WVU football got a big result a week ago when it took down Texas by a final of 31-23.
The Mountaineers led throughout the game and now give themselves an opportunity to qualify for a bowl this season.
They came out firing against the Longhorns, scoring on their first drive after nine plays. Quarterback Jarret Doege advanced the offense to a touchdown after going 75 yards in about four minutes.
He connected with receiver Sam James on a 20-yard strike to score the first points of the afternoon.
The victory was massive, as it moved WVU’s record to 5-6 and within range of bowl eligibility. Now, it must take care of business in the regular-season finale against Kansas.
Currently, West Virginia sportsbooks show the Mountaineers laying more than two touchdowns in the point spread.
Mountaineers Defeat Texas
WVU backers felt good about last week’s game immediately.
After the offense set the tone with the opening score, the defense forced three consecutive three-and-outs.
Doege and the O proceeded to get in the end zone again on their fourth possession. They traveled 80 yards on 11 plays, and Doege found Winston Wright Jr. for the second touchdown of the first half.
Texas eventually broke through; however, the Mountaineers hit right back.
They put together another solid drive that concluded with a Leddie Brown two-yard score. Despite a missed field goal, WVU led 21-10 entering the half.
While the defense allowed a couple of touchdowns in the third quarter, the offense continued to answer.
With the lead down to four, Doege hooked up with Sean Ryan for a crucial third-down conversion that extended the score to 28-17.
The Longhorns did get the contest within reach down the stretch, but the Mountaineers’ defense held strong.
They turned Texas over on downs at the WVU 30-yard line, then again with under a minute remaining.
This was a great showing from the offense following a couple of sluggish weeks.
Doege threw for nearly 300 yards, including the three touchdown tosses.
Once they had a lead, head coach Neal Brown leaned on the running attack often. Brown saw a total of 33 carries that he turned into 158 yards.
Wright Jr. had the best performance among the receivers. He caught six passes for 67 yards and the score.
Senior linebacker Josh Chandler-Semedo once again dominated up front on the defensive side. He recorded 12 tackles to extend his team lead, while adding a half sack, too.
WVU Football Vs. Kansas Preview
WVU could snag its sixth victory on Saturday at Kansas. Luckily, the Jayhawks are enduring another difficult year and sit at 2-9 in the basement of the Big 12 Conference.
They have looked better in recent weeks, though.
Kansas took down Texas in an upset and its biggest win of the season. It followed that up with a loss last weekend against TCU, but it was a competitive affair.
The Jayhawks lost by only three points, 31-28.
Although they are looking better of late, WVU shouldn’t have too many issues earning a win. The only win for KU prior to Texas was over South Dakota.
Quarterback Jalon Daniels was efficient a week ago, completing more than 73% of his attempts against TCU. He threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns in the narrow loss.
Running back Devin Neal is the team’s leading rusher. The freshman has exceeded 700 yards on the season to go along with eight rushing scores.
On the outside, Kwamie Lassiter II is Kansas’ most productive receiver. He’s got 52 receptions for around 600 yards and three touchdowns in 2021.
Defensively, safety Kenny Logan Jr. is the top tackler. The junior owns 68 solo tackles and 96 in total on the campaign.
Doege and the offensive line will need to remain conscious of where defensive end Kyron Johnson lines up. He leads all others on Kansas in sacks by a wide margin, with 6.5 this season.
WVU Football Odds At WV Sportsbooks
It’s not a huge surprise that WVU is a sizable favorite going against Kansas. According to DraftKings WV Sportsbook, it is giving -15.5 in the point spread for Saturday night’s tilt.
While it might be too much juice to bet individually, WVU is available at -720 on the moneyline. Kansas is posted with odds of +500 to win outright.
This week’s game total is right around the same mark as the Texas game. DraftKings has it set at 56 points right now.
Both the first-half spread and moneyline are a little more manageable at WV sportsbooks.
The Mountaineers are listed laying -7.5 points, with a moneyline of -450. KU is posted at +340 to take the lead into halftime.
The online sportsbook sees WVU’s offense hitting its stride once again in this one. It offers its team total at 36.5 points. The over is shown at +100, compared to the under at -130.
WVU has eclipsed 36 points only twice this year. It hung 66 on Long Island, then had its best offensive performance in the conference with 38 points against Iowa State.
A win doesn’t necessarily get the Mountaineers into a bowl automatically, but it’s very likely that with a 6-6 record, they’ll receive an invite.
