After 0-4 start, WVU hopes to beat Texas Tech

WVU is 4-1 at Mountaineer Field with an overtime loss to No. 5 Oklahoma State. In this outing the defense would hold the Red Raiders to 378 yards and only 26 points. “The ball just didn’t get there”. Last season he was the first Texas Tech 1,000 yard rusher since Ricky Williams in 1998.

Texas Tech fans will have the opportunity to salute several standout members of the 2015 class, including running back DeAndre Washington, wide receiver Jakeem Grant, offensive linemen Le’Raven Clark, Alfredo Morales and Jared Kaster as well as defensive lineman Branden Jackson, linebackers Pete Robertson and Micah Awe and defensive back J.J.

They are reasons why Texas Tech has the nation’s fourth-highest scoring offense at 47 points per game. “With each game, we haven’t played well on the road, but even when we’re coming home, we dropped two at home, so it’s more of us just putting it all together and playing good in all three phases, which we haven’t done”.

“We’re not going to be able to run like that against everybody, Holgorsen said”.

Texas Tech is a substandard outfit, and WVU is right on track for being the fifth- or sixth-best team in the Big 12 with much more clarity arriving after Saturday’s noon home game on ESPNU against Texas (and isn’t that the epitome of why one joins the Big 12?).

“West Virginia is going to be mad”, Strong said, seemingly embarrassed for celebrating so overtly after a win that merely improved his team to 5-5. “The coaching staff and the players are in a role where what they’re going to say is going to make a difference, not only in this building, but at this university”. The passing attack for WVU was a different story.

Holgorsen said Texas’ defense is on the rise. Junior running back Wendell Smallwood (791 yards, 6.5 per carry, five touchdowns) is expected to carry the biggest workload after rushing for 113 yards in the 40-10 loss at TCU on October 29.

Shell had one of those runs midway through the third quarter, running for 11 yards on second down that moved WVU inside the red zone.

Howard completed 12 passes last week, the lowest total for any Holgorsen offense during his stops at Texas Tech, Houston, Oklahoma State and WVU. The 5-foot-7 senior is 110 yards away from overtaking Eric Stephens for the school record for kick return yards and is 155 yards from passing Michael Crabtree as the career receiving yards leader.

Finish the Game: The Red Raiders come into this game with a 27% chance to win in Morgantown (According to the Football Power Index), but West Virginia enters Saturday’s game dropping four straight contests to four consecutive nationally ranked teams.

“We can’t have any distractions”, Strong said. “Everybody was dialed in and focused on their assignment, and we had success with it”.

SUFFERING SKYLER: When West Virginia won its first three games, quarterback Skyler Howard completed 69 percent of his passes for nine touchdowns with one interception.

ROOT Sports Pittsburgh will broadcast the Kansas game throughout the state of West Virginia, as well as in the Pittsburgh market.