The West Virginia Mountaineers’ (2-2, 0-1) next home game is against the Utah Utes (3-1, 0-1). With both teams being 0-1 in the Big 12 conference, both teams are walking into the Milan Puskar Stadium with something to prove. Read more: What Utah Needs to Do to Win.
A Summary of Utah’s Season
Before its loss to Texas Tech, Utah was dominating every team it challenged thus far. The Utes defeated UCLA 43-10, Cal Poly 63-9, and Wyoming 31-6.
So, what happened with Texas Tech? The Utes challenged the Texas Tech Red Raiders at home on September 20th and ultimately fell 10-34. The score was 10-3 (Texas Tech) entering the fourth quarter, with the Utes only trailing by three with 10 minutes remaining. The Red Raiders did not let up, however, and scored three unanswered touchdowns to pull away in the waning moments.
Utah’s defense was strong and held Texas Tech’s No. 2-ranked offense to season lows in both passing yards (311) and total offense (484).
READ RELATED: Women’s Basketball Officially Underway: An Interview with Head Coach Mark Kellogg
Keep the Defense Strong
Nate Ritchie led the Utah defense in the loss to Texas Tech with 13 tackles and 2.5 TFL. Johnathan Hall added 10 stops, while Jackson Bennee and Tao Johnson both contributed interceptions and tackles.
Texas Tech’s offense was nationally ranked No. 2, and the Utes had no issue stopping them until late in the last quarter. Until then, they had been dominant, but allowing three straight touchdowns reflected a lack of focus and commitment.
Against West Virginia, Utah must remain strong for the entire game. In the Backyard Brawl, WVU was down and came back to win the game in overtime, so the Utes will have no time to lose focus against the Mountaineers.
The WVU offense definitely struggled in the matchup with the Jayhawks. WVU QB Nicco Marchiol played the majority of the game and completed 15 of 27 passes for 126 yards and an interception. Following this devastating loss and lackluster offensive performance, the Mountaineers will be aiming to bounce back.
Limit Turnovers
Looking back at the loss to Texas Tech, Utah posted 263 yards of total offense, finding 101 yards on the ground. What’s not so impressive, though, were its four turnovers.
Utah quarterback Devon Dampier completed 25 of 38 passes for 162 yards but also threw two interceptions. The Utes will have to eliminate these turnovers if they hope to be successful against a scrappy team like West Virginia. In the Kansas game, Fred Perry was disqualified from the game for a targeting call to the quarterback, Jalon Daniels. It’s clear the Mountaineers are aggressive, and they will want to win. Turnovers and interceptions are an easy mistake for WVU to capitalize on.
Time Zone Changes and Rowdy Fans
When the Utes take on the Mountaineers, this will be only the fourth regular-season game they have played in the eastern time zone since 2014. With potential jet lag, disrupted routines, and no home-field advantage, the Utes may be facing an uphill battle. Meanwhile, Mountaineer fans are notoriously rowdy, and the student section is as loud as ever, adding extra pressure for the visitors.
