West Virginia Football: Game-by-game predictions for 2017
By Phil Poling
The Kansas Jayhawks host their Big 12 opener against the West Virginia Mountaineers, a team they haven’t beaten on the gridiron since 2013. That season was Dana Holgorsen’s worst campaign at the helm of the WVU football program, as the ‘Eers went 4-8 (also the only year the Jayhawks have ever beaten West Virginia).
Aside from that game though, West Virginia owns the Jayhawks. Last season, the ‘Eers lit them up for 48 points and only gave up 21 defensively.
Former Mountaineer assistant Joe DeForest is now the Kansas special teams’ coach, so while it’s all business as usual, there will be a little sideshow to watch for.
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The Jayhawks possess one of the best defensive players in the country in Dorance Armstrong Jr., but he alone won’t be able to halt the WVU offense that’ll be rolling by this trip to Kansas.
With multiple running backs in Holgorsen’s arsenal, he can deploy different looks for the defense to figure out; both Justin Crawford and Kennedy McKoy rushed for over 100 yards in last season’s game against the Jayhawks. Third-year Kansas coach David Beaty will have his team ready for the ‘Eers, but it won’t be enough to overcome their offense.