Oklahoma State University Athletics
Know Your Opponent: West Virginia
October 26, 2017 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State continues Big 12 play this weekend with a trip to Morgantown for a top-25 clash with West Virginia at Milan Puskar Stadium.
The Mountaineers come into this week's matchup with a 5-2 record on the year, but head coach Dana Holgorsen and co. also head into Saturday with one of the nation's most potent offensive units.
Quarterback Will Grier currently ranks seventh in the nation with 2,467 yards through the air. That mark is also good for second among Big 12 quarterbacks, trailing only Mason Rudolph's 2,650 passing yards. Grier's precise passing has also helped the Mountaineers find the endzone, as the redshirt junior leads the country with 26 passing touchdowns.
One of Grier's favorite targets out wide has been wide receiver David Sills, who also leads the nation with 15 receiving touchdowns so far this season. No other receiver in the country has reached double digits, let alone scoring 15 through seven games.
The rest of WVU's receiving corps isn't to be overlooked, either. Complementing Sills, wideout Gary Jennings has hauled in a Mountaineer-high 56 passes this season for 702 yards. Ka'raun White and Marcus Simms have both also been impressive in one of the nation's premier passing attacks, as they've combined to catch 55 passes for 880 yards and 10 touchdowns.
West Virginia's offensive onslaught continues when looking at the players supporting Grier in the backfield as well, with running backs Justin Crawford and Kennedy McKoy leading the charge. Crawford and McKoy have each recorded more than 50 carries this season and, when combined, have averaged more than six yards per carry.
Defensively, WVU continues to present challenges with its unconvential 3-3-5 setup. Despite the challenges that the Mountaineers' defense poses, OSU offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich discussed the Cowboys' familiarity with the looks they'll see this weekend:
"It's the same thing we've seen from them the past few years," Yurcich said. "It's a hell of a challenge that we have in front of us. Half of the teams in this conference are running three-down now, so it's not uncommon anymore. Back in the day, yeah, it was different, but not so much anymore."
Oklahoma State and West Virginia are knotted at 4-4 in the all-time series between the two schools. The Cowboys enter Saturday's contest on a two-game winning streak against the Mountaineers, after a 33-26 overtime win Morgantown two years ago and a 37-20 victory in Stillwater last season. OSU is 3-2 against West Virginia since the Mountaineers joined the Big 12 Conference prior to the 2012 season.
Saturday's matchup in Morgantown is shaping up to be one of college football's most exciting contests of the weekend. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on ABC.
The Mountaineers come into this week's matchup with a 5-2 record on the year, but head coach Dana Holgorsen and co. also head into Saturday with one of the nation's most potent offensive units.
Quarterback Will Grier currently ranks seventh in the nation with 2,467 yards through the air. That mark is also good for second among Big 12 quarterbacks, trailing only Mason Rudolph's 2,650 passing yards. Grier's precise passing has also helped the Mountaineers find the endzone, as the redshirt junior leads the country with 26 passing touchdowns.
One of Grier's favorite targets out wide has been wide receiver David Sills, who also leads the nation with 15 receiving touchdowns so far this season. No other receiver in the country has reached double digits, let alone scoring 15 through seven games.
The rest of WVU's receiving corps isn't to be overlooked, either. Complementing Sills, wideout Gary Jennings has hauled in a Mountaineer-high 56 passes this season for 702 yards. Ka'raun White and Marcus Simms have both also been impressive in one of the nation's premier passing attacks, as they've combined to catch 55 passes for 880 yards and 10 touchdowns.
West Virginia's offensive onslaught continues when looking at the players supporting Grier in the backfield as well, with running backs Justin Crawford and Kennedy McKoy leading the charge. Crawford and McKoy have each recorded more than 50 carries this season and, when combined, have averaged more than six yards per carry.
Defensively, WVU continues to present challenges with its unconvential 3-3-5 setup. Despite the challenges that the Mountaineers' defense poses, OSU offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich discussed the Cowboys' familiarity with the looks they'll see this weekend:
"It's the same thing we've seen from them the past few years," Yurcich said. "It's a hell of a challenge that we have in front of us. Half of the teams in this conference are running three-down now, so it's not uncommon anymore. Back in the day, yeah, it was different, but not so much anymore."
Oklahoma State and West Virginia are knotted at 4-4 in the all-time series between the two schools. The Cowboys enter Saturday's contest on a two-game winning streak against the Mountaineers, after a 33-26 overtime win Morgantown two years ago and a 37-20 victory in Stillwater last season. OSU is 3-2 against West Virginia since the Mountaineers joined the Big 12 Conference prior to the 2012 season.
Saturday's matchup in Morgantown is shaping up to be one of college football's most exciting contests of the weekend. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on ABC.
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