The West Virginia Mountaineers are set to face their toughest test of the season on Saturday, as they travel to Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte for a non-conference, neutral-site clash with the No. 25 Virginia Cavaliers.
It's 100% what you might call a 'measuring stick' game for the Mountaineers: the type of opponent who can give you a good idea of exactly how good you are after playing lower-level competition to start the season. And there are still a few questions about the Mountaineers which they'll need to find answers for next week.
1. What will West Virginia look like against Power 4 competition?
The Mountaineers went 3-7 against power conference opponents last season – not exactly a stellar record. Now, the consensus seems to be that West Virginia has improved from last year to this year.
But how much they have improved can be tough to tell when the sample size are games against an FCS opponent and a Sun Belt opponent with a new head coach. Now, we'll finally get an answer to whether or not they measure up better against similar levels of competition.
2. Can West Virginia pull it's defense out of the fire?
The Mountaineers have given different reasons for concern on the defensive side of the ball in their first two games. Against Coastal Carolina, that ended up being poor quarterback contain and a weak pass defense.
Against UT-Martin, they gave up too many chink plays and allowed UT-Martin too many scoring opportunities early. Virginia should be a much stronger team offensively than either of those teams, and how West Virginia's defense holds upwill likely determine the game.
3. Does West Virginia have a legitimate passing game?
The Mountaineers are averaging 298.5 rushing yards per game, which ranks them ninth in the FBS through two games. Now, keeping that pace against power conference opponents. But considering they managed just 72 rushing yards one year ago against a Group of 6 opponent in Ohio, it doesn't feel like a stretch to say that aspect of the offense has improved.
But the Mounaineers are averaging just 170 passing yards per game, which is 111th in the FBS. They haven't had to do much passing yet, but they will need a competent passing attack to be successful in power conference play – especially considering how good Virginia's run defense is. We'll find out how good they are in the passing game against the Cavaliers.
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