The Big 12 schedule gets underway this weekend, and two undefeated teams go head-to-head as West Virginia heads to No. 15 Oklahoma State. These teams won their non-conference games in very different ways over the last two weeks, and both look to get a leg up on the conference race.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, OK. The game will be aired on ABC. Oklahoma State are seven-point favorites.
These teams have met 11 times in their history, including each of the last eight years in Big 12 play. The Cowboys won in Morgantown 20-13 last season and have won the last five head-to-head meetings. The Mountaineers last won in Stillwater in 2014, and they are 2-6 against the Cowboys since joining the conference.
West Virginia Betting Outlook: Stop The Run
The Mountaineers set the tone from the start in a 56-10 win over FBS foe Eastern Kentucky on September 12. They tallied 295 yards passing and 329 rushing against the Colonels and allowed just 206 total yards. Their 56 points rank second in the nation in scoring so far this season.
The blowout allowed West Virginia to play three quarterbacks in the opener. Jarret Doege is the starter, and he completed 19-of-25 passes for 228 yards and three scores against EKU. Last year Doege threw for 307 yards and a touchdown against Oklahoma State, but the Cowboys scored the final 10 points in a comeback win.
Running back Leddie Brown ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns on ten carries in the opener. Last season he ran for just 31 yards on 13 carries as the Cowboys defense limited WVU to 26 yards on 22 carries as a team. Alec Sinkfield scored twice against EKU as he ran for 123 yards, and Tony Mathis ran 18 times for 55 yards and a score.
Wide receiver Sam Jones had five catches for 72 yards and a score while Bryce Ford-Wheaton made four catches for 67 yards and a touchdown. Jones was the WVU leader in 2019 with 69 catches for 677 yards and two touchdowns.
Oklahoma State Betting Outlook: Control the Ball
Almost nothing has gone right for Mike Gundy’s squad to start the season. Their opener against Tulsa was postponed one week due to a COVID-19 outbreak. When they finally played last Saturday, the Cowboys trailed for three quarters and lost their starting quarterback to injury before eking out a 16-7 win.
Spencer Sanders started the game at quarterback and left in the first quarter with an ankle injury. Ethan Bullock threw for 41 yards in two quarters before handing the reins to freshman Shane Illingworth. Despite missing practice with COVID-19, Illingworth went led three scoring drives in the fourth quarter while going 4-for-5 for 74 yards.
Running back Chuba Hubbard, a strong Heisman candidate, ran 27 times for 93 yards with the go-ahead touchdown. Last year he tallied 106 yards on 26 carries and had seven catches for 88 yards against WVU.
The wideouts need to step up and help Illingworth against the WVU defense. Receiver Tylan Wallace led the way against Tulsa with four receptions for 94 yards, while Dillon Stoner scored the go-ahead TD against West Virginia last year and finished with 62 yards on eight catches.
The Cowboys defense played well against Tulsa, holding the Golden Hurricanes to 257 yards and just one score. Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez had the lone sack and led OSU with ten tackles. Safety Kolby Harvel-Peel had an interception and should be busy against the Mountaineers.
West Virginia at Oklahoma State Betting Lines:
West Virginia spread: +7 (-110)
West Virginia money line: +210
Oklahoma State spread: -7 (-110)
Oklahoma State money line: -250
Total: 50.5 points (Over -115, Under -105)
West Virginia had a week off to get ready for this game as they face a new quarterback but the same rushing attack that beat them last year. They showed in 2019 they could throw the ball against the Cowboys, but couldn’t finish drives. Illingworth looked good in relief and now makes his first collegiate start as the Cowboys look to help him enough for a win.
FREE BET: West Virginia +7 (-110)
