OU football knows West Virginia's strength is elite offensive line. 'They love blocking.'
NORMAN — Brent Venables compared West Virginia's offensive line to a marching band on Tuesday.
The group operates with confidence, cohesion and chemistry, and it has been in tune all season. The Mountaineers have only allowed nine sacks in nine games, which is tied for second in the Big 12 and 11th in the nation.
And when OU hosts West Virginia at 6 p.m. Saturday, the key to winning starts at the line of scrimmage.
"Probably the strength of their team – they will tell you – is probably the offensive line," Venables said. "You know it when you see it. You know it when you don’t. They have good chemistry out there on the field when you watch them."
West Virginia's offensive line is led by junior center Zach Frazier and senior right tackle Doug Nester, who's questionable for Saturday due to injury. The veteran returners have appeared in a combined 76 games for the Mountaineers.
Then there's the rest of the group. Sophomore left tackle Wyatt Milum is a former four-star prospect from the 2021 class, while Ja'Quay Hubbard and Brandon Yates are a pair of redshirt juniors who boast the versatility to play numerous positions.
More: Turnover woes all of a sudden sinking OU football's offense, but can Sooners fix it soon?
In addition to protecting junior quarterback Garrett Greene, West Virginia's offensive line has also allowed the team to average 218 rushing yards per game. That ranks third in the Big 12.
The group is as good as it gets in the conference, which Robert Spears-Jennings quickly learned. The OU safety was a freshman last season when his team suffered a 23-20 road loss to West Virginia on Nov. 12.
"They gave me my welcome to college moment," Spears-Jennings said on Monday. "I'll be honest, I wasn't prepared to go out there. They love blocking. I could see their O-linemen love blocking. That’s their strength of their team.
"So as long as we can take care of the O-line and dominate the line of scrimmage, we should be okay."
That'll be easier said than done, though.
OU's defensive has struggled to consistently win at the line of scrimmage this season. It has only recorded 17 sacks, which ranks 10th in the Big 12.
OU's struggles up front have been glaring during its two-game losing streak. The Sooners haven't recorded a sack during the short stretch, and they've allowed an average of 185.5 rushing yards per contest.
It's a growing concern for OU. And if it can't hold its own Saturday against an elite West Virginia offensive line, it could be forced to face the music.
"They're really talented," junior defensive end Ethan Downs said on Monday. "We've got to be on top of how we play."
OU football report card: Plenty of middling marks for Sooners in Bedlam loss vs. Cowboys
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football prepares to face West Virginia's 'talented' offensive line
