The Mountaineers went into Lawrence and got embarrassed by the Kansas Jayhawks. Kansas forced a West Virginia punt on the first drive of the game, then scored on a 41-yard touchdown and never looked back. The Mountaineers lost the game 41-10, scoring three points in the first half and securing a touchdown at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Running back Tye Edwards was a game-time decision and dressed, but did not play a snap in the game. It probably did not matter if he played, however. It was a disappointing performance from start to finish for WVU. Read more: Big 12 Reality Check: Major Takeaways for WVU.
Big 12 Reality Check: Major Takeaways for WVU
Head coach Rich Rodriguez is having a tough start in his second tenure in Morgantown. The win in the Backyard Brawl is his only saving grace at the moment. The two losses at Kansas and Ohio are not a good look for Rodriguez.
Related: EDITORIAL: Ground Control to Major Mountaineer
Ohio is a strong team and should perform well in the MAC, but a Big 12 team should be able to handle them. Kansas is notoriously known as a basketball school and typically brings up the rear in the conference. They just made the Mountaineers look like they did not belong on the same field as them.
Explosive plays were the bane of WVU against Kansas, and they occurred in all facets of the game. The defense did not perform as well as it had in the first three games, and the special teams were also lacking. The offense was stagnant, per usual, especially without Edwards in the backfield. Overall, it was a terrible effort from the coaching staff and players. They were outclassed from the second the game started until the final whistle.
Offensive Struggles
Quarterback Nicco Marchiol cannot thrive without a consistent rushing attack. He finished 15 of 27 passing for 126 yards and an interception. All of his passes are close to the line of scrimmage, and there are almost no downfield throws. That can work when you have someone who can run the football, but they had zero production on the ground.
Clay Ash started in the backfield, but he did little with his opportunity. He finished with seven carries for 12 yards and one catch for three yards. Cyncir Bowers ran five times for six yards, offering even less production somehow. The Mountaineers finished the game with 182 rushing yards as a team, and quarterbacks Jaylen Henderson and Khalil Wilkins accounted for 115 in the fourth quarter.
Henderson led the only touchdown drive of the game, and did it primarily with his legs. He ran for 77 yards on that drive, including a 32-yarder and a 13-yard touchdown. He could have provided some life to this offense if he had been inserted earlier in the game, especially as a runner. WVU did not control the ball long enough, and Kansas got into a rhythm almost immediately.
Explosive Plays Were the Downfall
The Jayhawks connected on a 41-yard touchdown on their first drive of the game and never let up. Jalon Daniels completed a 39-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to Leshon Williams. Williams scored on a 62-yard run in the fourth quarter for Kansas’ final score of the game. They also started the second half with a 94-yard kick return for a touchdown, where Emmanuel Henderson Jr. broke two tackles en route to a touchdown.
The entire coaching staff and all the players did not show up, and it showed on the field. It could have been a letdown after a massive, emotional win last week, or the fact that Kansas had two weeks to prepare, but it was an atrocious outing. The product they put on the field against Kansas was as poor as it gets. It could be a painstakingly long season for Mountaineer fans if it continues.
