PREVIEW: West Virginia Opens Conference Play at No. 4 Oklahoma
The West Virginia Mountaineers (2-1) open Big 12 Conference play on the road at No. 4 Oklahoma (3-0) this Saturday, with kickoff slated for primetime at 7:30 and nationally televised on ABC.
The Oklahoma Sooners come into the matchup sitting at 3-0 on the season with wins over Tulane (40-35), Western Carolina 76-0. Then, they rekindled a border rivalry with Nebraska and held on with a 23-16 win. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers lost their opener on the road against border rival Maryland Terrapins before picking up their first win against LIU, and they got redemption over an old bitter rival last week over Virginia Tech 27-21.
Heisman hopeful Spencer Rattler has a 74.7% completion rate with 761 yards and seven touchdowns, and he has plenty of weapons on the outside. Marvin Mims has a team-leading 168 yards on eight receptions, while Jadon Haselwood leads the team with 14 receptions for 127 yards and is tied with Mario Williams in touchdown receptions with two. Williams has also hauled in 13 passes for 115 yards, and tight end Austin Stogner is working the seams with five receptions for 58 yards.
Quarterback Jarrett Doege leads the West Virginia offense. He uncharacteristically has three interceptions early in the season. Still, He has spread the ball around with five different receivers that have hauled in eight receptions or more through the first three games. Sam James leads the team in receiving yards with 166 on a team-leading 10 receptions and three touchdowns.
The Sooner ground game features a talented duo with Kennedy Brooks and Eric Gray. The two have combined for 409 yards and three touchdowns on the season. Brooks opted to sit out last season but has two 1,000+ yard rushing seasons in his career while Gray, a transfer from Tennessee, led the Vols in rushing last season with 772 yards and four touchdowns.
The Mountaineers struggled in the running game in the first two games, but Leddie Brown had a career-high 161 rushing yards last week in the win over the Hokies. It was his first 100+ yard game of the season.
Defensively, the Sooners are wreaking havoc in the backfield and it starts up front, with seven defensive linemen combining for 10.5 of the teams 13 sacks on the year. Perrion Winfrey and Isaiah Thomas lead the unit with 2.5 sacks apiece and are tied with edge rusher Nik Bonito for the team lead in sacks.
Strong safety Delarrin Turner-Yell has accumulated a team-leading 17 tackles while WILL linebacker has tallied 15 and free safety Patrick Fields is third on the team in tackles with 14.
The Mountaineers defense has ratcheted up the pressure this season. Last week, the Mountaineers registered six sacks, three coming from BANDIT Jared Bartlett, pushing their total to 10 on the season.
West Virginia's 31 tackles for a loss rank fourth nationally.
The Sooners have won eight straight over the Mountaineers and hold a 10-2 all-time record. West Virginia's last win over Oklahoma came in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl.
Oklahoma Depth Chart
OFFENSE
QB
7 Spencer Rattler (6-1, 200, R-So.)
13 Caleb Williams (6-1, 218, Fr.)
19 Ralph Rucker (6-0, 206, Fr.)
RB
0 Eric Gray (5-9, 206, Jr.)
OR 26 Kennedy Brooks (5-11, 215, R-Jr.)
23 Todd Hudson (5-7, 180, R-So.)
OR 25 Jaden Knowles (5-7, 195, R-Jr.)
H-BACK
27 Jeremiah Hall (6-2, 248, R-Sr.)
OR 9 Brayden Willis (6-4, 235, Sr.)
OR 18 Austin Stogner (6-6, 251, Jr.)
X
11 Jadon Haselwood (6-3, 202, R-So.)
6 Cody Jackson (5-11, 180, Fr.)
OR 81 Trevon West (6-0, 170, So.)
LT
77 Erik Swenson (6-6, 328, R-Sr.^)
OR 71 Anton Harrison (6-5, 309, So.)
59 Savion Byrd (6-5, 315, Fr.)
LG
54 Marquis Hayes (6-5, 324, R-Sr.)
77 Erik Swenson (6-6, 328, R-Sr.^)
70 Brey Walker (6-6, 356, R-Jr.)
C
66 Robert Congel (6-4, 326, R-Sr.)
OR 73 Andrew Raym (6-4, 315, So.)
61 Ian McIver (6-4, 309, R-Sr.)
RG
56 Chris Murray (6-1, 301, Sr.)
70 Brey Walker (6-6, 356, R-Jr.)
61 Ian McIver (6-4, 309, R-Sr.)
RT
52 Tyrese Robinson (6-3, 324, R-Sr.)
OR 64 Wanya Morris (6-5, 312, Jr.)
