MORGANTOWN — It’s not often that a game against Oklahoma could be considered a chance to bounce back from a poor performance, but that’s exactly how West Virginia is looking at this week’s game against the Sooners.
Oklahoma (5-4, 2-4 Big 12) has been usurped as the Big 12’s top team this season, the first under new head coach Brent Venables. Chief among the Sooners’ problems this year has been a leaky run defense, something WVU (3-6, 1-5) believes can help resuscitate its offense.
The Mountaineers’ offense failed to show a pulse at Iowa State a week ago, but coach Neal Brown believes playing at home and getting starting running back Tony Mathis back from injury will create a prime bounce-back opportunity for the offense and quarterback JT Daniels.
“It starts with a couple of things,” Brown said of fixing an offense that mustered just 200 yards and 11 first downs last week. “We’ve got to get in a better rhythm, we’ve got to play at a faster tempo, we were really, really slow on Saturday. We’ve got to be able to change the picture and make it difficult on the defense.”
WVU also needs better play out of Daniels, who completed just 8-of-22 passes for 81 yards with a touchdown and interception in his worst outing in Gold and Blue.
“JT was just off,” Brown said. “I think they got some pressure up the middle on him and we got some drops there that hurt the quarterback as well. He’s got to play better…I think he’ll come back and play really well this week.”
Adding to Brown’s belief is the fact the Mountaineers will be at home against the Sooners, where they have been much better at moving the ball this season. At Mountaineer Field, WVU is averaging 45.3 points and 516.3 yards in four games. On the road, those number drop to 21.6 points and 324.2 yards in five games.
“I really believe JT’s going to play well,” Brown said. “We’re going to put him in a position where I think our receivers are going to play well here and I know our o-line’s going to play better.”
Daniels should get a bit more help from the running game this week as well. While Iowa State’s defense gives up just 110.6 yards rushing per game, the Sooners are getting gashed to the tune of 199.9 per game. Oklahoma has allowed less than 150 rushing yards just twice while giving up more than 280 four times.
Puzzling, as Venables made his name orchestrating suffocating defenses at Clemson for the better part of the last decade.
“They have the traits you see in a Venables defense,” Brown said. “They’re going to be aggressive, they’re going to be multiple, they’re going to be new each week and they’ve got a lot of team speed.”
Despite some of the gaudy rushing numbers put up against them, the Sooners still make a number of plays in the backfield, with 68 total tackles for loss and 17 sacks.
“They’re creating negative plays,” Brown said. “That’s probably the scariest piece about their defense, they’re creating a lot of negative plays.”
Linebacker Danny Stutsman leads the team with nine TFLs, but lineman Jalen Redmond is right behind him with eighth and Reggie Grimes has seven. Two other Sooners have at least six.
Offensively, Tennessee transfer Eric Gray leads the team with 902 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Central Florida transfer Dillon Gabriel has thrown for 2,027 yards and 16 touchdowns with only four interceptions. Standout receiver Marvin Mims has caught 38 passes for 678 yards and four scores.
Mathis to boost running game
Redshirt-freshman Justin Johnson was essentially all alone in WVU’s depleted backfield last week. He ran well, 48 yards on 12 carries, but will be helped out mightily with the return of lead back Mathis against Oklahoma.
“After JT and Zack, Tony’s probably the leader among (the offense),” Brown said. “Just having him in the lineup brings up not only the running back position but the tight ends and receivers because they look at him as a guy they can believe in.”
“Ever since I’ve got here, he’s been a great leader and a great big brother to me,” Johnson added. “We’re roommates now so I look up to him and learn a lot from him.”
After serving as a backup for his first three seasons, Mathis has broken out with 492 yards and five touchdowns this year. In the era of the transfer portal, Mathis’ patience is commendable.
“I think he’s about the right things, he shows up and works every single day,” Brown said. “He’s a good one to have in a leadership position. That’s the kind of guy from a work ethic standpoint you want younger players looking at.”
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