By: Jonathan K. Martin | WV Sports Chat
As the Big 12 conference slate kicks off this Saturday, the Kansas Jayhawks (2-1) welcome the West Virginia Mountaineers (2-1) to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium for a 6:00 p.m. ET showdown on FS1.
Both teams enter enter this week with question marks: Can Kansas bounce back after a road loss to Missouri – and can West Virginia avoid a letdown following an emotional overtime win over rival Pitt?
We finally had a shakeup in the WV Sports Chat season standings with Jonathan being the only staff member to correctly pick the Mountaineers to be Pitt last weekend. Will someone make a move this weekend?
Season Standings:
- Jonathan K. Martin 2-1
- Justin “Couz” Walker 1-2
- James Gravely 1-2
- Cole Livengood 1-2
- Shanna Rose 1-2
Jonathan K. Martin | West Virginia kicks off Big 12 play with a road contest against Kansas. The Mountaineers are coming off an emotional overtime win over Pitt and will look to avoid a letdown this weekend.
I expect Rich Rodriguez will have his team ready to play, and the Mountaineers will use last weekend as a springboard to success for the rest of the season. Nicco Marchiol should remain QB1 after his fourth quarter performance last week and Tye Edwards should get the bulk of the carries.
The defense should continue their strong play, and something tells me there’s something special brewing with this team. I think the Mountaineers get it done on the road.
West Virginia 27 Kansas 24
Justin “Couz” Walker | The West Virginia Mountaineers (2-1) begin Big 12 play in a tricky spot. After an emotional win over Pitt in the Backyard Brawl, they travel to Lawrence, Kansas to take on a Kansas Jayhawks (2-1) team who is coming off a bye week.
Lance Leipold’s Kansas squad has won four straight games coming off bye weeks or when having 12 or more days to prepare. That includes a win over number 17 Iowa State last season. With that track record, it’s tough to bet against Kansas coming off a bye. Quarterback Jalon Daniels is back for Kansas and has played great football so far this season. Former WVU linebacker Trey Lathan is now playing that same position for the Jayhawks and leads the team with 25 tackles in three games.
This will be the first Big 12 game in the brand-new David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Rich Rod’s guys will need to be focused and prepared. They cannot allow themselves to be flat after that emotional and hard-fought game against Pitt. Weighing all of these factors, it will be a tough task for WVU to get a win.
Kansas 34 West Virginia 23
James Gravely | West Virginia is coming off a lot of emotions against Pitt in which they defeated their bitter rival 31-24 in overtime. A lot of times teams will have a down week after an emotional victory. I don’t think Rich Rodriguez and his staff will allow that to happen. Will they struggle a bit? Possibly so. However, getting Jimmori Robinson in the lineup is huge and critical for this Mountaineers defense.
This defense is coming off a week in which they sacked Eli Holstein 6 times, now with 12 on the season, just 8 away from tying last seasons total sack number. KU’s offensive line isn’t known for being tough in the trenches, but this is the first Big 12 game of the season and I fully expect KU to be ready. I do think WVU gets pressure and produces 3-5 sacks.
I also expect a big debut from Robinson and for Fred Perry to have a big impact on this game. KU won’t be able to block them both. WVU wins this game, in the trenches, with Tye Edwards once again rushing for over 100-yards. Edwards will find the end zone two times against KU.
West Virginia 24 Kansas 13
Cole Livengood | Coming off the biggest win in recent memory, the Mountaineers have nothing but momentum heading into this week’s matchup against Kansas. Jayhawk quarterback Jalon Daniels is looking to bounce back after a conference-leading 12-interception season last year, and this Mountaineer defense has already managed to force six turnovers in three games.
This defensive unit ranks second in the nation in total sacks, and that’s without the major piece West Virginia gains this week in Jimorri Robinson, the UTSA transfer who had 10.5 sacks last season. Coach Rodriguez said in his press conference this week that Robinson would likely be a rotational player for his first game as a Mountaineer since he has only had the chance to practice for two weeks.
I think this defense overwhelms the Jayhawks and forces Jalon Daniels into a couple of turnovers. All three times the Mountaineers have played Daniels, the game has been decided by one score, and I don’t think that will be the case this week.
West Virginia 31 Kansas 21
Shanna Rose | WVU is coming off a dramatic come-from-behind win over Pitt last weekend. The Mountaineers showed true resilience, and quarterback Nicco Marchiol silenced his doubters. After being replaced by Scotty Fox Jr. and Jaylen Henderson, Marchiol returned to the game and rose to the occasion, leading WVU on three straight scoring drives, including the game-winner in overtime.
He finished the night completing 19-of-25 passes for 192 yards. After being replaced by Scotty Fox Jr. and Jaylen Henderson, Marchiol returned to the game and rose to the occasion. He led WVU in three straight scores, including the overtime game-winning drive. He finished the night completing 19-of-25 passes for 192 yards. Running back Tye Edwards was another force in the win, rushing for 141 yards and scoring three touchdowns. Wide receiver Grayson Barnes delivered in the clutch, making a 34-yard catch over the middle to set up the tying score, then hauling in Marchiol’s 2-yard lob in the end zone with 13 seconds left.
The Mountaineers’ defense continued to excel and provided the team a chance for winning., They sacked Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein six times, pressured him twice, broke up three passes and picked off Holstein in the end zone. Safety Darrian Lewis and linebacker Ben Cutter both had eight tackles.This week WVU’s defense gets bolstered with senior Jimmori Robinson set to make his debut. With UTSA, he had 43 tackles, including 27 unassisted tackles, 10.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups. He. was named American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Kansas looks to avenge last season’s loss, where the Jayhawks blew a late 11-point lead.
The Jayhawks have racked up 77 points combined in their first two games of the season against Fresno State and Wagner, While that is a lot of points, the opponents were not powerhouses.Last week Kansas suffered a 42-31 at the hands of the Missouri Tigers. Offensively, the Jayhawks finished with 254 total yards. Jalon Daniels had 223 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. He is not an unfamiliar face to the Mountaineers. In 2022, WVU could not contain the quarterback, who had 304 yards.
Daniel Hishaw, Daniels and Leshon Williams have helped the Jayhawks average 174.3 yards and 5.2 yards per carry on the ground. One thing that has plagued Kansas is penalties. Kansas’ offense has totaled 137 penalty yards on 17 violations. I think WVU will look to ride last weekend’s momentum into this matchup. If Marchiol and Edwards can build on their breakout performances, and Robinson provides the defensive spark expected, the Mountaineers should be well-positioned to contain Daniels and come away with another win
West Virginia 28 Kansas 17
