Marvin Mims led the Oklahoma football team in receiving last season as a true freshman. He caught 37 passes for 610 yards and nine touchdowns a year ago. His nine touchdown receptions established an OU freshman record, and he became the first receiver in school history to Freshman All-America status in a vote by the […]
Photo by Stephen P. O’Brien/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
OU is 8-0 versus WVU since the Mountaineers joined the Big 12 Conference in 2012.
Let the six-time Big 12 title defense begin! This weekend at the Palace on the Prairie, under the lights, Lincoln Riley and his No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners (3-0) will host Neal Brown and his West Virginia Mountaineers (2-1) to open conference play. OU hasn’t looked incredibly sharp to start the 2021 season, but with another game comes another opportunity.
In case you missed it, if you plan on going to the game, make sure your phone battery is charged come kick-off, because OU wants to do a special ‘Light up the Night’ presentation where all the fans hold up their devices and shine their flashlights at the same time. It should look great in-person and on television, so do your part and spread the word.
On Friday, Oklahoma officially revealed the alternate uniform combination the players will be donning this Saturday night. Personally, I’m a big fan of the white helmet/black stripe look. Boomer!
It’s that time of year, y’all! As the Oklahoma #Sooners enter the intriguing portion of their schedule, Nike has released its yearly college football shoe collection, and OU is represented once again. https://t.co/pmAFkvgAmr
The last time Oklahoma played WVU on the football field, Jalen Hurts was OU’s quarterback, as was Austin Kendall for the Mountaineers (he now starts for Louisiana Tech). Also, the iconic Sooner Schooner took a tumble that thankfully looked scarier than it turned out to be.
That game was all the way back in 2019. Last season, these two teams were originally scheduled to play once again, but COVID-19 related issues eventually led to the contest’s cancellation. Ultimately, it worked out fairly well for both squads, but especially Oklahoma, who still made it back to the Big 12 Championship Game and claimed a sixth consecutive conference title.
After being forced to take a break in the series last year, it will be interesting to see how Lincoln Riley’s group matches up with Neal Brown, who is now in his third year in Morgantown despite only facing the champs once thus far.
Can Spencer Rattler throw his way out of his funk?
After seeing how Rattler finished the 2020 season, a lot was expected of the now redshirt sophomore coming into 2021. Although he’s not playing terribly by any measure, he has made some questionable decisions with the ball that are eerily reminiscent of his erratic play as a young starter last September.
If this team wants to achieve all of its goals, including winning the Big 12, returning to the College Football Playoff and advancing to the national championship game, Rattler will have to take the next step in his progression as a quarterback. Fortunately, he’ll have a prime opportunity to show he’s making those moves in the right direction against a capable West Virginia defense.
Watch out for backup WVU QB Garrett Greene
West Virginia’s starting redshirt senior QB Jarret Doege has a live arm, but it’s no secret that his greatest weakness is making plays with his legs. That’s where backup QB Garrett Greene comes in. In two games this season, the redshirt freshman has amassed 126 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns on 18 carries (7.0 average yards per carry). Now, at 5’10 and 193 pounds, he’s not a physically imposing threat as a runner, but he’s agile enough to pick up a first down or more with the ball in his hands. Oklahoma’s D-line and linebackers need to stay alert when No. 6 comes in on offense, because it’s highly likely that they’ll see plenty of Greene in some key situations on Saturday.
Turnovers & Takeaways
One stat that may come as a surprise is the stark difference in turnovers between Oklahoma and West Virginia. Entering this weekend, the Sooners have an impressive turnover margin of (+5), which is tied for 7th nationally. On the other side, the Mountaineers have a TO margin of (-6), which is near the very bottom of the FBS at 127th. If OU continues to take care of the ball while also creating extra possessions for itself, and if WVU continues to plague itself with mistakes of this variety, it’s going to be an extremely long night for the ‘Eers.
Something has to give in the red zone
Coming into college football’s Week Four, Oklahoma’s offense is No. 1 in the nation when it comes to scoring in the red zone (for teams with greater than 15 attempts). The Sooners come up empty only once out of 18 tries after reaching the opposition’s 20-yard line. Meanwhile, West Virginia’s defense also ranks 1st in the red zone, as they’ve let just four of 11 total red zone trips result in points, including a mere two touchdowns
Whenever OU breaches the red zone this weekend, something will have to give. Keep an eye on if those drives in particular are ending in points, and if they are, take note on if those points are from the end zone or the uprights.
Prediction
Ask any Sooner fan, and they’ll tell you Spencer Rattler and Lincoln Riley haven’t exactly looked like the peak versions of themselves through three games. I see that shift beginning to turn this weekend against West Virginia. Although the Mountaineers’ defense is a respectable unit, I predict they’ll be walking into a buzz saw after last week’s poor showing against Nebraska left a lot to be desired. Defensively, OU is going to feast in the backfield, but WVU’s Garrett Greene and Leddie Brown will cause enough problems to make things interesting. In the end, I predict this to be Oklahoma’s most complete performance from start to finish (not counting the Western Carolina paycheck game). After the game, the talk and concerns about Rattler will come to a whisper, and all will be right in the world.
