Behind Enemy Lines: Keenan Cummings/WVSports.com talks bowl
What do you see as the biggest mismatch advantage West Virginia has vs. Miami?
Keenan Cummings, WVSports.com: I think the biggest advantage that West Virginia has in this game is the fact that the Mountaineers defense is a unique, unorthodox look that many teams do not see on a week-to-week basis. This West Virginia defense allowed only 23.4 points per game in the Big 12 Conference and does an excellent job of first stopping the run and then bringing a mixture of pressure and disguising where its coming from on the back end. All season, West Virginia has allowed over 30 points only three times this season and in two of those games turnovers were a major cause.
What is the biggest mismatch advantage the Canes have vs. the Mountaineers?
Cummings: I think that the speed of the Miami defense will be troublesome for the West Virginia offense and I also believe that tight end David Njoku could create problems for West Virginia because the Mountaineers have struggled with tight ends in the past, especially those that can cause matchup issues with their athleticism.
Is the Mountaineer fan base and team pumped up about this game considering it wanted a bigger bowl game, and do you expect a big contingent to travel to Orlando?
Cummings: Yes. This is a game that West Virginia fans are looking forward to given the fact that the Mountaineers have such a rich history with the Hurricanes even though both teams haven’t played since 2003. There is no question that the Mountaineers fan base believes it was somewhat disrespected this season considering they finished 10-2 but there is excitement because the team can finish with 11 wins for only the sixth time in program history.
What is the perception of this Miami program in West Virginia? Up and coming? Struggling?
Cummings: It’s almost hard to believe that Miami the pinnacle of dominance in the early 2000’s has not had a ten-win season since 2003, while West Virginia has had five during that span. For a long time, it appeared the Hurricanes were stuck in neutral but the perception has changed big-time with the hiring of Mark Richt. Miami is obviously located in a talent rich hotbed and while the Hurricanes were 8-4 this season there is a lot of respect from the West Virginia side given how well they played this season dropping a couple of one possession games this year.
What is your final score prediction (high scoring game, low scoring game?) and why?
Cummings: I think that this will be a good game and I expect Miami to attempt to establish the run and then hit some big plays down the field. If the West Virginia offense is clicking against an athletic Miami defense, I think the Mountaineers should win this game. But if the offense is turning the ball over and making mistakes, it could be a long day at the office against the Hurricanes. I do not believe that this will be a high scoring game because both teams want to run the football and play solid defense.
