(Monday Morning Quarterback – Photo Illustration/MetroCreative)
The West Virginia Mountaineers entered their first bye week with a disappointing 2-2 record, leaving many questions about the direction of the 2024 season. A dramatic fourth-quarter comeback against Kansas gave fans hope, but WVU enters a tough stretch of the Big 12 Conference schedule.
Attack power is expected to be the team’s strength, and there were some good moments. But consistency was lacking. The rushing attack, led by excellent running backs Jahiem White and CJ Donaldson, was somewhat disappointing. The Mountaineers are averaging just 140 rushing yards per game, much of it coming from quarterback Garrett Green’s scrambles. And while Green has proven his ability to put his team behind in the final minutes of games, I hope he can improve his ball control in the running game.
We knew there were question marks on defense, but the performance in the first four games raised a lot of red flags. West Virginia ranks 81st in the NCAA in passing yards on defense, 96th in rushing yards and 93rd in total defense. The Mountaineers also rank 116th in turnover margin (minus-5).
Granted, these rankings only reflect four games out of a long season and are not adjusted for the quality of opponents.
However, WVU will need to improve its defensive metrics if it is to ultimately have a successful season.
Special teams are solid for the most part. As we saw in last week’s win over Kansas, the quality of special teams play can make the difference in close games.
Through just two weeks of conference schedule, there have been many surprising results, and West Virginia fans aren’t the only ones facing disappointing results. Given the unpredictability of the conference, the rest of the season should be fun to watch. I hope the Mountaineers can still do some damage.
This Saturday: Oklahoma State was one of the favorites to win the Big 12 in the preseason, but it may have been the league’s biggest disappointment so far. They were pushed with a loss at home to Utah and were soundly defeated by Kansas State, 42-20, last Saturday. The Cowboys return one of the best running backs in the nation in Ollie Gordon, but in a mysterious turn of events, they have struggled to run the ball this season. Fans will remember that Gordon troubled the Mountaineers defense last season in Morgantown with 282 yards and four touchdowns.
The Cowboys are now a desperate team, and WVU will do everything in their power to respond. Given last year’s performance, the expectation is that they will try to reinvigorate their running game.
Oklahoma State 34 West Virginia State 27.