Oklahoma football ranks among the top five teams in the country as we enter the fourth weekend of the Sooners’ 2021 season. Who can complain about that? Except, despite sitting 3-0 as the schedule swings into conference play beginning this weekend, there are all kinds of questions surrounding Oklahoma’s ability to continue to squeak out […]
After posting two wins by seven or fewer points against Power Five nonconference opponents, the 2021 edition of Oklahoma football now heads into the Big 12 portion of the schedule. The No. 4-ranked Sooners (3-0) host West Virginia under the lights on Saturday at a sold-out Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Oklahoma is 8-0 […]
Here are some scattershot thoughts on OU’s next opponent.
The West Virginia Mountaineers joined the Big 12 in 2012 with hopes of riding the momentum in football built during a successful stint in the Big East. They haven’t gotten over the conference’s biggest hump, however, going winless against the Oklahoma Sooners as members of the Big 12. OU’s imminent departure for the SEC means the two teams may meet on Saturday for the final time as conference rivals.
Through three games, the Sooners appear stuck in a rut. Games against Tulane and Nebraska both finished in unexpectedly close fashion, raising questions about the hype surrounding a team expected to contend for a national championship.
We’ll probably find out this weekend if OU has another gear.
WVU offense
*The Mountaineers rank around the middle of the country in Offensive SP+ at 59th overall. It’s not a bad unit. It’s also not extraordinary. Nothing about it stands out.
*WVU is averaging 70 offensive plays per game through its first three contests, roughly the same as OU. The Eers are averaging 33 passes per game and 37 runs per game.
It’s worth noting that WVU’s 66-0 win over Long Island skewed its play breakdown for the year. The Eers had 87 snaps for the game, including 55 rushing plays. In each of their games against Maryland and Virginia Tech, they had about 60 snaps.
*The Mountaineers can probably count on their rushing attack more than taking it to the air.
Featured runner Leddie Brown is averaging more than 5 yards per carry. WVU fed him the ball 19 times last week against Virginia Tech, and he produced 161 yards and a touchdown. It does bear mentioning that Brown’s first carry of the game on WVU’s second play went 80 yards for a touchdown right through the A gap. The Eers used motion to get a favorable look in the run box and let Brown do the rest.
WVU’s primary quarterback, Jarret Doege, doesn’t bring much to the table as a runner. Backup Garrett Greene does check in on occasion to give defenses something to think about with called runs from the QB spot.
*When the Mountaineers take to the air… things happen. Again, not much stands out – good or bad – here.
Doege doesn’t have a true go-to option among the receiving corps, opting to spread the ball around among five or six consistent targets. Sam James is arguably the best of the receivers. Keep an eye on Brown coming out of the backfield, too – he has nine catches for 92 yards and a score this year.
*The biggest concern in the this matchup for WVU has to be the Oklahoma pass rush. The ‘Eers have already allowed seven sacks this season, and they haven’t seen anything yet like what the Sooners are bringing on Saturday. Look for WVU to lean on the quick game when they’re throwing against OU in hopes of cranking out solid gains and potentially exploiting shoddy tackling by the defensive backs.
WVU defense
*The best word to describe the WVU defense: resourceful. The talent on the side of the ball won’t overwhelm most of the teams on its schedule, but they do just enough well enough.
The ‘Eers come in at 31st overall in Defensive SP+. It helps that they’re surrendering just 2.6 yards on average when opponents run the ball against them.
On the other hand, WVU looks vulnerable through the air. Opponents are averaging seven yards per throw against WVU, and they’re moving the ball efficiently. WVU’s D has a passer rating of 141.0, 94th in the country.
Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
*The Mountaineers run hybrid defensive fronts and usually keep five defensive backs on the field. Personnel-wise, the headliner is defensive lineman Dante Stills. He combined with brother Darius last season to give WVU one of the better duos on the interior in the Big 12. Now Dante is showing what he can do on his own. Stills has the size (6-4, 280 pounds) and athleticism to slide around to any spot on the line.
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Watch out for VanDarius Cowan, though. A former member of the Alabama Crimson Tide, Cowan has struggled to stay healthy since he transferred to WVU after the 2017 season. This year, he has started all three games at the Bandit position, which is akin to a RUSH outside linebacker for OU. The injuries have robbed Cowan of some of the explosiveness that made him a coveted recruit coming out of high school, but he can still create problems behind the line of scrimmage.
*Given the inconsistency of OU’s passing game this year, the Sooners’ ability to strike through the air will go a long way towards determining their fate Saturday night.
Maryland found a lot to like in that regard versus WVU in the first week of the season. Taulia Tagovailoa completed 26-of-36 pass attempts in the game for 332 yards and three TDs. The combination of lanky wideout Dontay Demus and jitterbug Rakim Jarrett caught 12 balls for 255 yards and a couple scores.
The Terrapins scorched WVU in a number of ways. At times, they used multiple deep routes to open up space on underneath routes. In other cases, UMD used the Mountaineers’ aggressiveness against them with screens and delay routes that victimized WVU defenders who got too far upfield.
This potentially sets up freshman receiver Mario Williams for a big game.
They also recap OU’s uninspiring win over Nebraska a week ago and look ahead to the Sooners’ upcoming game against West Virginia.
Blatant Homerism host Allen Kenney and weekly guest (and Allen’s brother) The Skinny offer their best bets in college football for week four of the 2021 season. Games on the slate this week include Texas A&M-Arkansas, Notre Dame-Wisconsin and Texas-Texas Tech. They also recap OU’s uninspiring win over Nebraska a week ago and look ahead to the Sooners’ upcoming game against West Virginia.
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