Nov. 14—MORGANTOWN — The core of West Virginia’s team lies in its robust offensive and defensive lines. These units are the foundation of the Mountaineers’ success.
When these lines are at their prime, WVU looks invincible, as evidenced by their stellar performance against BYU a couple of weeks ago. However, when facing a team that can contend with them physically, the Mountaineers can struggle, as they did last week against Oklahoma.
“They soundly beat us up front, ” remarked WVU coach Neal Brown, referring to the dominant performance of the Sooners. “The strength of our football team is up front, and they did some things moving their defensive line that negated some of our run game strategies.”
During the one-sided battle, Oklahoma’s offense racked up 59 points and 644 yards, setting season-high records against West Virginia’s defense. Conversely, the Sooners limited WVU’s offense to just 20 points on 330 yards, the lowest since quarterback Garrett Greene returned to the starting lineup over a month ago.
“We didn’t perform nearly as well as we wanted to, and that’s just something we’ve got to reflect on. This week we’re really focusing on just putting our heads down and working,” remarked offensive lineman Tomas Rimac.
Despite still running for 176 yards and not allowing a sack, WVU was held to just 10 of 31 passing and 4 of 16 on third down.
“We still ran the ball for 176 yards and we didn’t give up a sack, they just weren’t dominant,” Brown said of the offensive line.
On the defensive end, WVU was dominated, with the Sooners running for 221 yards, averaging 8.3 yards per play, and converting 8 of 14 third-down opportunities while putting up 59 points.
“We can say whatever we want, they beat us, easily,” stated defensive lineman Jalen Thornton. “That’s the beautiful thing about this game, it’s the highest of the highs and lowest of the lows.”
Brown emphasized the significance of analyzing the Oklahoma game early on since their upcoming opponents—Cincinnati, Baylor, and their bowl opponent—will likely study and attempt to replicate the Sooners’ success.
“This is a copycat deal,” Brown noted. “The things that (Oklahoma) did, Cincinnati and Baylor can get into very easily …That’s what we worked (Sunday) and we’ll be working it all week because we’ll see them again this Saturday and next Saturday as well.”
Injuries have further complicated matters for WVU, with offensive starters Doug Nester and CJ Donaldson dealing with injuries that may affect their availability for the upcoming games.
Brown stated that neither player practiced on Sunday, and he will provide updates on their status during his radio show on Thursday evening.
Alex Martin is your guide to the global phenomenon of football. With a focus on international leagues and tournaments, he provides match commentary, player interviews, and behind-the-scenes stories from the world of football.
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