West Virginia
Oklahoma-West Virginia: Our Picks
John Hoover
The Oklahoma offense has dedicated seven turnovers within the final three video games — six of these from quarterback Dillon Gabriel. If OU can clear these up in Morgantown, count on a snug Sooner victory. If not, West Virginia’s offense is explosive sufficient to hold 40 or extra on the Oklahoma protection. This figures to be a shootout — aren’t all of them in Milan-Puskar Stadium? — as a result of the Sooners haven’t stopped anybody all 12 months, however the Mountaineers’ protection can be shaky. OU has received all 9 conferences since WVU joined the Massive 12, however the Sooners’ streak shall be in jeopardy if the offense doesn’t carry the staff once more. WVU ran simply 49 offensive performs final week in a 31-14 loss at Iowa State, however the Cyclones’ protection and the Sooners’ protection don’t look a lot alike. The Mountaineers may have a neater time transferring the soccer this week.
Last rating: Oklahoma 41, WVU 38
Ryan Chapman
The Sooners dropped a irritating sport final week, however the offensive success was nonetheless there. If Oklahoma can merely restrict its turnovers, Eric Grey and the OU working sport can put a big level complete on the board. JT Daniels has given opponents the possibility to choose him off this 12 months, throwing eight interceptions, and if the Sooners can simply be satisfactory on the bottom then the protection will make sufficient performs to beat one of many worst groups within the Massive 12.
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Last rating: OU 42, WVU 31
Josh Callaway
West Virginia has been a very totally different staff in Morgantown versus on the highway. Regardless of their report and their standing within the Massive 12, beating the Mountaineers won’t be a simple activity for an Oklahoma staff that proper now can not seem to get out of their very own means. However, that is merely a sport the Sooners must win. On the highway or not, West Virginia is in final place within the convention and fairly clearly the worst staff within the league. Their coach is on the recent seat, and their season has largely been a catastrophe. If OU rolls in there and leaves with one more loss, Oklahoma’s season strikes into full catastrophe territory of their very own if it is not there already. JT Daniels and the Mountaineers offense will get factors on the board however Dillon Gabriel and the OU offense, if they’ll avoid a bunch of turnovers like final week, ought to be capable to win the shootout. It is a intestine examine sport for the Sooners, they completely cannot drop this one and return right down to .500 earlier than Bedlam subsequent weekend. We are going to discover out a little bit of what Oklahoma is product of on this sport.
Last rating: Oklahoma 45, West Virginia 38
Ross Lovelace
The Sooners appear to be easing gamers again from damage weekly, and because the last stretch of the season is shortly approaching, it’s now all fingers on deck. Billy Bowman has labored his means again to enjoying time, though not beginning, and may proceed to ramp up his snap rely, which is very large for Oklahoma’s protection. JT Daniels has been careless with the soccer during the last 4 weeks, and though Oklahoma’s protection has struggled mightily, the secondary has give you a couple of key interceptions. If the Sooners protection can power a turnover or two early, the dashing assault has been adequate to take Oklahoma the gap on Saturday. The Sooners want to complete sturdy not solely to salvage what’s left of this 12 months, however at this level, extra losses would add to the negativity heading into subsequent season too. The sense of desperation shall be attention-grabbing to see this weekend.
Last rating: Oklahoma 45, West Virginia 27
West Virginia
Examining West Virginia's lost offensive production after the 2024 season
Examining West Virginia’s lost offensive production after the 2024 season
West Virginia is in the midst of a roster overhaul as new head coach Rich Rodriguez starts to build from the ground up. In the last weeks, the Mountaineers have lost dozens of players either to the transfer portal or to eligibility loss, and we look at how much production from this past season will not be returning.
On offense, about 20 guys who recorded snaps this past season will not be returning to the Mountaineers. Nine are out of eligibility, and nine have entered the transfer portal, while that number could still increase.
On offense as a whole, West Virginia has lost 83.25 percent of the total snaps played. 64.52 percent of the snaps lost are due to running out of eligibility. Out of WVU’s top four snap totals, all four came on the offensive line.
