Big 12 notebook: West Virginia faces first true test at Oklahoma on Saturday
It’s a heck of a time to be a West Virginia Mountaineer. Preseason expectations coming into 2015 weren’t as high as they’d been in previous years, but Dana Holgorsen has his team playing as well as anyone in the country.
Through three games, the Mountaineers have outscored their opponents 130-23. But, a 2-2 Maryland squad is West Virginia’s only win over a Power 5 foe.
Still, WVU looks better than anyone expected, and all of its key players are performing. Skyler Howard has thrown nine touchdown passes to just one interception while averaging a robust 10.91 yards per attempt. Running back Wendell Smallwood is averaging 6.9 yards per carry. And Shelton Gibson seems to have picked up just where NFL first-rounder Kevin White left off, averaging more than 100 receiving yards per game and 27.4 yards per catch. And just like last season, the defense has been stout.
That all sounds fine and dandy, but this Saturday’s game with Oklahoma will easily be the Mountaineers’ toughest to date.
The Sooners are averaging 553 yard per game on offense – 10 more than West Virginia – and have a top 25 win to their name against Tennessee. And new starting quarterback Baker Mayfield is nearly running offense coordinator Lincoln Riley’s ‘air raid’ attack to perfection.
However, Oklahoma surrendered 38 points against Tulsa this weekend and 161 rushing yards to tailback Zach Langer, so they could be vulnerable against an improving Mountaineer ground game. Holgorsen was pleased with Rushel Shell’s bounce back game against the Terrapins.
“He practiced really well toward the end of the week, and he was ready to go,” the coach said in his postgame press conference of Shell. “We need that every game. Shell and Wendell (Smallwood) are a pretty good one-two punch, and having (junior quarterback) Skyler (Howard) be able to get some yard is pretty good for the run game.”
The Sooners and Mountaineers square off at noon ET this Saturday on Fox Sports 1.
A win’s a win for TCU
Despite beating Texas Tech in a thriller, TCU still fell a spot in the AP polls this week. That’ll happen when you surrender 52 points and 607 yards to an unranked, albeit formidable, opponent.
"The older Gary Patterson is just glad we won by three points," the Horned Frogs coach said.
Defense is in Patterson’s DNA, but in this year’s Big 12, games that top 100 combined points might become the norm.
"Outscoring people for 12 ballgames, why not? Everybody else has been doing it," Patterson said. "I've been having to do it with defense and winning 17-10. How about we go nine and 10 ballgames and outscore people? That would be nice. ... If I win 17-10, I have no offense. Now I win 55-52, and you're going to say we're going to have to ride Doctson and Trevone."
A game against the Texas Longhorns might be just what the doctor ordered for the Horned Frogs. Though they looked improved in their last two outings against Cal and Oklahoma State, late special teams blunders have plagued them from emerging victorious.
After breaking Vince Young’s single-game record for total offense against the Golden Bears, redshirt freshman quarterback Jerrod Heard had an ordinary performance for the Longhorns in the Oklahoma State tilt. Heard threw for just 119 yards in the 30-27 loss.
Expect a shootout in Waco this weekend
Anyone who watched the Texas Tech-TCU game on Saturday has plenty of the same to look forward to when the Red Raiders take on Baylor this weekend. The two schools average a combined 117.8 points and 1,361 yards per game.
Texas Tech will be Baylor’s first power conference test, but the Bears took their level of offensive dominance to a whole new level against Rice in Week 4. Art Briles’ well-oiled machine put up 70 points, and six of Seth Russell’s 16 passing attempts went for touchdowns.
But as good as the schools are on offense, the other side of the ball is a question mark. The jury is still out on Baylor’s unit, but Texas Tech has allowed 556 yards per contest.
Quick hits: Kansas couldn’t end its infamous streak on Saturday, losing its 32nd straight road game to Rutgers. They travel to Ames to take on Iowa State this week in a Big 12 clash…. Special teams errors once again proved to cost Texas in Week 4, but Charlie Strong is upset by what he perceives to be ‘lopsided officiating’….. Much to head coach Bob Stoops’ dismay, the ‘Red River Rivalry’ game will be played at 11 a.m. this year…. However, Oklahoma did get some good news this week. Suspended sophomore cornerback Justin Thomas, who sat out against Tulsa, returned to practice Monday…. Things are going well for Kansas State alum and rookie Seahawks receiver Tyler Locker in the NFL. He has a kickoff return for a touchdown against the Bears on Sunday.
