Texas @ West Virginia preview
Milan Puskar Stadium
Last Meeting ( Nov 8, 2014 ) West Virginia 16, Texas 33
While the Big 12 Conference leaders are fighting through a backloaded schedule, West Virginia has already been through the grinder. Starting with Saturday's visit from Texas, the Mountaineers' final four opponents are a combined 10-25 overall and 5-18 in league play.
Both teams picked up much-needed victories last week, but Texas has a tough road to become bowl eligible. The Longhorns, who are 0-3 on the road, finish with high-scoring Texas Tech and Baylor. Texas rushed for 299 yards against winless Kansas while West Virginia had 300 yards on the ground against Texas Tech. "We clearly went that direction," Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen told the media Tuesday about the run game. "Whatever you have to do to move forward. Whatever you have to do to get first downs, that's what we're going to do."
TV: Noon ET, ESPNU. LINE: West Virginia -8.5
ABOUT TEXAS (4-5, 3-3 Big 12): D'Onta Foreman had a career-high 157 yards against Kansas to push his season total to 534 yards, just behind quarterback Jerrod Heard's 540 rushing yards. Tyrone Swoopes has 216 rushing yards, nine rushing TDs and two passing TDs out of the short-yardage package called "18 Wheeler" that has been used in four of the past five games. Linebacker Peter Jinkens (team-high 67 tackles and 5.5 sacks) leads a defense that's allowing 187.2 rushing yards.
ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (4-4, 1-4): Wendell Smallwood (954 yards, six TDs) ranks second in the league in rushing yards per game and is 10th nationally in yards per carry (6.7). Rushel Shell adds 437 yards and five TDs, while quarterback Skyler Howard (1,875 passing yards, 16 TDs) has 256 rushing yards and three scores. Shelton Gibson leads the Mountaineers with 25 catches for 576 yards and seven TDs and averages 30.2 yards on kickoff returns.
EXTRA POINTS
1. West Virginia is tied for sixth nationally in passes intercepted (14) while Texas is tied for seventh in fewest interceptions thrown (three).
2. The Longhorns have recorded 23 sacks in their past four games and rank sixth nationally with 3.3 per game.
3. Texas is averaging 437.6 total yards in home games and 226.7 yards in true road games this season.
PREDICTION: West Virginia 38, Texas 26