Three of them exhausted their eligibility (Ja’Quay Hubbard, Nick Malone, Brandon Yates), and the fourth (Tomas Rimac) entered the transfer portal.
Number of Snaps Lost
Note: In the table above, under the column ‘Total Percentage Lost’, the 52.42% and 46.58% are the share of the total number of snaps played, not the total numebr of snaps played at each position
At the quarterback position, Garrett Greene does not have any remaining eligibility. Greene accounted for just about 30 percent of WVU’s rushing yards, 84 percent of WVU’s passing yards, as well as 22 percent of their scores on the ground, and 75 percent of their passing touchdowns thrown.
At running back the loss of CJ Donaldson looms large. He accounted for 29 percent of WVU’s rushing total this season and between him and others who tallied up much lesser totals, West Virginia has lost 60.21 percent of their rush yards from this past season.
At the receiver position, it’s even more drastic. West Virginia has lost Hudson Clement, DayDay Farmer, Traylon Ray, Justin Robinson, and Kole Taylor, among others who were some of WVU’s top pass catchers. The Mountaineers have lost 76.23 percent of their receiving yards from last year as well as 80 percent of their receiving touchdowns.
Offensive Production Lost
Overall, there is a significant loss on the offensive side of the ball.
West Virginia lost most of their passing game as well as their receiving game due to guys leaving the program. While it’s easy to point to Greene in the passing game because he was the starting quarterback for the majority of the year, most of the production lost at receiver was due to guys entering the transfer portal. At running back, it was roughly a 50-50 split between what percent was lost to the portal and what was lost to eligibility, as Greene as well as Donaldson, were the main contributing factors there.
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West Virginia
2 charged in death investigation, victim identified
UPDATE 11:50 P.M. 12/24/2024
MASON COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ)-Two people are facing charges in connection with a death investigation in Mason County.
Investigators found the remains of a man Tuesday who had been reported missing. The remains were found along Broad Run Road in Letart.
Authorities arrested Brandon Harbaugh and Jodi Gerlach a short time later.
Harbaugh and Gerlach are charged with concealment of a deceased human body and conspiracy, according to Mason County Prosecuting Attorney Seth Gaskins.
Investigators identified the victim as Michael S. Phalen, 65, of New Haven, West Virginia. Investigators say Phalen was reported missing Dec. 12.
Harbaugh and Gerlach were arraigned Tuesday night in Mason County are in the Western Regional Jail on a $75,000 cash or surety bond.
UPDATE 7 P.M. 12/24/2024
MASON COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -A death investigation is underway after human remains were found in Mason County, according to Mason County Prosecuting Attorney Seth Gaskins.
Investigators found the remains of a missing adult male along Broad Run Road in Letart on Tuesday afternoon.
The Mason County Prosecuting Attorney identified the victim as Michael S. Phalen, 65, of New Haven, West Virginia.
Gaskins said that two individuals have been arrested in connection with the investigation. Both are charged with concealment of a deceased human body and conspiracy, although their identities have not been announced.
Copyright 2024 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
West Virginia
Chad Scott Returning to West Virginia
Accoring to Mike Casazza of 247 Sports, West Virginia University head coach Rich Rodriguez will retain assistant coach Chad Scott as part of his staff.
Scott spent the last six seasons under former head coach Neal Brown as the running backs coach and served as the offensive coordinator the last two seasons. He was also named the interim head coach for the Frisco Bowl.
The Mountaineer rushing attack ranked ninth among Power Four schools in rushing yards per game at 192.7 this past season and WVU was one of two FBS teams that has three players who have rushed for 630 yards or more.
Scott will be entering his19th season as an assistant coach. He began his career at Troy before taking jobs at Texas Tech (2010-12), Kentucky (2013-15), North Carolina (2016-18), Louisville (2019), and landed in West Virginia with Neal Brown in 2019.
MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI
West Virginia Contacts TCU QB Transfer, Former Four-Star Hauss Hejny
Between The Eers: Transfer Portal Movement
Former WVU Offensive Line Coach Matt Moore Hired by Rival School
Is WVU the Favorite to Land Jax State CB Transfer Fred Davis II? Here’s the Latest
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