West Virginia missing its air attack,
Passing problems remain, however, for Mountaineers.
With its toughest opponents in the rearview mirror, West Virginia is primed to get on a serious downhill roll to the finish line.
The Mountaineers (4-4, 1-4 Big 12) just snapped a four-game losing streak and will be expected to win out against four sub.500 football teams: Texas, Kansas, Iowa State and Kansas State, who are a combined 10-25.
After West Virginia opened as a seven-point favorite over Texas, the line was quickly bet up to 8½ points.
Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen, while optimistic about a strong finish, urges some caution because his team’s aerial circus has been grounded. West Virginia is a distant sixth in the league in passing yards, with a relatively puny 241 per game.
“I know what it’s supposed to look like, and it doesn’t look like this,” Holgorsen said of the passing attack.
Skyler Howard threw for only 149 yards in a 31-26 win over Texas Tech on Saturday.
“I never pictured anybody winning a Big 12 game passing for 149 yards,” Holgorsen said. “There’s a lot that goes into it. Sharper throwing, better timing and tempo, pass protection, improved route running, the speed in which you run the routes — a lot of subtle things.
“We’ve got to get better in the passing game. It’s so far off right now.”
On the flip side, the Mountaineers, in a similar offensive boat with the Longhorns, can pound it. They are third in the league with 220.1 rushing yards per game and are coming off a 300yard day.
Wendell Smallwood is second to Baylor’s Shock Linwood in Big 12 rushing with 119.2 yards per game and should go over 1,000 yards against Texas. (He needs only 46 yards.) Rushel Shell, who had 111 yards against Tech, isn’t a bad second option.
“We’re able to run the ball better than any other team I’ve been with in my whole career,” Holgorsen said. “It starts up front. We have good run blockers, guys who take pride in it. One thing Sky- ler is doing well is getting us into the right run play. And Wendell is quite good.”
West Virginia’s defense also is improved, rated middle of the pack in the league, but injuries, particularly to All-America safety candidate Karl Joseph, have thinned out the secondary.
Holgorsen said Texas’ defense is on the rise.
“They’re playing the same schemes as last year, just that the personnel is a lot younger,” he said, “but I see improvement.”
Waiting game: TCU coach Gary Patterson said he didn’t have an injury update on star wide receiver Josh Doctson (wrist), though he expected to know more late Monday. After all the injuries his team had early in the year, Patterson has been encouraged by the return of several players.
“I think we’ll be the healthiest we’ve been all year by the time we get to our bowl game,” he said.
Bowl or bust: Texas Tech (5-5, 2-5) needs to beat either Kansas State in Lubbock this Saturday or Texas on Thanksgiving night to reach a bowl game.
“Our players know six is the number. I don’t have to tell them. It’s the elephant in the room,” coach Kliff Kingsbury said.