West Virginia got pressured by Central Florida quarterback Dylan Riske (10) during last week’s game in Morgantown. (Photo by David Pennock)
MORGANTOWN, — The pressure of bowl eligibility is gone for the West Virginia University football team. The Mountaineers did just that well last week, defeating UCF in their final home game.
So WVU heads into today’s final regular season game, a noon matchup against Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas (FS1), with a little less nerves, but still plenty to play for. It was there.
“We come into every week wanting to win.” Said senior offensive tackle Wyatt Milam. “That one-play mentality, that one-game mentality. Every game, we just want to go out there and win.”
If WVU (Big 12 6-5, 5-3) can defeat the Red Raiders (Big 12 7-4, 5-3), it would be the second straight victory and the first of coach Neil Brown’s tenure at West Virginia. This is the second time. , the Mountaineers are riding on last season’s 9-4 record with at least seven wins. This is also the first time since joining the Big 12 that WVU has finished consecutive games with a 6-3 record in the conference.
But accomplishing all of that won’t be easy, given what lies ahead for Lubbock’s mountaineers. Texas Tech features the most prolific offense in college football. The Red Raiders rank in the top 20 nationally in scoring (37.4 points per game), total yards (450.3 per game), and passing yards (292.8 per game).
Also in attendance is the school’s all-time leading rusher, Taj Brooks, who ranks sixth nationally with 131.7 yards per game.
Texas Tech also has made more plays this season than all but two other teams in the Football Bowl Division, and its high-tempo style could pose problems for a WVU defense that has struggled all season. There is sex. The Mountaineers play against offenses that can throw at them, but they have struggled with pressure on the quarterback, averaging less than two sacks per game and intercepting just four passes all season. Ta. They rank 122nd in the FBS in passing yards (260.7 per game) and rank among the worst in third-down and fourth-down conversions allowed.
That last statistic could be troublesome for Texas Tech’s offense, which converts about 48 percent of its third downs, 13th best in the nation.
“I think part of it is just the amount of attempts they have because they’re making so many plays.” Defensive coordinator Jeff Koontz said. “They generate more possessions per game. …So, how many times can they reset between drives? How many times can they play a new game per possession? Because they generate it. There will be more third-down opportunities.”
But WVU will have an opportunity today that it has rarely had this season — playing against an inferior defense.
Texas Tech has the second-worst pass defense in the nation, allowing 309 yards per game. This should help WVU’s passing game, which typically doesn’t put up big numbers, averaging 194.6 yards per game. If the game turns to athletics, the Mountaineers will need an effective passing game. But one thing the Red Raiders were able to do is intercept the quarterback. They have 12 interceptions this season, and WVU quarterback Garrett Green, who leads the offense with his athleticism, has thrown nine interceptions.
Coach Green said that in the situation WVU is facing today, the offense cannot afford to waste scoring opportunities, and that also means the offense must continue to possess the ball.
“On the offensive end, we expect to score every time we touch the ball.” he said. “It doesn’t matter who we play or who plays against us. That feeling remains the same because we want to score every time we touch the ball. If we can score every time we touch the ball, we get a pretty clean win. There is a possibility.”
A win would give WVU a huge boost heading into bowl season. The Mountaineers have been stuck in a five- to six-win plateau for most of Brown’s tenure, and the team is hoping to get past that. Jones AT&T Stadium is not an easy place to do that, with its swirling winds and historically raucous crowds.
“This is a difficult place to play.” Mr. Brown said. “It’s a long journey, but our staff is excited to get it done.”
