The West Virginia Mountaineers are set to open up Big 12 Conference play on the road in a newly renovated stadium against the Kansas Jayhawks. WVU football (2-1) finds itself as a considerable underdog against Kansas (2-1). The line has moved anywhere between Kansas being an 11.5 to a 13.5-point favorite. How can West Virginia pull off the upset in Lawrence and start conference play with a road win?
Keys to Victory For WVU
1. Establish the Run
Running back Tye Edwards burst onto the scene with a breakout performance in the Backyard Brawl. West Virginia needed every bit of Edwards’ 141-yard 3-touchdown performance to pick up the overtime win. WVU has not had a ton of success through the air this season, and certainly not in their lone road game (and lone loss) at Ohio. If they’re able to overcome being a double-digit underdog and knock off the Jayhawks, they will likely need another big-time game out of Edwards.
2. Convert First Downs
Head Coach Rich Rodriguez jokingly stated during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show this week that his team is “just trying to get a first down against Kansas.” But all jokes aside, West Virginia’s ability to string drives together in the Backyard Brawl helped propel them to victory. In the 31-24 victory, the Mountaineers picked up 28 first downs, compared to just 15 for Pitt – and Rodriguez also said after the Brawl that 25 first downs or more per game is the number he likes to aim for.
Heading into the Brawl, one of our keys to victory was rooted in West Virginia’s ability to sustain drives. Against Pitt, they were able to do just that, and they came out victorious. On the road, this will be a key once again. If WVU can get close to that 28-first down total from last week, they may be able to leave Kansas with a win.
3. Nicco Marchiol Needs To Be Himself
WVU QB Nicco Marchiol had quite the in-game experience as part of last week’s Backyard Brawl. He earned the starting nod to open the game, but did not start the second half despite the Mountaineers having the lead. In the 4th quarter, he was put back into the game and asked to lead the Mountaineers back from a 10-point deficit late in the game – and that’s exactly what he did.
Marchiol led the Mountaineers to three consecutive scoring drives in the game’s final quarter and overtime. In doing so, Nicco Marchiol proved he is a winner, plain and simple. If there’s any doubt in your mind about that, watch his poise and playmaking ability down the stretch in last week’s win. West Virginia needs to have the same level of play from Marchiol this weekend that he put on display against Pitt. Certainly, much of Marchiol’s ability to play well has to do with the offensive line creating a clean pocket. While this is a unit that has struggled, they showed signs of life in the comeback win.
4. Continue to Wreak Havoc Defensively
The Zac Alley-led Mountaineer defense has turned some heads with its solid play through three games. The Mountaineers are tied for second in the country with 12 sacks. The run defense has been impressive, ranking 12th in the country in opponent yards per carry with just 2.36 yards allowed per attempt. Lastly, this unit has already forced six turnovers through three games.
On the road against a tough Kansas team, these statistics will once again need to prove to be true. West Virginia has shown an ability to get into the offensive backfield and stop plays before they get started. Safety Fred Perry is a player to keep an eye on for the Mountaineers, leading the team with 21 tackles. The highly-touted Jimmori Robinson is set to make his WVU debut on the road in Lawrence. The former AAC Defensive Player of the Year should only add to the pressure that the Mountaineers can put on opposing offenses.
5. Strong Start
The old “something’s gotta give” adage may be at play in the first Quarter of Saturday’s matchup. Through three games, Kansas’ scoring outputs in the first quarter have been 14 points against Fresno State and Wagner, and in the loss to Missouri, Kansas put up 21 points in the opening 15 minutes. On the flip side, West Virginia has given up just three first-quarter points all season. In front of a big crowd in Lawrence, WVU can ill-afford to have Kansas get off to a fast start and take an early double-digit lead.
Kickoff for the Mountaineers and the Jayhawks is set for 6 pm EST on Saturday on FS1.