Big 12 Football: 5 Biggest Surprises From Week One

Sep 5, 2015; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers safety Karl Joseph stands in the secondary during the fourth quarter against the Georgia Southern Eagles at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

4. West Virginia Pitches A Shutout

The West Virginia Mountaineers overwhelmed Georgia Southern in a 44-0 season-opening victory. The Mountaineers are known for their offense under head coach Dana Holgorsen.

Long considered a guru of the spread offense, Holgorsen was brought to Morgantown for his penchant for throwing the ball all over the lot. The Mountaineers defense allowed 27.6  points and 399.4 yards per game in 2014.

They shut out Georgian Southern and only allowed 224 total yards. The WVU defense was led by senior safety Karl Joseph. He kicked off his campaign for All-American status by leading the Mountaineers with eight tackles, snagged three interceptions and recovered a fumble.

Joseph was first-team All-Big 12 in 2014 and is a legitimate candidate for postseason honors in 2015. His three interceptions tie him for the national lead after the first week of the season.

The West Virginia offense was potent as usual. The Mountaineers ran up 544 yards of offense. As expected, freshman wide receiver Jovon Durante made an immediate impact with three catches for 121 yards and a touchdown.

Junior quarterback Skyler Howard passed for 359 yards and two touchdowns to highlight the offensive attack. Those kind of numbers are expected from a quarterback coached by Holgersoen. The surprise of the day was a defense that was nowhere near this strong in 2014. If WVU can play defense like that all season, they will be a legitimate contender for the conference crown.

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