West Virginia @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 9, 2013 ) Texas 47, West Virginia 40

West Virginia will try to turn the page from a heartbreaking loss and stay perfect in true road games when it visits an improving Texas team Saturday. The 25th-ranked Mountaineers, who are 3-0 as visitors, lost a 13-point second-half lead in a 31-30 home loss to TCU last weekend, likely seeing their chance to contend for a Big 12 crown vanish on a last-second field goal. The league's third-ranked offense did keep alive a school-record run of eight straight games with 30 points or more.

The Longhorns are eighth in the Big 12 in total offense but have shown some signs of life in two recent wins, including last weekend's 34-13 victory at Texas Tech. Malcolm Brown recorded the top rushing game for a Texas player this season with 116 yards and two touchdowns while John Harris hauled in five catches for 165 yards to pace the attack. Last season's meeting between the Longhorns and Mountaineers resulted in a thriller, with Texas stealing a 47-40 overtime triumph on the road.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: West Virginia -3.5

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (6-3, 4-2 Big 12): The main issue in the loss to TCU was obvious, as the Mountaineers committed five turnovers, including a pair of interceptions thrown by standout quarterback Clint Trickett, who was critical of his performance. "I thought I did a pretty terrible job of managing the game," Trickett told reporters this week. "Couple turnovers - I've got to be able to hold on to the ball and be more conscious of that." Trickett, who ranks fourth in FBS in passing yards (2,925), threw for a season-low 162 yards while completing fewer than 20 passes (15) for the first time since the Texas game last year, when he was knocked out of the contest by a big hit from Longhorns defensive tackle Desmond Jackson.

ABOUT TEXAS (4-5, 3-3): With a visit to Oklahoma State and a home date with No. 7 TCU left on the schedule, the Longhorns are in danger of failing to qualify for a bowl game for just the second time in 17 years. In order to finish strong, they may want to ride Brown, who picked up his game in a big way at this point last season and appears primed to follow the same pattern after his quality performance last weekend. As a junior in 2013, Brown averaged 108 yards on 25 carries in five games once the calendar turned to November after producing just one 100-yard effort in the first seven contests.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Texas leads the Big 12 in passing defense (177.3 yards per game) while West Virginia is second (212.6).

2. Mountaineers WR Kevin White tops the conference in receiving yards (1,075), catches (75) and receiving TDs (eight) but has been limited to just six grabs for 55 yards over his last two games combined.

3. Longhorns QB Tyrone Swoopes has thrown one interception in 86 pass attempts over his last three games, including two straight without a pick.

PREDICTION: West Virginia 28, Texas 27