t a lot of need to elaborate here because if the Mountaineers can’t get Utah ball carriers to the ground this could be a long day at the office.
--Special teams. Just go ahead and take out a space for this point every week, because it’s going to be there. Special teams have been a sore subject at times this year for West Virginia as the Mountaineers have struggled in different areas throughout the year. However, the unit has been gradually improving over the course of the season and will be key here as well. Special teams always loom large and West Virginia will need to continue to play well in the third phase.
--Turnovers. West Virginia is 83-11 since 2002 when winning the turnover battle which is a very telling sign. Turnovers have already cost the Mountaineers dearly this year and it won’t be any different in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. With a new quarterback protecting the ball is key.
