WVSports.com looks at the weekly press conference from West Virginia head coach Neal Brown and determines the five most interesting discussion topics.
We examine what was said as well as what it means for the football team both this week and moving ahead as the Mountaineers navigate the 2024 schedule.
Next up is a home matchup against Texas Tech to close the season.
1—Focus is now. West Virginia head coach Neal Brown understands that his team has qualified for a bowl game, but the focus in the immediate future is directed to the Texas Tech game and that alone. The message to the team this week is to put blinders on and focus on the final game of the regular season.
The Mountaineers have to be focused on what is at hand and anything after that is premature. While Brown is happy for his team that a bowl is in their future, he wants all of the attention to be directed at the Red Raiders.
Even when asked about the early signing period which opens Dec. 4, Brown said that while he is still talking to recruits and work is being done to wrap up the class, the primary focus is on the work left on the field. The Mountaineers have an opportunity not only to get to seven wins on the season but finish with six wins in the league for the second consecutive year which hasn’t happened since the program joined the Big 12.
2—Texas Tech tempo presents challenges. The Red Raiders are one of the fastest teams in the country under head coach Joey McGuire and on defense, it starts with how the Mountaineers are going to be ready for that aspect. Lining up at times has been an issue for this football team and the defense is going to have to respond against an offense that is ranked 17th nationally at over 450 yards per game.
The Red Raiders are very effective in throwing the football with a collection of big and long pass catchers and quarterback Behren Morton can get the football out quick. This is a different animal than that the Mountaineers squared off against in the pass game a week ago, which makes it critical for the defensive backs to respond to the challenge. But they also have one of the best running backs in the Big 12 in senior Tahj Brooks who has rushed for over 1,300 yards and 14 touchdowns this year.
Texas Tech is especially effective if the defenses can’t get lined up quickly against what they want to do and they are very good when they hit on first downs to get that tempo rolling. The Red Raiders are going to throw the ball downfield and it will be up to the defense to limit those explosives. But the real key will come in limiting their run game and preventing them from being balanced on the offensive side.
3—Lubbock a tough place to play. West Virginia will travel to West Texas to close out the season and it’s a place that Brown is plenty familiar with after serving as the offensive coordinator for the Red Raiders from 2010-12. The head coach is now 0-2 in Lubbock losing 34-27 in 2020 and then 48-10 in 2022 but will look to change those fortunes against the 7-4 Red Raiders this season.
Brown said that Texas Tech has done a good job with their stadium to keep the noise in there and their fans, especially the students, are into it and get there early and are right behind your bench and make it loud. For West Virginia, it’s simply a long trip and the Red Raiders typically play well at home.
4—Offense needs to worry about themselves. The focus heading into this game is for the offensive side of the ball not to get caught up in trying to do what Texas Tech does when it comes to playing with tempo or worrying about anything on that side of the ball and instead be themselves. The Mountaineers have to place a priority on not turning the ball over and picking up first downs which eventually will lead to touchdowns.
The game isn’t played offense versus offense and while it’s easy to get caught up in things at times the Mountaineers simply need to do what they do best. In terms of protection, West Virginia has to do a better job than they did against UCF while when the shot plays are there senior quarterback Garrett Greene needs to trigger the football when they present themselves.
Finally, West Virginia is a run-based offense and needs to be the focus and continue to hit on what they do well in order to put their best foot forward on Saturday.
5—Injury update. Not that it comes as much of a surprise at this point, but West Virginia will be without the services of spear Aubrey Burks, cornerback Ayden Garnes, wide receiver Traylon Ray and wide receiver Jaden Bray for the season finale against Texas Tech due to injury. But Brown also clarified that each of those players will likely miss the bowl game for the Mountaineers as well.
Burks hasn’t played since the Iowa State game while the same can be said about Garnes. Bray hasn’t suited up for West Virginia since the Oklahoma State game and while there was some optimism he could return at some point this season that won’t be the case. Finally, Ray was already known to be out for the year.
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