This Is How WVU Can Pull Off the Most Surprising Big 12 Win of the Week

Rich Rod's bunch can leave Lawrence with a win if they do these three things.

West Virginia University head coach Rich Rodriguez | Christopher Hall – West Virginia on SI

West Virginia enters this week's game against the Kansas Jayhawks as massive underdogs, but that doesn't mean they can't leave Lawrence with a win. On paper, the two teams are fairly even in a lot of areas, although KU has the slight edge.

This is widely viewed as one of the toughest situations in all of college football this weekend as the Mountaineers are coming off an emotional, thrilling overtime victory over rival Pitt, while Kansas is coming off a bye after a loss to its rival, Missouri.

How can the Mountaineers kick off Big 12 play with a W? Here are my three keys to victory.

Make Kansas one-dimensional

Sep 6, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels (6) warms up during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Through the first three games of the season, the Jayhawks haven't run the ball particularly well, which is pretty shocking considering how well they've been able to run it under Lance Leipold. I couldn't care less about how they did against Fresno State or Wagner, as it doesn't tell me much. In the loss to Missouri, however, they ran it 19 times for just 31 yards.

The bad news for them is that West Virginia is one of the top run defenses in the country, allowing just 2.8 yards per carry. If Kansas has to drop back 30+ times, they are going to be in an uncomfortable spot. Don't get me wrong, Jalon Daniels can sling it around, but they know the ground game is the straw that stirs the drink for them offensively.

The WVU secondary played extremely well last week, and if they do so again, Jimmori Robinson and the rest of the Mountaineer pass rush can get home against a weak offensive line.

Eye discipline

West Virginia University linebacker Reid Carrico | Christopher Hall – West Virginia on SI

This Kansas offense is predicated on movement. There's a lot of motioning, but more shifting, which can really confuse a defense. Formationally, they rarely end up where they begin. It's eye candy to some degree, but it's really more about creating hesitation for the defense. What the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins do in the NFL... that is true eye candy, where guys are motioning all over the place, oftentimes snapping the ball with a guy on the move.

Having good eye and gap discipline is something the defense needs every week, but some weeks more than others, you really need to be on your P's and Q's. This is one of those weeks. This is post-snap, too. Kansas runs a good portion of its passing game through play-action. The secondary and linebackers can't get caught biting or trying to cheat against the run. In the read option game, you can't make assumptions and try to go make a play. Staying within the assignment will be key.

O-line...time to step up

West Virginia University offensive lineman Ty’Kieast Crawford | Christopher Hall – West Virginia on SI

I might just start copying and pasting this every week until actual improvement is made. I knew it would take a few games for this unit to gel and play well together, but we're three games into this now. The starters have played 200+ snaps together at this point, and after this Saturday, that number will likely be pushing 300. Walter Young Bear, Ty'Kieast Crawford, Nick Krahe, and Landen Livingston are at 214 snaps. Kimo Makane'ole is at 206.

I'm not quite ready to pound the table for changes because I still believe this group just has to rep it out, but they have to show some signs of progress. Pass protection hasn't been great by any means, but they've really struggled to handle their business in the run game. WVU is primarily a zone run team, which needs repping for it to work consistently. In zone runs, linemen aren't assigned to attach to a particular defender. It's more of a feel thing where they block an area. If they can do their job and avoid 3rd and long situations, WVU will have a shot.

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