West Virginia's week was the same story in a higher-scoring game. The Mountaineers trailed by 14 at halftime in Lubbock, came back to lead 48-41 after Hawkins ran in his 2nd touchdown late in the 3rd quarter, then gave up 12 unanswered points in the 4th and lost 53-48. Rich Rodriguez didn't sugarcoat it. He called his defense's first half "gross" after Texas Tech hung 41 on it before halftime.
That defense is the story for Saturday. West Virginia has allowed 45 to Iowa State, 52 to Arizona, 42 to Cincinnati and 53 to Texas Tech in its last 5. The only time it held anyone down was a 24-20 road win at TCU. Kansas scored 32 against UCF and 24 in 3 of its last 5, and this is the softest defense it has seen in a while. The Mountaineers' offense has kept them in games: 48, 45 and 42 points in 3 of the last 5. When this team wins, it's usually by outscoring people.
The TCU result is the one common opponent worth a look. West Virginia won in Fort Worth by 4, and Kansas lost there by 6. That's not a huge gap, and it matches a game that should come down to the last few possessions. The early forecast for Morgantown is 37 degrees, cloudy, with wind around 13 mph. That's November football in the mountains, and it could slow down 2 offenses that have been putting up big numbers in warmer places.
For West Virginia, it's simple: win at home and lock up a bowl with games to spare. For Kansas, after weeks of almost, this is the point where close losses stop mattering. Lose this one, and the season ends after the final regular-season game.