59 Savion Byrd (6-5, 315, Fr.)
Y
17 Marvin Mims (5-11, 177, So.)
16 Brian Darby (6-0, 200, So.)
12 Drake Stoops (5-10, 190, R-Jr.)
Z
8 Michael Woods II (6-1, 198, Sr.)
OR 4 Mario Williams (5-9, 186, Fr.)
14 Jalil Farooq (6-1, 203, Fr.)
DEFENSE
DE
95 Isaiah Thomas (6-5, 266, R-Sr.)
14 Reggie Grimes (6-4, 258, So.)
40 Ethan Downs (6-4, 257, Fr.)
NG
8 Perrion Winfrey (6-4, 292, Sr.)
92 Kori Roberson (6-3, 287, R-So.)
94 Isaiah Coe (6-0, 292, Jr.)
88 Jordan Kelley (6-3, 284, R-Jr.)
DT
31 Jalen Redmond (6-2, 279, R-So.)
OR 90 Josh Ellison (6-2, 283, Jr.)
96 LaRon Stokes (6-4, 275, Sr.^)
44 Kelvin Gilliam (6-2, 254, Fr.)
MIKE
2 David Ugwoegbu (6-4, 248, Jr.)
28 Danny Stutsman (6-3, 229, Fr.)
38 Bryan Mead (6-2, 223, R-Sr.^)
WILL
23 DaShaun White (6-0, 225, Sr.)
24 Brian Asamoah (6-1, 228, R-Jr.)
3 Jamal Morris (6-2, 215, R-So.)
13 Shane Whitter (6-1, 225, So.)
RUSH
11 Nik Bonitto (6-3, 240, R-Jr.)
33 Marcus Stripling (6-3, 242, Jr.)
OR 19 Caleb Kelly (6-3, 232, R-Sr.^)
20 Clayton Smith (6-4, 232, Fr.)
CB
9 D.J. Graham (6-0, 193, So.)
OR 4 Jaden Davis (5-10, 185, Jr.)
16 Justin Harrington (6-2, 212, R-Jr.)
SS
32 Delarrin Turner-Yell (5-11, 200, Sr.)
12 Key Lawrence (6-1, 208, So.)
29 Jordan Mukes (6-1, 205, Fr.)
FS
10 Pat Fields (6-0, 204, Sr.)
25 Justin Broiles (5-10, 192, R-Sr.)
15 Bryson Washington (6-2, 190, R-Fr.)
CB
0 Woodi Washington (5-11, 191, R-So.)
OR 7 Latrell McCutchin (6-1, 185, Fr.)
1 Joshua Eaton (6-2, 186, So.)
NB
5 Billy Bowman (5-10, 188, Fr.)
OR 22 Jeremiah Criddell (5-11, 198, R-So.)
17 Damond Harmon (6-0, 169, Fr.)
West Virginia Depth Chart
OFFENSE
QB
Jarret Doege
Garrett Greene
RB
Leddie Brown
Tony Mathis
Justin Johnson Jr.
WR (X)0
Bryce Ford-Wheaton
Kaden Prather
WR (Z)
Sean Ryan
OR Isaiah Esdale
Sam Brown
WR (SL)
Winston Wright Jr.
Reese Smith
WR (H)
Sam James
Graeson Malashevich
TE
Mike O'Laughlin
T.J. Banks
Left Tackle
Brandon Yates
Ja'Quay Hubbard
Left Guard
James Gmiter
Nick Malone
Center
Zach Frazier
Jordan White
Right Guard
Doug Nester
John Hughes
Right Tackle
Parker Moorer
OR Wyatt Milum
DEFENSE
DE
Taijh Alston
Sean Martin
Taurus Simmons
DT
Dante Stills
Jordan Jefferson
DT:
Akheem Mesidor
Jalen Thornton
BAN
VanDarius Cowan
OR Jared Bartlett
Lanell Carr
MIKE
Josh Chandler-Semedo
Deshawn Stevens
WILL
Exree Loe
Lance Dixon
LCB
Nicktroy Fortune
Malachi Ruffin
RCB
Daryl Porter Jr.
Jackie Matthews
FS
Alonzo Addae
Aubrey Burks
CAT
Sean Mahone
Kerry Martin Jr.
SPEAR
Scottie Young
Charles Woods
SPECIAL TEAMS
K
Casey Legg
Tyler Sumpter
P
Tyler Sumpter
KO
Evan Staley
H
Graeson Malashevich
LS
Austin Brinkman
J.P. Hadley
KR
Winston Wright Jr.
Sam Brown
PR: Isaiah Esdale
Reese Smith
Winston Wright Jr.
Isaiah Esdale
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