Kendall eager to face Sooners
Former backup finally gets start in Norman
NORMAN, Okla. — Quarterback Austin Kendall always wanted to lead his football team onto Oklahoma’s Owen Field, seeking a win over a Big 12 Conference rival before another sellout crowd. He will, though he will be wearing a West Virginia jersey while doing so.
Kendall, who spent the past three years as an understudy to Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray at Oklahoma, transferred to West Virginia when it became clear he probably wouldn’t move into a starting role with the Sooners. He will get a shot at his former team Saturday when the Mountaineers (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) visit No. 5-ranked Oklahoma (6-0, 3-0).
It almost didn’t happen. Kendall suffered a chest injury early in a loss a week ago to Iowa State. West Virginia coach Neal Brown listed Kendall as questionable for most of the week before saying Thursday that Kendall indeed would start against the Sooners.
He has started every game for the Mountaineers this season. Kendall was Mayfield’s backup in 2016, then redshirted in 2017, when Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy. Murray won Oklahoma’s starting job last season and also went on to win the Heisman. In his two non-redshirt seasons, Kendall played in seven games and completed 28 of 39 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns without an interception.
For West Virginia, he’s completed 66 percent of his passes (126 of 191) for 1,247 yards and nine touchdowns with seven interceptions. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley — who initially blocked Kendall’s transfer to West Virginia before relenting — said it’s an odd feeling to face one of his former quarterbacks.
“Guy was recruited and was here with us for three years, so it definitely feels a little strange,” Riley said. “I’ve got to see bits and pieces of him. Obviously had a chance to study him a little bit more here this week. He’s had some games where he’s played really, really well.
“I’m sure he’s champing at the bit to get back for this one. I would expect nothing less. I certainly hope he is healthy and always wish him the best.”
Quarterback Jalen Hurts — whose transfer to Oklahoma led to Kendall’s transfer to West Virginia — mostly has excelled in his first season with the Sooners after three years at Alabama. But he committed two costly red-zone turnovers (one interception, one fumble) in the first half against Texas that kept the game closer than the Sooners would have liked. Oklahoma still beat the Longhorns, 34-27, but Hurts wasn’t satisfied with that performance, saying he “just made a couple of bad decisions and put the team in bad situations.”
It’s something Riley has discussed with Hurts. “Your bad decisions can’t be turnovers,” Riley said. “They’ve got to be incomplete passes.”