MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Think it would be a hard act to be the guy who followed Heisman Trophy winners Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray at Oklahoma?
Try telling that to Jalen Hurts.
The transfer from Alabama has helped the Sooners surpass their offensive numbers put up by the two Heisman winners.
Under Murray, Oklahoma averaged 579.6 yards per game and 45.1 points in 2018. In 2017, the Sooners averaged 570.3 yards and 48.4 points with Mayfield.
With Hurts, the fifth-ranked Sooners (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) are scoring 48.4 points and are the only team in the nation averaging more than 600 yards (621.7) per game.
“The best thing he does is he’s a smart football player,” West Virginia defensive coordinator Vic Koenning said. “He throws the ball well. He runs it as good as any running back. He was like that at Alabama and he was probably like that in high school.”
Hurts is second in the Big 12 in passing with 1,758 yards and he’s third in rushing at 630 yards. He’s accounted for 25 touchdowns.
“They’ve got a very complicated offense,” Koenning continued. “Lots of formations and shifts. He’s able to manipulate that offense. I can’t sit here and tell you that I’ve seen anything that we can take advantage of.”
The Sooners’ offense is the biggest challenge for any Big 12 opponent.
Koenning’s strategy: “We’re going to have to try and see if we can sneak 12 or 13 guys out there,” he said. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to get away with that.”
Along with Hurts, junior receiver CeeDee Lamb has established himself as one of the top players in the country.
A season after catching 65 passes from Murray for 1,158 yards and 11 touchdowns, Lamb has already caught 28 passes for 610 yards and 10 scores from Hurts.
He caught 10 passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s 34-27 victory against Texas.
West Virginia enters the game with starting cornerbacks Keith Washington questionable with an injury and Hakeem Bailey will miss the first half after being ejected for targeting last week against Iowa State.
So, covering Lamb, “that is going to be an issue for NFL teams next year or whenever he decides to go out,” Koenning said. “He’s a really good player. I don’t know if anybody out there really has a handle on him. I noticed Texas’ guys didn’t have a handle for it. I haven’t seen anything done on film. We’ll see.”
West Virginia head coach Neal Brown said the best comparison to the Sooners’ offense may be found in a video game.
“They’re the number one offense in the country,” Brown said. “They’ve had two Heisman Trophy winners in a row. Some of the numbers look like stuff our players have when they play Madden.
“You start off with CeeDee Lamb. If there is someone in the country playing the receiver position, I haven’t seen him. Obviously Jalen Hurts gets a lot of publicity and deservedly so.”
