It seems like a tradition for Oklahoma State to enter a matchup against West Virginia with a sense of curiosity at the quarterback position.

Last season, backup Dru Brown was under center for the Cowboys for the game — ultimately a 20-13 Oklahoma State win — after starter Spencer Sanders was sidelined with an injury. The team is in a similar situation heading into this Saturday’s game.

Early in the first quarter of last week’s game, Sanders threw an incomplete pass and immediately began to favor his right ankle. He was later taken out of the game — a high ankle sprain to blame — and the Cowboys limped to a 16-7 win over Tulsa.

Since then, questions have swirled around who will be under center for Mike Gundy’s team on Saturday — a challenge that West Virginia head coach Neal Brown can prepare for, but may result in some serious adjustments come game time.

“I think what you do is you prepare for the guy that started the year, which is Spencer Sanders,” Brown said. “I don’t want to speak for Oklahoma State, but if he’s well, my assumption is he’ll play and that’s who you prepare for.”

“Now, if another guy plays, they’ll adjust and we’ll have to adjust, but I think you go in and you prepare and you plan for the strengths of what he [Sanders] does and his dual-threat ability, and if you need to adjust, you adjust.”

Standing at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, Sanders threw for 2,065 yards and 16 touchdowns while also rushing for more than 50 yards in six games during the 2019 season. He has the most experience of anybody on the Cowboys roster, but he is still questionable as of Friday afternoon.

If Sanders isn’t able to go, the Cowboys will likely turn to Shane Illingworth: a true freshman who played 23 snaps in Sanders’ absence.

Against Tulsa, Illingworth went 4-for-5 passing for 79 yards.

“He came into the game last week and I thought he did a really nice job,” Brown said. “Anytime you come in, your first game, your first play from scrimmage, and you throw a touch fade — which is as hard a throw there is in football — and he did it. I think that, if he does play against us, I don’t think the moment won’t be too big for him.”

Due to his youth and lack of experience at the college level, West Virginia coaches are resorting to watching his high school game film in order to develop a better understanding of his skillset.

“You’re really just trying to get more of the physical skillset,” WVU cornerback coach Jahmile Addae said. “Obviously, what he’s being asked to do in college is going to be a little bit different than what he’s asked to do in high school, and so you’re not necessarily looking at the scheme as opposed to what he’s capable of, whether it be running, whether it be arm strength, whether it be decision-making, whether it be ability to see down the field, what have you.

“You’re just trying to gather information. It’s like anything else; if you don’t have information, you’ve gotta go dig and get it in every avenue in which you can in order to build a portfolio on which you feel good about using to defend him.”

When the Mountaineers take the field for the game’s first play on Saturday, they’ll likely have a better idea of the Cowboys’ offensive plans. Yet, half of the battle is preparation, and Oklahoma State’s fogginess at quarterback likely hasn’t done either team any favors through this week’s game prep.

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