KU Jayhawks vs. West Virginia Mountaineers: Five things to know entering Big 12 opener
A victory over West Virginia on Saturday in Morgantown, West Virginia would give 12.5-point underdog Kansas a 2-0 record for the first time since 2011, Turner Gill’s second and final season as the Jayhawks’ head football coach.
A ‘W’ over the 0-1 Mountaineers also would provide KU. ...
• Its first win in a Big 12 opener since 2009. when the Mark Mangino-led Jayhawks beat Iowa State, 41-36, at Booth Memorial Stadium in Lawrence.
• Its first conference opening win on the road since 2008 when Margino’s troops toppled the Cyclones, 35-33, in Ames, Iowa.
Kickoff is 5 p.m. Central time at Milan Puskar Stadium. Early week weather reports indicate a high of 80 degrees Saturday (temps to dip into the mid 60s during the evening) in Morgantown with partly cloudy skies and a 25% chance of rain.
The Jayhawks enter 1-0 after pounding Tennessee Tech, 56-10, Friday at Booth Memorial Stadium. West Virginia is 0-1 after falling Thursday at Pitt, 38-31.
KU is 1-10 all-time against West Virginia in football — 0-6 in Morgantown.
In case you are wondering, back in 2011, Gill’s Jayhawks opened with home wins over McNeese State (42-24) and Northern Illinois (45-42). KU finished 2-10 that season.
THE DETAILS
Kickoff: 5 p.m. Central time Saturday
Where: Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, West Virginia
TV: ESPN+ (Online streaming service, subscription required)
Radio: WHB (810) in Kansas City; KFH (1240 AM, 97.5 FM) in Wichita
Betting line: West Virginia by 12.5 points
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1. West Virginia, 0-1, will be trying to avoid its first 0-2 start since 1979. That’s right: It’s been 42 years since WVU has been 0-2. The Mountaineers in 1979 lost to Temple, 38-16, in Morgantown, then fell, 24-14, at Syracuse. WVU finished 5-6 that season. West Virginia played Pitt tough on the road last week, ultimately falling, 38-31.
2. Several players who transferred to KU after the 2021 season and received immediate eligibility, played well in KU’s win over Tennessee Tech. Portal star of the game on offense was former Nebraska running back Sevion Morrison. He gained 70 yards on 8 carries. He scored on an 11-yard run and had a long gain of 30 yards.
Former Minnesota running back Ky Thomas gained 15 yards on 7 carries and had one reception for a yard. Former Central Missouri offensive lineman Dominick Puni started at guard.
On defense, former Miami (Ohio) defensive end Lonnie Phelps had three sacks and seven total tackles. Also former UCF linebacker Eriq Gilyard had an interception, former Purdue defensive back Marvin Grant two tackles and former Ohio State linebacker Craig Young one tackle.
3. Coach Neal Brown is reportedly on the ‘hot seat’ at West Virginia. Former Troy coach Brown enters his fourth year at WVU after 5-7, 6-4 and 6-7 seasons. He’s 17-19 at WVU following the season-opening loss to Pitt. A loss to KU at home might have Mountaineer fans calling for Brown’s job. The Mountaineers have yet to finish better than sixth in the 10-team league during the Brown era. WVU has a new offensive coordinator this year in Graham Harrell.
4. The portal delivered a new starting quarterback to West Virginia this season in JT Daniels. Daniels, a 6-2, 225-pound native of Irvine, California, had previous stops at Georgia and USC. Daniels completed 23 of 39 passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns (one rushing) and an interception vs. Pitt in Week One. The interception was not the QB’s fault. He threw a pass that hit Bryce Ford-Wheaton in the hands then deflected into the arms of Pitt’s MJ Devonshire.
5. KU’s running backs were as good as advertised in the Jayhawks’ opener. Sophomore Devin Neal finished with 108 yards on four carries with two touchdowns, including an 80-yard burst. Neal became the first player nationally to have 105+ yards and two touchdowns on four carries or less since Kendrick Foster of Illinois rushed for 118 yards and two touchdowns on four carries against Murray State on Sept. 3, 2016. Sevion Morrison had 70 yards on 8 carries and a TD; Daniel Hishaw had 56 yards on 5 carries and a TD. Thomas gained 15 yards on 7 carries and Torry Locklin 3 yards on 1 carry. Neal, Thomas and Hishaw each had one pass reception.
