Four WVU players to know as Oklahoma travels to face the Mountaineers
Oklahoma has had great success against West Virginia in its existence. The Sooners are 11-2 all-time good luck against the Mountaineers. They enter Saturday’s clash having won nine straight against WVU.
This Oklahoma team may be more flawed than previous ones. Most of the more recent OU teams took on West Virginia with a Heisman hopeful at quarterback and the ability to virtually score at will at a moment’s notice.
This year’s Oklahoma team hasn’t reached that capacity on offense yet but they are still a dangerous unit when things are clicking. Defensively, OU comes in at a disadvantage considering they don’t match up with what West Virginia does best; slinging the football.
Ultimately, this could be a tight game that hinges on which team’s best playmakers show up to make more plays than the others. West Virginia has a few players to know that could be critical to the game itself.
Bryce Ford-Wheaton, WR
Bryce Ford-Wheaton is one of the more underrated receivers in the Big 12. He’s big-bodied and stands at six-foot-three. Considering the lack of size outside at the corner spot for Oklahoma, he’s already a mismatch to a degree.
He can high-point the ball and wins vertically pretty regularly. If Billy Bowman and the rest of the safeties aren’t able to provide adequate support over the top, Oklahoma could be in for a long day.
Mountaineers QB JT Daniels is not afraid to throw it up and give Ford-Wheaton a chance either.
Dante Stills, DT
One of Oklahoma’s biggest worries going into this game is how they will handle Dante Stills, a senior defensive tackle who bypassed a chance to go to the NFL Draft last year to return to West Virginia.
It’s not been pretty for West Virginia but one look at their game tapes and it’s easy to see why Stills was being considered for the NFL Draft. He’s already top five all-time in WVU history in sacks and is closing in on his own father for third all-time.
He’s been a menace for Oklahoma in the past and has done so this year as well despite being double-teamed. The interior of Oklahoma’s offensive line will be tested.
Tony Mathis, Jr, RB
The five-foot-eleven, 207 pound running back has had his best season as a Mountaineer this year.
Tony Mathis Jr. has 99 carries for 492 yards and five touchdowns. He’s got a nice burst and provides a different dynamic to this Air Raid offense. He was injured but looks to be a go for this game.
Oklahoma has the conference’s worst rush defense. It would be coaching malpractice if WVU didn’t at least try to establish the running game.
Lee Kpogba, LB
Junior linebacker Lee Kpogba is the Mountaineers’ tackle leader on the season. While Oklahoma will have a difficult task stopping a solid running back in Tony Mathis, West Virginia will be equally as stressed trying to contain Eric Gray.
Kpogba will be busy flying around to try and bring down the ever-shifty Eric Gray.
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